Over the last year, alternative music artist and illustrator, Jhariah (juh-RYE-uh), has released an 11-song album and three singles. In such a short time, both he and their creations were surprisingly well-received by old and new fans alike. His sound is undoubtedly unparalleled – no other artist can capture themes of melodrama, failure, change, deception, or the feeling of grasping at straws quite like they can. If you choose to listen (which you should!), content warning for mature language and themes of violence/death.
Jhariah kicked off the year with the 11-song album A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO LUCK & LIABILITY on January 27th, clocking it in at 34 minutes 58 seconds. It features a mixed track released the previous year, The View From Halfway Down (ft. Henry D’Arthenay); live tracks from the Bad Luck tour; and acapella tracks from A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO FAKING YOUR DEATH, released in 2021.
Known quite well amongst fans for his strong stage presence, it’s no surprise that several songs would be recorded live and posted for repeat listening. From the Bad Luck tour, A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO LUCK & LIABILITY features:
BAD LUCK!
Knives Are Dangerous, Kid, so Cut the Theatrics!
Needed a Change of Pace
SPLIT!
Flight of the Crows
Jhariah’s songs are full of unique instruments, and while they do help to set his sound apart, his voice alone is really inimitable. These songs from A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO FAKING YOUR DEATH are made acapella, and show off their stunning aptitude for harmonizing:
Needed a Change of Pace
PRESSURE BOMB 3?!?!
DEBT COLLECTOR
BAD LUCK!
Flight of the Crows
Almost 6 months later, on June 22nd, he released the first of two collaborative singles, A Lesson In Dramatics (x Save Face). The track was referred to as the “emo crossover of the century” on their Instagram – being that Jhariah and Save Face’s vocalist, Tyler Povanda, are setting the stage by screaming at each other from the intro on.
After, on August 31st, he released a new single, RISK, RISK, RISK!. The intro especially faced immense popularity (even before release) thanks to TikTok exposure, and is currently their 2nd most popular track, with 2 and a half million streams on Spotify. “I had these larger-than-life goals for myself and my music, and I could see them so vividly, but I still couldn’t help but tread cautiously,” he explains on Ones to Watch. “It started to sink in that I’m trying to accomplish the nearly impossible here, and I’ve gotta have complete faith in myself. I can’t be afraid, even if I should be. No one reaches the heights I want to reach by playing it safe, so I made a promise to bet on myself more.” I think this is a really eloquently phrased way of describing how many young people find themselves feeling; stuck, cautious, having high hopes and dreams that are just too far out of reach.
His final venture of the year was another collaborative single, EAT YOUR FRIENDS (x Pinkshift), released on October 26th. In an announcement posted on their Instagram, he said, “We wrote this song about competition and jealousy. It’s us cementing our values against a machine that seeks to pit us against each other. We hope you feel that when you hear this song. I hope it brings you closer to someone the way it’s brought us closer.” It has brought me closer. It’s incredibly cathartic and makes listeners feel with fast-paced vocals full of emotion as Pinkshifts’ lead vocalist Ashrita Kumar and Jhariah fight for the spotlight.
These endeavors really help to show off their ability to coalesce with other indie artists. Even with their inherent talent for all things artistic and wide vocal range, he doesn’t outshine them. That takes a person that can carry themself really well. On top of everything, he doesn’t conform to any particular genre or stylistic box – you never know what to expect when they drop a new piece. They’re truly unlike any other artist you’ll find on the market.
What’s next?
On their Instagram, he announced the arrival of their first single in 2024, a second (and highly anticipated) LP released on January 25th – “PIN-EYE is yours now. This song is my everything and I’ve given it everything. I hope you love it as much as I do.” While it is not widely advertised, along with PIN-EYE, they gift listeners with a 50-second track, COLLARBONE. In his about section on Spotify, they referred to LP2 as “a manifesto of sorts for a new music culture,” blending more than seven genres of music. As he often does, they did a fantastic job.
In what is nearly 7 years of musical history, their already very unique sound has grown and changed in a beautiful way. His 403k monthly listeners on Spotify have a lot to look forward to. With someone so truly talented, their career in music and artistry is in the bag. Stay tuned on his Instagram or X for updates on their newest ventures, of which there are sure to be many.
