Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, and songwriter Jordan Rakei shares a stripped-back solo acoustic version of recent single “Family” taken from Jordan’s forthcoming album ‘What We Call Life’ set for release on September 17th. The acoustic version originally appeared in the world as a raw but nonetheless enchanting phone-recorded video on instagram of Jordan performing the song from the comforts of his lounge at home. Following the popularity of Jordan’s no-frills piano and vocals on the song, he recorded a studio version for an official release.
‘What We Call Life’ is Jordan Rakei’s most vulnerable and intimate album to date, diving deeper into his sonic world, merging electronic and acoustic with its poignant lyrics concerning the lessons that the New Zealand-born, Australia-raised, and London-based artist learned about himself during therapy. Jordan, already a practitioner of meditation and mindfulness, embarked on a journey that began two years ago when he started reading about the “positive psychology” movement to create something richer, more detailed, and more textural than before.
These themes on self-discovery manifest on songs like lead single “Family”, which Rakei comments is “the most personal” he’s ever been with his lyrics. “I wanted to hit my vulnerability barrier and be really honest. It’s about my parents’ divorce in my mid-teens but still having love for them no matter what,” he explains.
With so many artists being influenced by his style, it would have been easy for Jordan to stay in the same musical lane; but, as in life, he is determined to move his music forward. Such introspective subjects are a departure from Jordan’s last album, 2019’s ‘Origin’. Raising big questions about the way that technology and social media interferes with our sense of humanity, ‘Origin’ received praise from notable platforms like The Observer, Mixmag, Complex, and GQ, earned an unexpected shout-out from Elton John, led to a collaboration with rap legend Common, and saw Jordan give a show-stopping performance for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series.
No stranger to collaboration, Jordan is closely associated with friends and collaborators like Loyle Carner (with whom he co-wrote, produced and performed on “Ottolenghi” and the Jorja Smith-featuring “Loose Ends”), Tom Misch and Alfa Mist. He has also joined Chic’s Nile Rodgers for a writing session and recorded with Terrace Martin, producer for Kendrick and Snoop Dogg, and Herbie Hancock.
