Jessie Reyez has never attempted to patch up her flaws. This admirable honesty has been a feature of the Toronto singer/songwriter's music since her first release, and continues on her latest album, Paid In Memories.
"I never said I was sane," Reyez declares on the album’s opening track. Released on March 28, the GRAMMY nominee's third studio release embraces some of the "more toxic" themes of her past work, but focuses more on the emotional intricacies of her journey — from heartaches to finding true happiness.
"I've blossomed into becoming more comfortable with touching both ends of the spectrum in my artistry," Reyez tells GRAMMY.com of the album title. "Along with the heartbreaks, I've also had beautiful love stories, along with the tears, I've also had days of sunshine where it felt like I was God's favorite. I just want to make sure that on this album, I'm painting more of the emotional spectrum that a human can experience."
Paid In Memories is a vivid painting wherein Reyez plays with a rainbow of genres: from the velvety vintage soul on "Goliath" to the ‘90s alt-rock on the Smashing Pumpkins-sampling "Psilocybin and Daisies" and the sun-soaked techno beats of "Palo Santo." It also showcases Reyez’s innate knack for collaboration, featuring guests like Lil Wayne, frequent collaborator 6lack, Miguel, Lil Yachty, Big Sean and Ari Lennox.
"I just love not being restricted, and that I've been able to set that precedent for the artist I am," Reyez says. "Anyone familiar with my music already knows that one of my native rules is that there are no rules to my music. I just make whatever I feel."
And those feelings, no matter what genre they’re soundtracked to, come from Reyez’s raw honesty — a depth of emotion that often leaves you breathless. The world was first introduced to that vulnerability on her 2016 debut single "Figures," which detailed a painful breakup. "Wish I could hurt you back / Love, what would you do if you couldn't get me back?" she sings as the acoustic guitar plucks at what remains of Reyez’s heartstrings.
Reyez released her debut EP Kiddo in 2017 along with short film, Gatekeeper, which addressed the sexism and exploitation she faced in the music industry. The next year, she followed up with Being Human In Public, an EP she previously described to GRAMMY.com as "being untouchable from other people's opinions." That sophomore release scored a 2020 GRAMMY nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album.
On her 2020 debut full-length, Before Love Came to Kill Us, Reyez explored the darker side of humanity. "Mortality’s been an innate part of my upbringing," she told ELLE of its themes of love, death, loyalty, and loss. "My mom always anchors every sentence with ‘If God allows’ to recognize that when man makes plans, God laughs. I wanted to trigger people to think about their mortality, because if you think about it, then maybe today you’d be more authentically yourself."
That realness caught the attention of artists like Calvin Harris (Reyez co-wrote his addictive 2018 "One Kiss" smash featuring Dua Lipa), Eminem (another frequent collaborator who is also notorious for spilling his soul), and Beyoncé, who included Reyez on 2019’s The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack for the 070 Shake-assisted "Scar."
While previous releases reflected on the past, Reyez attempted to focus more on the present and healing on 2022’s Yessie album. "I'm hella introverted and I recharge on my own. I used to feel guilty about that," she tells GRAMMY.com. "I was so focused on the guy, on work, and on loved ones in my life [where the] relationships required effort and time. I barely had time for myself, and that would leave me feeling depleted."
"In the Yessie album era, I was getting more acquainted with the word ‘no,' but it was ‘no’ professionally. Whereas now I've been able to push it more personally and intimately," she says. "I’ve been able to lay out better boundaries and know that if all I have are a couple of free days this month, I can't just give that to other people. I have to make sure my soul is intact, and my soul sometimes requires solitude. It might require me going camping for two days and just reading my book on my own for me to feel that peace."**
Reyez has an impressive grip on gut feelings, which she discussed during a 2023 GRAMMY U Masterclass conversation. She stressed to the audience the importance of nurturing connections with themselves and their intuition — something that has always been key in her songwriting. There’s a freedom to her lyrics, which likely stems from her first love: poetry.
Read more: 6 Deep Insights From Jacob Collier & Jessie Reyez' GRAMMY U Masterclass Conversation
"When I create, it's me providing a reflection of whatever my reality is at the time. It’s an exercise of opening up, tapping into whatever was happening in my life and seeing whatever pours out," Reyez, who released her debut poetry book Words of a Goat Princess in 2024, explains.
With Paid In Memories, Reyez is embracing all of life’s lessons, making peace with the traumas revealed on her previous albums and stepping into the sun. There’s more of an emotional equilibrium on the record; the grace she’s given herself spills over into the Latin-inspired bliss of "Just Like That" and the cheeky, flirtiness of "New York, Baby." If Reyez's debut reflected a headspace that was less than fun, Paid In Memories is all about letting loose.
"I'm just more open to success in a way I haven't been in the past, more open to not feeling guilty for reaping the fruits of my labor because I f–ing sweat for this," she says. "I'm definitely a lot more fearless. A lot of it comes with trusting my instincts more. Also in life, we're often taught that unless something is difficult, it doesn't really merit a win. I have just leaned into this school of thought that sometimes things will come to you with ease, and you can't question that naturalness because it just so happens to be the blessing that you're getting that day."
More fun comes with less inhibition, which unlocked the artist’s seductive side. Songs like the Lil Wayne-assisted "Ridin" and her "Jeans" duet with Miguel are laced with provocative innuendos that highlight Reyez’s bedroom charm. "You take my Levi's right off / Tell you to turn the lights on / Cuz I like to see what I ride on," she purrs on "Ridin", while pleading that "she needs some milk" on "Jeans."
"I'm grown, period. I don't know if it was something conscious. It just happened where I’m healthier, mentally and physically. I've learned to love myself more and to utilize the gifts that God has given me," she says. "But some of it's not that deep. Sometimes I just wake up and feel like wearing something tighter. I look in the mirror and say, Well, I like the way this looks. I leave the house and I just feel good."
Reyez’s artistry is aqueous. Sometimes it can drown you with crashing waves. Other times, it’s a gentle ripple. Paid In Memories is a reminder of that emotional fluidity, while also unveiling a more tender side of her vulnerability. Reyez had to absorb many life lessons to achieve this current state of peace, but she wouldn’t change a thing — not even to ease the burdens of her eighth-grade self, who is showcased on the album cover.
"I would just watch her with love and maybe do long-distance Reiki — something that wouldn't affect the timeline," Reyez says. "I could say things that could potentially allow me to find more peace in the years that were in front of me, because they were difficult. But grit and hard times make you resilient, and I honor my resiliency. I'm grateful that I was able to come out the other side stronger and with more discernment."