Jaz Karis

When an artist is as stunningly unique and genuine as Jaz Karis, it’s almost difficult to pin down exactly what makes her music so intensely thrilling to listen to. Her music elegantly and smoothly bucks trends and clichés and really strikes true to the heart of authenticity - it’s indescribable in the best way possible. It’s incomparable by design: a feat that many artists dream of accomplishing, and very few can manage. An evocative and intimate songwriter, Karis whisks you away on each track to a different time, place, or part of her world. With influences ranging from Beyoncé and Erykah Badu to Frida Kahlo and Nelson Mandela, Karis effortlessly glides each track into her own deeply personal, unimpeachably authentic musical space.

This week, we’re featuring her 2021 single “Motions”. Featuring a handful of complex moving parts that would weigh down a lesser songwriter, “Motions” remains incredibly light, free, and balanced - a true testament to Karis’ songwriting and producing. The driving, afrobeat-influenced beat pulsates underneath her silky vocals, jazz influenced harmonies, and synth pads taken straight out of the 80’s. The melodies - punctuated by a distant, yet deeply musical horn section, led by slinky, flirtatious saxophone solos - are enticing, thrilling, and impossibly catchy. There is a purity in Karis’ music; a music that truly and without artifice comes from within herself.