Jaz Karis

Singer and songwriter Jaz Karis grew up in South London and carries forward the lineage of British R&B by folding in fresh textures drawn from reggae, Afrobeats, and amapiano. An alumna of The BRIT School, she stepped into the marketplace with her self-released Into the Wilderness EP in 2017 and captured widespread attention the following year through the candid, self-lacerating ballad “Petty Lover.” Several further independent EPs later, she joined the roster of MNRK Music Group and delivered her first full-length project, Safe Flight, in 2024, an assured collection featuring guest spots from Tone Stith, Mahalia, and Reekado Banks.

Born Jasmine Winifred, she began playing piano and singing in church while still a child, entered talent competitions, and eventually enrolled at The BRIT School, whose graduates include Amy Winehouse, Adele, and RAYE. An Instagram encounter introduced her to keyboardist Mikekeyz, and together with producer Sillkey—whose credits include work for Wiley, Jacob Banks, and Mabel—they assembled the 2017 Into the Wilderness EP. Karis next teamed with Blue Lab Beats and Aston Rudi for the paired tracks “Pretty Dreamer” and “Petty Lover,” the latter gaining traction after a COLORS session and going on to viral status. A live four-song EP appeared before the year ended. In 2019 she issued the standalone singles “Doubt My Love” and “Fairytales” alongside her debut studio EP, Summer Stories. The 2020 release All Eyes on You showcased the dubwise lovers-rock cut “Let Me Down.”

Throughout 2021 and 2022 she maintained a steady stream of singles. Following the 2023 track “Back 2 U,” she signed with MNRK in the United States and made her label bow that November with the Adam Boukis-produced ballad “Little Blue Moon.” The next year brought three more collaborative singles: “Met You at a Bar” with Tone Stith, “Nice Girls” alongside Mahalia, and “Tequila” featuring Reekado Banks. Safe Flight arrived in September, its title nodding to the transatlantic journeys undertaken during its creation.