JESSE MARKIN is your new favourite artist.
Liberian born, Jesse was raised in Finland and was the only black boy in the village; he found escapism in American hiphop and television – the English language clicked with him more than Finnish.
He released his debut album, FOLK, in 2019, which garnered him Newcomer of the Year and Critics Choice Award at the Finnish Grammys (Emma Gaala).
“Stars In Your Eyes” is the first single from his second album, which i due for release in March 2021. It’s a mixture of indie pop, rap and African folk – the chorus of the new single reminds me of the first album of Foster the People: an earworm and a catchy composition that is both uplifting and sincere at the same time.
Having had a solitary childhood in Finland, the weird year that is 2020 has not done much to subside Markin’s feeling of alienation, he says: “The past year has been a struggle.
“At times it felt like fear, hate and prejudices are the only thing surrounding us, but at the same time we’ve been able to witness unprecedented strength and compassion as we’ve been tearing down our old monuments and building new.”
“Stars in Your Eyes” is available today, Friday, September 25th, on most streaming platforms.
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