Our Favourite Jessie Reyez Collabs

She’s been one to watch since she first hit the music scene in 2016, and with her first full-length debut album on the way, there’s no denying the unstoppable force that is 28-year-old Colombian-Canadian singer Jessie Reyez.

Having already earned Platinum and Gold Certifications, being named one of Apple’s Up Next rising stars, scoring a Grammy nomination, making a cameo performance in Netflix’s ‘Someone Great’, and a slot on this year’s Coachella lineup, there’s no slowing down her star power. And as quick as her success grows, the more famous friends she assembles in her phone book. With rumors of her having written songs with both Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande, the possibilities of future collabs seem endless. But the ones she has already released truly cement her as one to watch. Check out our favourites below.

Hard To Love – Calvin Harris

All the way back in 2009, a young bright-eyed Jessie Reyez found a chance encounter with one of the world’s biggest DJ’s, Calvin Harris, during his set at a nightclub in Toronto. Jumping up on stage to hand him her mixtape caught his attention and in 2017 they finally reunited in the best way possible. Reyez features on the dreamy end track ‘Hard To Love’ on Harris’ album Funk Wav Bounce Vol. 1, and it’s anything but hard to love – never has it been so easy to applaud such a full circle moment.

Promises – Calvin Harris & Sam Smith

Teaming up again a year later, this time showcasing her mesmerizing songwriting abilities, the duo created summer dance grooves that would stay on repeat. Reyez helped write floor filler ‘One Kiss’ by Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris which became the biggest-selling song of 2018 in the UK. Her smooth vocals also cheekily feature on ‘Promises’ with Sam Smith and Harris, another #1 UK hit. She also has co-writing credits on the Harris’ hits ‘Slow Down,’ with Normani and ‘Faking It.’ Reyez, the unsung hero not only penned some of the biggest hits of 2018 but did it alongside household names, proving that she is worthy of that very same status.

Youth (Remix) – Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes’ decision to get Jessie Reyez on the ‘Youth’ remix with Khalid was a no brainer. Together, their voices intricately blend over soft acoustics, conveying the beautiful sentiment of protecting your own happiness and freedom. The younger generations have the power to create real change in the world, especially when working together on a common goal. And two of the biggest pop stars of the moment lifting up a newcomer makes the remix worthy of taking the original spot on Shawn’s self-titled album.

Rush – Lewis Capaldi

The themes behind Lewis Capaldi’s music detail heartbreak at its core and ‘Rush’ may be one of his best. Capaldi describes the track as being in “the weird headspace you occupy after the end of a relationship where you feel like absolute sh*t”, and the internal conflict of not wanting to see the other person hurt, but wondering if they are feeling just as sad. Reyez embodies the other party on this haunting ballad by injecting her elegant vocals into the second verse and chorus. It’s so intimately raw that one could believe she was in fact the culprit that twisted the knife right through poor Lewis Capaldi’s heart.

Nice Guy – Eminem / Good Guy – Eminem

In her biggest collab to date, Jessie Reyez features on not one but two tracks on Eminem’s surprise 2018 album Kamikaze. Reyez’s soaring vocals feature on ‘Nice Guy’ and ‘Good Guy,’ a two-part concept about a complicated relationship of his that ended on bad terms. Reyez takes on the woman’s perspective amongst Eminem’s sharp verses, and even includes the star singing a few sentences in Spanish in ‘Nice Guy,’. The brutal ‘Good Guy’ music video sees the hatred between the pair continue with Reyez digging herself out of a grave to bravely go and fight him. Comfortably working alongside one of the biggest names in the game is no sweat for Reyez, and there’s bound to be more of these surprises to come.

Imported – 6LACK

Dropped last year, ‘Imported’ featuring 6LACK comes off Jessie Reyez’s highly anticipated album ‘Before Love Came to Kill Us’ set for release on March 27. The sultry, sharp-tongued track deals with unequal expectations in an insecure relationship, and originally featured JRM on her 2018 EP ‘Being Human In Public.’ 6LACK breathes a new life into the remix, with their laidback chemistry evident in the music video, portraying two artists whose physical proximity to each other can’t quite mask their emotional distance. Their real-life dynamic is the complete opposite, with Reyez saying that working with him was a “natural” fit. Maybe we’ll see another collab from the duo in the near future.

Wherever You Go – Jonas Blue

‘Wherever You Go,’ the opening track from Jonas Blue’s 2018 album ‘Blue’ was based on an iPhone voice note that Jessie Reyez sent to the DJ of her singing an acoustic version of the song. Blue told Billboard that it’s his favourite song off the album and that he is “completely blown away by the depth of emotion in her voice.” Reyez continues to impress fellow artists with her arsenal of bonafide hits just sitting in her back pocket waiting to be unleashed on the world.

Body Count Remix – Normani & Kehlani

Collating yet another star-studded lineup, the ‘Body Count’ remix sees Jessie Reyez recruit girl power in both Normani and Kehlani on her EP ‘Being Human In Public’. The badass self-love anthem sees the trio “dodge d*ck on the daily” and demand “some f*cking respect.” Flexing their hard-earned independence they repeat that they don’t need the companionship from any mediocre man. If this empowering, feminist bop is any indicator of what to expect from Reyez’s forthcoming album, we are in for a real treat.