Jordan Ward's Next Move Is Backwards
Our Motion Issue cover star has built a career on forward momentum. But his new album proves that the most interesting artists know when to reverse course.
There’s something poetic about Jordan Ward nursing a knee injury while making his latest album. The St. Louis-born dancer-turned-musician, theatre kid-turned-R&B innovator, sat down with me during a period of stillness, a period walking backwards on treadmills and doing rehab exercises while his creative mind races forward. Or is it backward? With Ward, the direction hardly matters. What matters is that he keeps moving.
“Life is constantly in motion,” Ward tells me, his voice carrying that particular blend of wisdom and playfulness that’s become his signature. “Life is constantly dancing, and we gotta learn how to dance with it.” It’s not just a metaphor for him. It’s a lived philosophy that traces back to childhood musical theater performances, through years of grinding in professional dance, all the way to his current moment as one of R&B’s most interesting voices.
From the Theater to Beychella to The World
Long before Jordan Ward was crafting genre-bending R&B music, he was a kid from St. Louis with a serious affinity for performance. His mom sang in church, so he naturally inherited that gift. Musical theater came next, but Ward found himself playing catch-up with peers who had years of formal training ahead of him. While other kids in the theater company already had their ballet foundations— a couple of years of classes that gave them technical advantages —Jordan was starting from scratch and learning the most fundamental lesson of his career: patience.
That meant studio time, countless hours perfecting technique in ballet, jazz, and tap, working his way up through company ranks to eventually compete at conventions throughout high school. But even then, access wasn’t guaranteed. The conventions where young dancers showcased their skills, networked, and competed cost money that his family didn’t always have. “I couldn’t afford all the conventions I wanted to go to,” he explains. “So I had to work to get scholarships. Sometimes you might get the scholarships, sometimes you might not.”
It was a cycle of hustle and hope, rejection and reward, that would become the blueprint for his entire creative life. The lesson was simple but profound: if you love something enough, you keep showing up regardless of the outcome. “You always just gotta remind yourself that I’m gonna keep going no matter what,” Ward says. “And that is for the love.”
After graduating from high school, Ward moved to Los Angeles at 18 to pursue a career in professional dance. What followed was a trajectory that most dancers only dream about. He worked with Janet Jackson, the Jonas Brothers, and Becky G, appeared in a Prince music video, and even joined Justin Bieber’s Purpose Tour in 2016. But the pinnacle—the moment that still feels surreal—was Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella performance, later immortalized in the Homecoming documentary.
“I had just got home from traveling and doing some other dance stuff. I didn’t really think that I was gonna get it,” Ward admits about the Beychella audition. “I’m like a 5’7”, 150-pound guy. I felt like Beyoncé needs some big Hercules dudes. I went into the audition really goofing around.” He got the call anyway. “3,000 people auditioned. To actually get it was, ‘Wow, what the fuck?’ That was crazy.”
For months, Ward and the ensemble rehearsed six days a week, hours each day. You can see Ward in the film (as Bug-A-Boo Upgrade U), part of the choreographic excellence that made Beychella a cultural moment that transcended music and became a statement about Black culture, education, and artistry.
Working at that level — with someone who demands nothing less than perfection — taught Ward about discipline, vision, and the difference between good and iconic.
Finding His Artist Voice on the Road
While dancing for Justin Bieber on the Purpose Tour, Ward met Ru AREYOU, a fellow dancer and beatmaker from Sacramento. During downtime in hotel rooms and tour buses, Ru would make beats while Ward freestyled, just experimenting with sounds. “He was like ‘bro, that’s hard,’ and it became regular,” Ward remembers. What started as casual experimentation became a ritual, and that ritual became the foundation of Ward’s musical identity.
In 2017, Ward released his first EP, A Peak at the Summit, a fitting title for someone who was beginning to see the full scope of what he could become. By 2019, Jordan was showcasing his soulful vocal range and atmospheric production, proving he wasn’t just a dancer who could sing — he was a legitimate artist with vision. He even landed a sync placement on Issa Rae’s “Insecure” for his song “Tryingthings,” a small but significant validation that his music could connect with audiences beyond his small fanbase.
2021’s Remain Calm EP marked a sonic shift — the standout track “Lil Baby Crush” blended producer Lido’s soft electronic R&B production with infectious pop energy, hinting at what was to come. The song had a lightness, a playful romanticism that felt refreshing in a landscape of overly serious R&B. It was clear Ward was finding his lane: music that could be deeply felt without being heavy, that could make you think while making you move.
FORWARD: A Breakthrough Arrives
When FORWARD dropped in March 2023, it felt like a full arrival. The album title alone contained multitudes: moving forward with his sound, “For Ward” as a dedication to his family, his fourth project overall, and a foreword to his story as a debut album. It was the kind of conceptual layering that showed Ward wasn’t just making songs — he was building a narrative, creating a world.
Executive produced by Lido, the 14-track project saw Jordan explore themes of romantic love, familial relationships, and personal growth. But it wasn’t typical R&B fare focused solely on romance and heartbreak. Ward was tackling normalized violence, financial hardship, and complicated family dynamics, all wrapped in his vision for a better future. The soncis ranged from the groovy, trumpet-laced throwback “FAMJAM4000” to the futuristic production on “DANCE MACHINE,” proving Jordan’s undeniable charm.
Rolling Stone named it one of the best albums of 2023, praising its innovative and refreshingly personal take on R&B.
“WHITE CROCS,” featuring fellow St. Louis artist Ryan Trey, became an instant fan favorite and the album’s breakout hit. The track is pure swagger — Ward and Trey rapping and singing about pulling up on women in white Crocs, dealing with the tribulations of beautiful women with expensive tastes, and maintaining that delicate balance between self-confidence and style. The song has a playful irreverence that’s become Ward’s trademark, a refusal to take himself too seriously even while making serious art.
Even SZA was caught in the spell — when Rolling Stone spent time with her for a 2023 cover story, she had “WHITE CROCS” on repeat, a co-sign that helped push the song to an even wider audience.
Then there’s “CHERIMOYA,” a track that showcases Ward’s romantic side and proves his range extends far beyond playful swagger. Inspired by eating the tropical fruit in the studio, Ward crafts an extended metaphor comparing his love to a cherimoya — rare, sweet, worth the wait, something special that requires patience to appreciate fully. “You been real good to me, so sweet,” he sings over an acoustic-driven melody that has the calming effect of a lullaby. Where “WHITE CROCS” is about the performance of attraction, “CHERIMOYA” is about the quieter intimacy that comes after — the part where you stop trying to impress and just exist together.
The success of FORWARD launched Ward into a different stratosphere. He opened for JID and Smino on their Luv Is 4Ever tour, performed at J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival alongside Usher and Drake, delivered his first NPR Tiny Desk Concert, and embarked on his first sold-out headlining tour.
The Weight of Moving Forward
If FORWARD was characterized by ambition and hopefulness — vibrating with the energy of someone announcing himself to the world — this upcoming project occupies a different emotional register. Ward just turned 30, and as he tells Rolling Stone, “Later on in life, consequences start hitting harder. Those little mistakes that you let slide along the way, all of a sudden, in these little moments, they cost so much.”
The new album, titled BACKWARD, represents both a literal and metaphorical shift. Ward is dealing with a torn LCL and lateral meniscus from a new running hobby. The injury has him walking backwards on treadmills, doing rehab exercises, and reverse-engineering the way he moves. For someone whose entire identity has been built on movement — dancing, running, always pushing forward — being forced to slow down and move in reverse is more than just physical therapy. It’s literal therapy.
It’s a physical manifestation of what he’s trying to express artistically: that sometimes forward momentum requires backward motion. Sometimes you need to unlearn before you can relearn. Sometimes the path to healing requires going back to the moment of injury and understanding how you got hurt in the first place.
“Sometimes you get so caught up moving forward. You might be eye on the prize type shit or whatever, but there are these little moments where maybe you might make a mistake, and you have to relearn.”
The metaphor extends to every area of life. In relationships, sometimes you’re so focused on making it work, on navigating obstacles and building a future together, that you forget to step back and reconnect with why you fell for the person in the first place. In faith, you can get so caught up in the performance of belief that you lose touch with a genuine spiritual connection. In art, the business of being an artist can eclipse the joy of creating.
“Life is all about balance. As soon as we see one reality of something, there’s an inverse reality of that. Sometimes it doesn’t feel as hopeful. You don’t feel as inspired. Sometimes you don’t feel as keen on your direction that’s keeping you moving forward. Sometimes you feel lost, you know what I mean? This album is about trying to navigate back to that zone.”
The Ritual and The Real
The new project includes collaborations that Ward’s been teasing for a while — one in particular that his fanbase has been clamoring for years. The anticipation is real, but so is Ward’s nervousness about releasing new music.
The nervousness makes sense. FORWARD established Ward as an artist to watch, someone pushing R&B in interesting directions while staying true to the genre’s emotional core. Following that up requires vulnerability, showing a different side, admitting that forward progress isn’t always linear. But if the nervous energy around releasing BACKWARD suggests anything, it’s that Ward is being more intentional this time around. Artists like Joni Mitchell, Donny Hathaway, and Roberta Flack have inspired him lately. He says he’s aiming to be more intentional with his songwriting and write simple but effective songs.
Still, there are plenty of moments on the album where you can hear Ward locking into pure creative joy, where the weight lifts and he’s just vibing. Based on the preview I’ve heard, fans are gonna LOVE these tracks and be screaming them back at Jordan on his 2026 tour. The best songs are yet to come, trust me.
The single “SMOKIN POTNA,” – which features singer SAILORR and is produced by Louis Lastic, Mike Foster, and Lido – builds around one of those small, intimate rituals that somehow feel universal. The song celebrates a specific kind of moment: when someone who doesn’t usually smoke decides to share that experience with you, lowering their guard, meeting you in your space.
“Not every lady is into chiefing all the time,” Ward says with a grin, “but maybe they might meet somebody, and they say, you know what, let me hit that. I don’t even usually do this, but with you, you know what I’m saying? I’ll do it.” It’s a song about the small ways we show affection, the boundaries we bend for connection, the rituals we share with someone we’re trying to know better. BACKWARD is an apartment complex full of studios that feel like that.
Protecting The Art
Since Ward first started making music, the external changes are easy to spot. His hair’s grown out — he’s got dreads now, a departure from what he calls his “Bryson Tiller Trap Soul Era haircut,” a reference to the clean-cut, fade style he rocked in his early days. He jokes that he’s gotten a little taller, too. But the internal shifts run deeper and matter more.
“I’d say maybe I’m a little more reserved than when I first started making music,” he admits, though he’s quick to add with a laugh, “I’m still obnoxious as hell.” But there’s a guardedness now, a careful management of energy that comes from pouring so much into the art. “When you put a certain mind into the music, maybe it makes you more reserved in your day-to-day life. You might be a little guarded with the energy.”
It’s a common evolution for artists who make deeply personal work. The more you give to the music, the more you protect what’s left for yourself. The extroverted performer energy that Ward brings to stages and music videos requires an introverted counterbalance, quiet moments where he can refill the well he’s constantly drawing from.
More significantly, Ward’s involvement in every aspect of his projects has grown. “It’s more than just the music. You got the creative, you got the messaging, and the visuals…all this stuff.” As his vision has crystallized over the course of multiple projects, he’s become more hands-on, more willing to step into leadership roles that extend beyond just recording vocals.
He’s doing creative direction now, ideating concepts with visual directors, making sure every element — from the album artwork to the music videos to the social media rollout — aligns with the larger vision.
It’s a natural evolution for someone who’s always understood that presentation and substance are inseparable. That’s a lesson learned from years of professional dance, where every costume choice, every lighting cue, every formation matters in service of the larger performance.
Learning To Flow, Not Force
There’s a song on the new project where a bar’d up Jordan declares he’s having “too much motion” – and that energy is one of the reasons why we named this issue The Motion Issue.
“Motion is life, bro. Life is always in motion. We see life in this finite way of things being here, being there, going how they’re supposed to go. But at the end of the day, they’re always changing and there’s always room for creativity in every element of life.”
He extends the metaphor: “You could just be in the room, hitting a two-step. You might get some girls doing that. But if you know how to jig a little bit and partner and dance with the homies over here, and maybe you slipped on a drink but then you got up...”
He laughs, fully aware he’s going everywhere with this analogy, but that’s the point. Life is messy, nonlinear, and full of unexpected moments that require improvisation.
“Life is constantly dancing, and we gotta learn how to dance with it,” Ward concludes, bringing the metaphor back home. “We may be anticipating it to go this way, but maybe life is trying to lead us this way.” It’s the philosophy of a dancer applied to everything else: stay light on your feet, be ready to pivot, trust your training, but remain open to improv. Follow the rhythm.
Where We’re Going
When I ask Ward where he sees himself going, he laughs first. “To the bank, man. I see me and all the homies going where the rich people go.” But the levity quickly gives way to something more grounded about the uncertainty that colors everything right now. “Actually, I really don’t know where any of us are going. This world is damn near going backwards, you feel me? Like, what’s even going on?”
It’s a moment of vulnerability that cuts through all the metaphors about motion and dancing, landing on what actually matters when you strip away the concepts and the wordplay. “I just hope that I’m healthy. I hope me and my loved ones are healthy. I hope the people I love are around me. I hope I got my right mind. Hope my heart is pure.”
For an artist whose entire creative philosophy revolves around movement —forward, backward, side to side, constantly in motion — it’s ironic to hear him articulate what staying still might look like. Not static, but present. Not stuck, but grounded. Not the absence of motion, but the choice to be here, now, with the people you love, doing work that means something, with a clear mind and a pure heart.
Jordan Ward, in all his forms and all his motions, is becoming exactly who he’s meant to be. Not rushed. Not forced. Not perfect. Just honest. Just human. Just moving. Forward, backward, sideways — whatever direction life’s leading — Jordan is dancing with it. And we’re lucky to witness it.
Credits:
Writer & Creative Director: Dante Nicholas (@allthingsdante)
Photographer: Dameteus Ward (@meech213)
Photo Assistant: Ronald Wayne (@ronaldwayne)
Styling: Angelo Saunders (@angelosaunders)
Styling: @michymilli
Video Director + Editor: George Jeff (@george jeff)
Videographer + DP + Cam B: Anthony Campusano (@onehispanic)
Gaffer + DP + Cam A: Mason Luckiewicz (@masonluckiewicz)
Sound Op: Indrani Robinson (@indrani.b.r)
Location: Meech Studios