Jordan Joy Isn’t Ready for the Night to Be Over in Debut Single, “Don’t Kill the Vibe”
New York City can’t help but become the ultimate muse. Spiked with vivacity, heartache, and the wafting smoke of cigarettes, it’s a place that elicits complex emotions made for music to translate. Irish-born singer-songwriter Jordan Joy’s dreamy debut single, “Don’t Kill the Vibe,” saunters in with a nostalgic yet fresh take on the city’s intoxicating mirage, and ultimately a striking mirror of an elusive relationship.
Daughter of U2’s frontman Bono, Jordan’s appearance in the music scene comes with buzzing excitement, similar to when her brother, Elijah Hewson, stepped into the sphere with his highly acclaimed rock band Inhaler. Fueled by her passion for literature and poetry, a return home to Dublin during the pandemic nudged Jordan to turn to music. The singer began teasing her track on Instagram earlier this month, sharing a video of herself playing the piano. It wasn’t long before her next post made speculations of a music debut official: “Working on a record.. inspired by New York and Kim Gordon’s t-shirt.” What came next was only natural. Co-produced by Catherine Marks from Wolf Alice and Jackson Phillips from Day Wave, she etches her name into the indie-pop world with an infectious, four-minute number that lingers in the air after each listen.
“You say I’m to blame / Sulking like a king,” she croons in her opening lines over swaggering bass licks, and it’s almost as if you can hear her eyes subtly rolling. It’s the first signal of something that’s about to crumble, but she’s not ready to let go just yet. Synth flecks catch in New York street lights as she dances around a fading reality in each line. “You say you and me / The spark is gone / Just hold my glass / While I prove you wrong,” she whispers with gentle persistence. Her wistful vocals melt into the moody, electronic melodies with the precision of someone who has more than one track in their discography.
As the song presses on, so does the night. Jordan finds herself sitting in a tension that demands she look it in the face. Bleary-eyed, she reckons that ignorance is bliss in her verse, “Drink your drink just like you mean it / Faking boredom I can feel it / Pick a fight and I’ll dismiss it.”
Twinkling hums shower the final minute of the song before her closing refrain: “Tell yourself it’s overrated / Look at me pretend you hate it / Crush the ice stop your complaining.” Her point is plain and simple: Don’t kill the vibe.
“Don’t Kill the Vibe” is the party that goes on for just a little longer. A glass of gin that demands to be refilled. A kitchen light, still on at 2am. The night doesn’t want to end, and for a second, Jordan lets you stay on the dance floor past closing. It’s the perfect delivery of an atmospheric lullaby packed with an unassuming punch.
Jordan Joy knows how to bring the New York indie scene right into your bedroom. The city’s in the rear view, but the night isn’t over for the emerging star.
Be sure to listen to “Don’t Kill the Vibe,” now streaming on all listening platforms.
