Emerging singer Dora Jar has an expansive, shape-shifting sound, with songs that run the gamut from hip-hop to dreamy pop to imaginative story songs about characters such as mermaids.
But in this episode of Press Play at Home, Jar strips her sound back to its introspective and acoustic roots. She cozies up indoors for a performance of "Multiply," a track from her 2021 Digital Meadow EP.
"Multiply" is a master class in yearning: Set against a gentle, cyclical acoustic guitar line, Jar's breathy vocals create a stark contrast against the intensity of lyrics like "'Cause you got my body all open" and "I think about you 25 hours a day."
The soothing aesthetic of Jar's performance adds to that juxtaposition. Sitting cross-legged against a backdrop of windows, the singer performs the song with just an acoustic guitar as trees gently sway behind her.
While the visuals might soften the intensity of the song's message, they also underscore the intimate nature of Jar's songwriting. Though Jar's music oscillates between different genres and styles, she presents a quiet confidence about her sense of self as an artist — a skill that she had to hone, as she told NME.
"When I met producers, they were overpowering me. I realized I have to be a boss, I need to know their language to communicate what I want," she explained. "Now, people realize I don't have a specific sound, I am the sound, so it's been easier to experiment. I don't want to land anywhere. I just want to keep evolving."
Recently, Jar's musical evolution has taken her to some pretty enormous stages: She opened a run of shows on Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever Tour earlier this year, including two sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden.
Watch the intimate performance above, and keep checking GRAMMY.com every Thursday for more episodes of Press Play At Home.