Jade Kenji Protects Her Energy On Intimate New Track ‘Recalibration’

Western Sydney R&B, hip hop and new jack swing aficionado Jade Kenji has been on a steady release rollout since the beginning of the year, and is keeping the ball rolling with her introspective new single Recalibration.

Just as the song title entails, the track sees Kenji centre herself after a year off from releasing music. Prior to her brief hiatus, she released the bumpy R&B track Ain’t Nobody alongside her band QOSMEA in August 2023. The single marked an exciting but enigmatic chapter for Kenji; as we were just introduced to her band, we wouldn’t hear from them for another year.

“Last year was rough for me,” the artist said. “I wasn’t adjusting well to certain aspects of being in “the industry” and I lost myself in the process. I was listening to Rapsody’s Stand Tall and Doechii’s Boom Bap on repeat.”

Fittingly, the year off allowed Kenji to come back to herself, recalibrate and recharge, evidently rediscovering her purpose amid the inescapable noise of the industry, stating: “Recalibration is about being lost and starting over…it’s definitely my most vulnerable work yet,”

Through provocative lyricism, Kenji raps candidly about music filling her heart even if not filling her pockets; an unfortunate but standard facet of trying to make it in music. Throughout the track, we hear the artist contemplate over morals, the company she keeps and the need to run away from her circumstances. Described as Rapsody meets Kiefer by the artist, the delicate piano melodies and atmospheric soundscapes courtesy of Westmead producer Zorsy provide a platform of warmth for Kenji to bare her soul.

“This one goes out to all the misguided misfits trying to make it work when it ain't working no more. If you're feeling introspective, fragile and unsure in the midst of change, I see you.”

While Kenji’s previous release Table Numb3r takes on a different energy frequency, the artist’s multiplicity and duality is indisputable on Recalibration.

Check out Recalibration by Jade Kenji below.