Jessie Reyez

Born in Toronto to Colombian parents and raised in the Greater Toronto Area, Jessie Reyez developed her musical identity through a combination of songwriting, live performance and the city’s diverse creative community. Her voice and writing style were immediately distinctive: emotionally direct, technically unconventional and rooted in personal storytelling.

Her breakthrough came with “Figures,” a song that introduced a much wider audience to her raw vocal delivery. The success led into the EP Kiddo, followed by Being Human in Public, which earned major Canadian recognition and a Grammy nomination.

Reyez expanded internationally through collaborations and songwriting work with major artists while continuing to foreground her own perspective. Her albums and live performances have strengthened her position as one of the most identifiable voices in contemporary Canadian R&B.

Her Toronto significance comes from representing a newer generation: multicultural, genre-fluid and capable of moving from the city’s local creative network to major international stages without losing a strong personal identity.

For Talk of Toronto, Jessie Reyez belongs in the Hall of Fame as part of the city’s modern era. She represents the continuation of Toronto’s R&B and songwriting tradition in a global streaming generation.