Fresh on the heels of the release of her newest album, Paid In Memories, and while on her Paid In Memories Tour, Jessie Reyez made a pit stop at The GRAMMY Museum on Monday (July 28), giving fans an intimate experience that was one for the books.
The Toronto, Ontario native performed an acoustic set at the Downtown Los Angeles venue, which was followed by a Q&A about her newest album, her poetry, and life. Moderated by GRAMMY Award-winning Victoria Monét the conversation gave us a glimpse into how her brilliant mind works.
While most artists at The GRAMMY Museum start with the Q&A, Reyez switched it up on us and started with her acoustic performance, sharing she gets more nervous during small, intimate shows than she does on a big stage. While fans giggled, they reassured her that the energy in the room was ready for her.
With just Reyez, her mic, and her guitarist on stage, we knew it was about to get raw and personal up in the famed building. For Reyez, the creative reflexes start flowing whenever she goes through something difficult, as if “she ate something poisonous” and needs to immediately release it. So, with that being said, she got straight into it with “NIGHTS WE’LL NEVER HAVE” off the latest project, and it was pure ✨ magic ✨.
Before diving into a fan-favorite track for her next song, Jessie took a moment to share the song’s backstory, offering insight into her deeply emotional creative process. Known for crafting mostly heavy-hearted music, Reyez explained that “GOLIATH” is one of her rare “happy” songs — though it still came from a bittersweet place.
She shared that the track was inspired by one of her nieces, who reached out to her unexpectedly one day. At the time, Reyez had a strained relationship with her brother and didn’t have much of a connection with his children. But that phone call sparked an overwhelming feeling of love — and she immediately took that emotion into the studio. The chorus poured out naturally.
Initially unsure if people could relate to the message, she rewrote the song with a romantic theme instead—figuring that most people have experienced love in some way. Fans were thrilled to hear this one live, with Reyez encouraging the crowd to sing along to the chorus.
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From there, Reyez continued to perform selections from her new project, including “BEGGIN 4 LUV”, “JEANS”, and a beautiful Spanish-language song, “Sola.” She closed out the set with “CUDN’T BE ME,” delivering it solo and acoustic, just her and her guitar.
But she wasn’t done yet.
After performing the track in full, Reyez invited her guitarist back onstage for a second, more interactive round of “CUDN’T BE ME.” This time, she stepped off the stage and moved through the crowd, getting up close and personal. She passed the mic, greeted fans, and turned the entire room into a magical, communal sing-along moment.
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Following the performance, fellow artist Victoria Monét returned to the stage to introduce Reyez once more—this time for a Q&A. Monét praised Reyez’s unmatched energy and vocal talent, saying how lucky everyone was to be sharing a room with her.
The two artists delved deep into the making of Paid in Memories, discussing the concept and themes behind the album. Reyez also opened up about her passion for writing, revealing that she finds book-writing “more freeing” than songwriting due to its lack of structure. Fans were thrilled to learn she’s releasing a second poetry collection soon: Words of a Goat Princess Vol. II: The People’s Purge, which is available for pre-order here.
The conversation continued with candid takes on pre-show rituals, industry longevity, tour life with her parents, journaling, manifestations, and fan questions. One standout moment came when Reyez reflected on how grateful she is to have lasted this long in music—a career she doesn’t take for granted.
To wrap up, Reyez left the crowd with a powerful reminder: she’s just a person, no different than anyone else. She emphasized the importance of self-love and putting yourself first—because at the end of the day, “Who’s going to pick you up? No one but yourself.”
There’s something undeniably magnetic about Jessie Reyez. Her energy, wit, honesty, and passion for her art radiate in a way that makes you feel lucky to witness it in person. I left the room feeling emotional, empowered, and creatively recharged—maybe those manifestation exercises she had us do before the show really did the trick.
If you want to experience it for yourself, Jessie Reyez is currently on her Paid in Memories Tour—and it’s not one you want to miss.
