It’s not often that musicians are able to reap the fruits of their labor so early on in their careers. 23-year-old Jordan Max, an indie/soul songwriter from the Greater Manchester area of England, is doing just that, though, with his debut EP, the strikingly mature and polished Only One Is King.
The four-track effort, anchored by solid early singles “Hell” and “Let Me Lay Down”, was written and recorded in the cozy comforts of Max’s bedroom but has a worldly appeal — especially to those itching for a new R&B/soul man to champion. And yes, folks have been itching: Max has enjoyed much recognition from outlets big and small, and earned airplay on both sides of the Atlantic, earning coveted playlist spots on Pharrell’s Beats 1 program and BBC Radio 1.
For the UK native, the road to success is one he’s always dreamt of, but never been unrealistic about. In fact, much of that humbling self-awareness is what informs the EP and keeps it grounded. “‘Only One Is King’ paints a perfect picture of our bleak but hopeful existence, when coming from a small town, not far from the city,” he tells Consequence of Sound. “All we have is hope when we don’t have much.” Seems holding onto that hope has certainly paid off.
Stream the EP in full below.
Only One Is King is officially out on March 25th through Full + Bless. Pre-order it here.
Only One Is King Artwork:
Only One Is King Tracklist:
01. Hell
02. Knocked Around
03. Hope
04. Let Me Lay Down
