JORDY

Interview & Article by Brittany Ormiston

Photo by Matt Monath

With the release of his highly-anticipated sophomore album BOY, queer pop-artist JORDY shares his heart and soul with the world more than ever before. As anthems and ballads flood the headphones of listeners, JORDY’s vocals evoke a feeling of frisson and the utmost level of emotion. The 12-track record covers topics from heartbreak to navigating life as an adult while coming to terms with the past, present, and future. JORDY’s craft embraces those who may feel alone and lost, and lifts them up with love and acceptance. 

BOY is filled to the brim with lyrical masterpieces, but the vulnerability of ‘Unburnable’ resonates very deeply. It presents the gentle reminder of life being filled with obstacles and lessons learned. For better or for worse, past experiences shape every person into who they are today. The lyric ‘it's what I had to go through to be the man that I am for you’ is JORDY’s favorite lyric from BOY, and it truly “exemplifies the album.” He explains further, “It’s a reminder to focus on you…The better you feel with yourself the better partner you will be.” Recently, JORDY has been deep diving into self-work, and learning more about himself with each passing day. He has surrounded himself with an incredible support system who in turn inspire him greatly. 

JORDY feels lucky to work with other fellow artists and friends, such as OSTON and kate the dreamer. Their talent and authenticity positively influence JORDY, and therefore his artistry. He also thinks very highly of his younger sister, Becky, and one of the songs on the album is dedicated to her. Tears were shed when JORDY played ‘Becky’s Brother’ for her, and he considers this to be his most treasured moment when creating BOY. “We’re so close and our relationship is so deep…It was really special to see a song on the album playing such a real part in my actual relationship with my sister. I feel like it brought us closer in a way,” shared JORDY. JORDY writes songs specific to his personal life experiences yet are easily formable to a listener’s point of view with their own siblings, relationships, and journey.  

As JORDY finds inspiration in the world around him, his comforting aura and character strength of perseverance encourages his fan base to always be themselves. He makes every individual feel seen and safe, especially through his support of the LGBTQ+ community. “All I want to do is create spaces for us to come together, celebrate each other, be free, and spread love,” JORDY stated wholeheartedly. His song ‘Story of A Boy’ is the perfect example of this. He put a queer spin on the early 2000s hit ‘Absolutely (Story of A Girl)’ by Nine Days Band. He reimagined the song as a way to “pay homage to his younger queer self,” and for LGBTQ+ youth to hear a love song from their perspective for once. JORDY had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform his song ‘Story of A Boy’ with lead singer John Hampson of Nine Days Band at Irving Plaza in April. Reflecting back, JORDY considers the performance as “natural and meant to be” because of his strong friendship with Hampson and the respect he has for him. 

JORDY has taken many notes from Hampson including his ability to write music that lives on for decades to being a genuine human being. “It inspires me to keep moving forward. Doing things for the right reasons. Standing up for my community. Treat people with kindness and respect. Keep writing songs,” revealed JORDY. He kept all of this in mind when out on the road this spring when supporting fellow pop-artist Spencer Sutherland on the In His Mania Tour. He achieved many milestones, and celebrated the album release of BOY with a rollercoaster of emotions closely behind. JORDY made his mark at every tour stop, and positively impacted countless fans new and old. “I really feel the family expanding after this tour,” expressed JORDY with a smile on his face. 

There is a lot on the horizon for JORDY, including a UK tour in May. Starting in June, he will be embarking across the country to perform at a number of Pride festivals, including his hometown of Chicago. JORDY is looking forward to being around the good energy and happy vibes radiating from everyone in the crowd at each Pride festival. He is also eager to perform at Milwaukee Summerfest this year amongst a number of other talented artists. JORDY is on the rise with his unapologetically queer songwriting, and the ability to use his voice to defend his self-worth and the well-being of his community. Love you JORDY, bye.