Album Review: Jessie Reyez Opens Up On “Being Human In Public”

I KNEW I was going to like Jessie Reyez’s EP, Being Human In Public. On title alone, I felt won over. I knew her drawling, drawing voice would pull and color vulnerability as it always does. Yet, Being Human In Public is more than a sonic swim in the “feelings pool.” It waves with optimism that even if you feel bare in before all, you will learn how to fit in your skin while in front of them.

Sometimes, the key to getting over insecurities is to push through them; however painful or debilitating they may be. For Jessie Reyez, fearless does not mean being without fear as much as realizing you cannot be your fear. One day, you simply have to put your fears in a bag, and learn to carry them as you confront, challenge, and caress the world before you. Hence, Reyez’s lyrics understand this dynamic, which is why songs such as “Saint Nobody,” “Dear Yessie,” and “Sola” leave you torn between crying and smiling. When someone opens their heart, you feel hopeful that you can open yours, as well. Thus, there is an intimacy to Being Human In Public that is strangely ironic. 
Jessie Reyez – Body Count

For being about how simultaneously frightening and freeing it could be to be yourself in front of others, the entire album feels as if it was written, sung, and composed for alone moments; the times when you are in your room thinking about the times when you have to leave it.  From “Body Count” to “Imported,” baselines and snares are bopping to give a danceable, rhythmic roll, but still, as in “Apple Juice” or “F Being Friends,” you want to put on your headphones and imagine how to be better at being you with others. The dynamic is enriching, and explains the growing fascination with Jessie Reyez.
Jessie Reyez – Apple Juice

People know real. While we all can be drawn to fantasies and artists that live and move like dolls, we do need singers that remind us of how to move on the ground when the sky feels unavailable. Jessie Reyez’s voice feels like the soil teaching you how to make flowers from your soul. No matter how vivacious a song gets, it never strays from keeping a bond between you and Jessie in figuring out Being Human In Public. To Buy The Album on October 19 Click Here.