11+ Spotify New Music Fridays, including UK (786k) / DE (679k) / AUNZ (331k) and 9+ Spotify editorial playlists, including Front Left (544k).

‘What We Call Life’ is Jordan Rakei’s most vulnerable and intimate album to date. Its lyrics concern the lessons that the New Zealand-born, Australia-raised, and London-based artist learned about himself during therapy, a journey that began two years ago when he started reading about the ‘positive psychology’ movement. These themes manifest on songs like lead single “Family”, which Rakei says is “the most personal” he’s ever been with his lyrics. “I wanted to hit my vulnerability barrier and be really honest. It’s about my parents’ divorce in my mid-teens but still having love for them no matter what,” he explains.

With so many artists being influenced by his style, it would be very easy for Jordan to stay in the same musical lane; but, as in life, he is determined to move his music forward. Such introspective subjects are a departure from Rakei’s last album, 2019’s ‘Origin’. Raising big questions about the way that technology and social media interferes with our sense of humanity, ‘Origin’ received praise from The Observer, Mixmag, Complex, and GQ, earned an unexpected shout-out from Elton John, led to a collaboration with rap legend Common, and saw Rakei give a show-stopping performance for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series.

With previously sold-out US and Australian headline tours, as well as performances at iconic venues and festivals – including Glastonbury, Pitchfork Avant-Garde Block Party, SXSW, Montreux Jazz Festival, two sold-out nights at Ronnie Scott’s, and a DJ set at Fabric (under his Dan Kye alias) – Jordan played a triumphant sold-out stop at London’s Roundhouse in 2019. In April 2022 he will embark on his biggest UK and EU tour yet, ending with a massive headline show at London’s 5000-capacity O2 Academy Brixton.

Full tour dates:

04/04/2022: Berlin, Germany – Festsaal Kreuzberg
07/04/2022: Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
08/04/2022: Hamburg, Germany – Fabrik
10/04/2022: Oslo, Norway – Vulkan
11/04/2022: Stockholm, Sweden – Debaser Strand
12/04/2022: Copenhagen, Denmark – Vega
14/04/2022: Brussels, Belgium – AB
15/04/2022: Paris, France – Trabendo
16/04/2022: Cologne, Germany – Kantine
20/04/2022: Brighton, UK – Chalk
21/04/2022: Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute2
22/04/2022: Manchester, UK – O2 Ritz
24/04/2022: Bristol, UK – O2 Academy
26/04/2022: London, UK – O2 Brixton Academy

‘What We Call Life’ is out 17th September on Ninja Tune.