Jordan Ward defines his direction with debut album, ‘Forward’

By: Campbell Harvey

Kicking off his tour with J.I.D and Smino, Jordan Ward releases his much anticipated album, Forward.

Interscope Records

Ward, 28, began his career as a dancer for the likes of Beyonce, Justin Bieber, and Becky G. Leaving St. Louis at 18 years old, Ward embarked on new horizons moving to Los Angeles. Following great success and appearing in major performances at Coachella, Ward released his viral single “OkOk”.

Ward found himself in an ascending position in music following this release, which led him to future projects like 2019 full-length Valley Hopefuls and his 2021 EP Remain Calm. Through the pandemic, I really was able to appreciate Jordan’s work through his features with Duckwrth, his hit track “Lil Baby Crush”, and all that he was doing for South City St. Louis. Forward, a whole new sound and vibe for the 28-year-old, embodies so much melody and instrumentals that I feel is defining the city.

In this album, St. Louis’ raw energy is captured and spun in such a way that makes Ward shine.

Ward teased the direction of this album through his visuals. Singles “IDC” with Joony and “WHITE CROCS”, with St. Louis native Ryan Trey, showcased not only professional sounds and tastes, but a mature era in Ward’s career. 

Jordan’s ability to express bouncy dance elements into his music is definitely on display throughout this project, with tracks like “FAMJAM4000” and “DANCE MACHINE”.

“PRICETAG/BEVERLYWOOD” stands as one of the potential timeless tracks from this album. I hear so much 2018, 2028, and so on in this track that will be mesmerizing to see performed live. Ward defined his music as “new wave” in his interview with Billboard last week, and I couldn’t agree more. There is so much newness to his music and so much we haven’t heard yet from him. 

This project will go down as a defining piece in his career. The visuals will turn to movies, the tours will be bigger, the sound will only get better. There couldn’t possibly be a better introduction to Jordan Ward than Forward. 

Jordan kicked off this project as a supporting act for the JID & Smino Luv is 4ever Tour. Following this last leg, he will be headlining his own eight city tour, with a notable performance at his hometown.

Forward is available for streaming now.