An Album Review: FORWARD by Jordan Ward

FORWARD is a phenomenal debut album for Jordan Ward. A holistic album, FORWARD has everything an R&B fan could want and more. The Saint Louis native does a masterful job of narrating his life story from the beginning, middle, and future. On tracks like BUSSDOWN and IDC, Ward describes his early childhood and deep aspiration to make it out and succeed. Songs like FAMJAM4000, WHITE CROCS, and FLIGHT tell about his struggle with leaving home to find success in music. In his deep pursuit of success, Ward longs for love and community and isolates himself from the people he loves the most. Finally, tracks like FORWARD and CHERIMOYA describe his outlook on the future, and regret from his earlier years.

Not to mention the album is also masterfully crafted. Ward is clearly an excellent lyricist and also an incredible singer. The production is also phenomenal; Lodi is clearly very skilled. Features like Gwen Bunn and Ryan Trey are wonderful and do well to enhance their respective songs. Anyone who is a fan of good music will surely also be a fan of Jordan Ward and his future projects.

Overall Rating: 8.4/10

BUSSDOWN

Rating: 7.0/10

BUSSDOWN is a fantastic, short and sweet introduction to the rest of the album. It sets the tone nicely: an upbeat R&B Indie mesh coming-of-age story. The song describes young kids speeding and going to have fun at a mall. It reminiscences on simpler times, with the protagonist looking to the future and imagining what will be, with an optimistic view.


IDC (with Joony)

Rating: 8.3/10

Moving away from the younger self, Ward sets this song in the present. Ward is set on the future, with an “I Don’t Care” I am going to do whatever it takes to be successful attitude. He also talks about other people being stuck in the past and him moving on without them. Tryna get rich, I ain’t tryna be famous (I ain’t tryna be famous) / N***as keep bringing up old news/ N***as move way too show. Musically, the song overall is very upbeat and optimistic. It fits the album well.


FAMJAM4000

Rating: 8.7/10

FAMJAM4000 is probably the best song on this album. It epitomizes the themes of the entire tracklist. The song describes Ward’s childhood, growing up in Saint Louis and struggling. He describes his relationship with his mother and his admiration for her: how she provided for Ward when they had nothing. Then, he describes moving away (as seen in themes from IDC) to pursue his own ambitions. And as we get older, it’s hard to reach understandin / I left with no Plan B, oh no. When Ward ventures out into the world, he soon realizes that he misses his family and his deep value of community.

After making this realization, Ward bridges into the chorus. Can we bring the love back? Shifting away from his family, Ward realizes what he really craves is love. He begins longing for an old flame, one that he only knew superficially; but he realizes that he deeply loved this person. You got drunk and never called me again / But you’ve seen sides that nobody else knowns/ I need you around to see my kids grow old.

While masked by the upbeat tempo of this song, the track is deeply emotional and heart-wrenching. Anyone who has loved an ex-partner will deeply resonate with this song.


FORFOURFORE

Rating: 5.0/10

FORFOURFORE is an interlude made up mostly of spliced audio clips. Through the audio clips, Ward tells his motivations behind the album. We all tryna build something for our family / It’s for my family, it’s for myself / You know what I’ Saying? ‘Cause Im the only child, / like I’m the last Ward. Ward is deeply rooted in family. He feels that since he is the last of his bloodline, he has a duty to make something of his family name.


311 (with Gwen Bunn)

Rating: 7.9/10

In the endless pursuit of success, Ward finds himself isolated. He feels like life is passing him by while he spends all his time working on music. He has lost touch with his friends who have presumably moved on and are now advancing in life. He also has isolated himself from love and all sorts of affection. But I don’t wanna call my friends (call my friends) / ‘Cause I don’t wanna bother them (bother them) / These days, been so locked in (locked in). 311 takes a tone switch here from the previous song and becomes a more solem heartfelt track. Ward still has his signature vocals and production, but the bpm is much slower, and the track is more emotional. Gwenn Bunn is a welcome addition to this track, adding to the thematic tone of the song without being distracting.


WHITE CROCS (with Ryan Trey)

Rating: 7.2/10

Following 311, WHITE CROCS follows Ward’s attempts at finding compassion. However, Ward keeps finding himself in superficial hook-up culture relationships. He describes women using him for money and fame. Expensive taste, these girls got expensive taste / Tryna up my weight, but I don’t really got the patience / She wanna be a star, well, girl, I’m not your spaceship.

Ryan Trey’s feature on this track is excellent. His stunning vocals fit the song perfectly. Although the production and beat on this song are uninteresting, Trey and Ward make up for it with their excellent vocals and flow.


PRICETAG/BEVERLYWOOD (with Lido)

Rating: 7.4/10

The first half of this track, PRICETAG, is a gorgeous R&B melody. Ward and Lido are clearly a phenomenal pair as they complement each other so well. The second half of the track, BEVERYWOOD, is a much more sentimental and slower track. Overall, both halves work well together, and it makes sense why Ward decided to combine them onto the same track.


DANCE MACHINE

Rating: 5.5/10

DANCE MACHINE is an okay song and it is a nice addition to the album overall; however, the album would not be affected much if it were excluded. The song is all over the place, and does not really work well. Neither the production or the vocals are amazing. Some redeemable parts make the song listenable, but the song is just not good enough to stand on its own.


FLIGHTS

Rating: 7.0/10

FLIGHTS is an emotional, slow song. It contrasts with songs like FANJAM4000, which also talks about the heavy subject matter but does so in an upbeat lighthearted manner. FLIGHTS also shares themes with WHITE CROCS. In the song, Wards sings about being taken advantage off in relationships. When you only call me for what you want. But he stays in those relationships because he’s scared to be alone. I don’t wanna be alone.  In terms of composition, Ward opts for a simple melody with sporadic, impactful vocals. This song does a great job of communicating heartbreak and sorrow.


THINK TWICE

Rating: 8.0/10

This song is so highly rated not because of its production or composition but because of its thematic tone and storytelling. In the song, Ward describes his childhood growing up in Saint Louis surrounded by gang violence. The story told in the song is Ward’s deliberation with carrying a firearm for his own safety. Still you could lose your life bein’ a nice guy / And so I take these precautions, I can’t think twice / ‘Cause if you up that (boom, boom, boom-boom) / You can’t think twice. When Ward says, “You can’t think twice,” in the fourth line, it is a double entendre: you can’t think twice because you literally won’t be able to think a second time when you are dead. Ward feels he has no other option than to carry a gun. To put it simply, he would rather be safe than sorry.


0495

Rating: 3.0/10

The first half of this song is a beautifully crafted piece that delves into Ward’s childhood. He describes his family’s move from the inner city to a safer, more secluded neighborhood. He talks about the initial skepticism of the people there, despite his family’s genuine efforts to better their lives. This part of the song is skillfully written and well-produced. However, the song takes an unexpected turn about halfway through when Ward stops singing, and an intrusive, unpleasant sound begins playing. This sound persists for about a minute and significantly detracts from the overall quality of the track, rendering it difficult to listen to.


FORWARD

Rating: 8.8/10

FORWARD is a thoughtful, well-written self-reflection on Ward’s part. Ward reflects on his personal success and his gratitude for it. Guess all mine and my family’s prayers weren’t for nothing, no. He reflects on where he came from to where is now, but he also acknowledges the sacrifices it took. By focusing so much on his career, he didn’t pay enough attention to his family, despite doing it for them, and many of them ended up in ill situations. Last time we talked, he called from behind bars, yeah / He would probably say, “Boy you took that Sh*t far” / I would probably say, “Didn’t you know I was just one call away?”. The dichotomy between Ward’s guilt and dedication is a powerful theme here.

In the following verses, the beat picks up and Ward promises/dedicates his career to his family and those who sacrificed for him. He says that his career is bigger than just himself and he is doing it for all those who made it possible for him.


SIDEKICK (with Joyce Wrice) – BONUS

Rating: 8.5/10

Unlike FORWARD and THINK TWICE, which are rated for their thematic undertone and storytelling, SIDEKICK is simply a banger. Ward and Joyce Wrice’s vocals are phenomenal and combined with an amazing beat and amazing production this song is worthy of any playlist. The song shifts away from R&B and into a more loose hip-hip genre. I would highly recommend this song to anyone who is a fan of either genre.


CHERIMOYA – BONUS

Rating: 7.4/10

CHERIMOYA is a satisfying end to the album as it clears up some established issues presented earlier in the album. In songs like WHITE CROCS and FLIGHTS, Ward discusses being stuck in a cycle of superficial parasitic relationships because of his fear of loneliness. However in this song, Ward has finally found a meaningful relationship that he wants to last. You’re my favorite one (You’re my favorite one) / You’re the rarest one (You’re the rarest one) / How could I go back just for a temporary satisfaction? CHERIMOYA is a perfect end to the theme of longing in love that is present in this album. Much like FORWARD is a perfect end for the theme of growth and ambition.


You can find the full album here: