Most artists would make the first song on their new album something welcoming, trendy or pleasing, at least to make the Spotify algorithm happy. Not Jessie Reyez.
She crafted a song with clear red flags — “I Never Said I Was Sane” — a totally bananas opening cut that includes screaming, taunting, religious texts, whispering, heavy distortion, a little flute and a babyish pout. “Lost some screws along the way to L.A.,” she sings.
That’s why Reyez is always a glorious sonic handful and why the album “Paid in Memories” is another of her messy triumphs. Think of her as the anti-Tate McRae.
The Toronto-bred musician is a magpie of an artist, taking a little from hip-hop here, dipping into some alt-rock on another, using a cool soul lick or a Latin beat. If you know where the next song is taking you, you’re lying. She can go from purring along to a plunky guitar to feet-planted battle rapping, even in the same song.
Reyez, who in the past leaned on co-writers, this time often supplies the music and lyrics alone, a sign of her continuing maturity and control. Few artists could accommodate such varied big-name guests as Lil Wayne, Miguel, 6lack, Lil Yachty, Deyaz, Big Sean and Ari Lennox. Each time, she makes it work on her terms.
One song — “Couldn’t Be Me” — features Sam Smith, and you might expect to hear their voices swirling together in a melodic, naughty club banger. Instead, Reyez sings a melancholy ballad of lost love, with the last minute taken up by a touching voicemail by Smith sending her encouragement after the breakup.
There’s often a bite to Reyez’s songs so it’s refreshing to hear unalloyed sincerity on “Goliath,” a pure love song: “You love me like a Sunday morning/But you kiss me like a Friday night.” There’s also the fun dance-pop “NYB” (for “New York baby”) which has the vibe of a hysterically low-rent “American Boy” by Estelle (she lands in Newark and is picked up by her lover in a truck).
“Jeans” with Miguel is destined to be one of the sexiest songs of 2025 (“Cause you fit/Better than a pair of jeans, baby”) and “Psilocybin & Daisies,” lifts from “1979” performed by The Smashing Pumpkins, terrifically. Who samples from the Pumpkins?
She and 6lack extend their long, fruitful collaborations — this time she accommodatingly stylizes the song “6lessings” for him as their styles swirl perfectly — and she gets slinky with the murky dance track “Palo Santo.”
Reyez gets very personal at times — her estrangements with her brother is the topic of a song — and on “Been Abouta Year” takes stock of her life: “Where’s the famous silver lining I was promised?/To be honest/Life is falling kinda short.”
You and us all, sister. Just glad you’re here.
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