JGrrey

Combining wistful yet earnest lyrics with a buttery-smooth tone, London-born vocalist JGrrey first caught the public eye with her performance on studio-based video series Colours. Her debut EP Grreydaze, released in early 2019, saw the singer/songwriter reflecting on relationships, family, and mental health, over ethereal, hazy production.
Born in Lambeth, singer/songwriter JGrrey spent her early years moving between foster homes across London before she was adopted at the age of six. While she attended stage school at her mother’s insistence, she had never had ambitions of being a singer: Despite penning lyrics throughout her life, she only recognized her vocal talents through jam sessions with her friends. After a music video made with her then-boyfriend reached the eyes of rapper Manga Saint Hilare, she was brought to the studio at his insistence, and the pair collaborated on an unreleased track, “Zoning.”
With her first studio session behind her, JGrrey was convinced of her potential. Setting up her own home studio, she soon recorded her debut singles “Ready 2 Die” and “Don’t Fade,” releasing them in the last months of 2017. Matching warm, breezy production with effortlessly smooth vocals, these early singles were a springboard for her success: a performance of the latter on popular video series Colours racked up millions of views, giving the London vocalist her first taste of fame.
Moving into 2018, she continued with a slow-burn release schedule. Her third single, “Growing,” offered a warm dose of self-empowerment, while her fourth, “All for You,” fused funk and electronica to her more typical sonics. Yet this was all building to something bigger. Generating hype from 2019 singles “Pretty Insane” and “Notice,” JGrrey released her debut EP Grreydaze in March that year. Continuing the dreamlike neo-soul of her earlier releases, the EP also saw the singer diversify her artistic palette, employing expansive song structures and more nuanced vocal manipulation. Later that year, JGrrey found her biggest audience thus far on Billie Eilish’s Where Do We Go? Tour, where she supported the pop sensation at venues across Europe. This placement was followed by the release of funk-inspired single “Better Off,” which landed on streaming platforms in September that year. ~ David Crone