Jessie Reyez - Far Away
The Polaris Prize shortlister's emotionally expressive vocals deliver a powerful message on her latest single and accompanying video.
By Kerry Doole
Jessie Reyez - Far Away (FMLY / Island Records / UMC): The Canadian singer-songwriter is now making a splash globally, and has a new studio album slated for 2020 release.
Last week she shared this new single and video, given an MTV broadcast premiere on MTV Live, mtvU, and the Viacom Times Square billboard. The heart-wrenching and sensual video is topical because it depicts Reyez and her partner being brutally separated by ICE.
In a press release, Reyez explains that the song is about "attachment. Attachment to someone is both something beautiful and something painful. Imagine finally finding your home in another human being but they're stuck on the other side of this rock we're all on. You're left wanting nothing more than a hug -their hug- that simultaneously feels like a pillow and a drug. Somehow when they hurt, you hurt, when they smile, you smile. This is love suspended in animation before it's tainted by reality."
She conveys these sentiments in an emotionally convincing style, with her now readily identifiable voice deftly projecting tenderness.
Reyez recently made the Polaris Prize shortlist with her Juno-winning release Being Human In Public, confirming she is one of the few Canadian acts to grab critical favour as well as commercial success.
On Oct 21, Reyez plays an already SRO concert at Toronto's The Winter Garden Theatre, followed by shows in the US, France, Germany and Holland.
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