The singer and performer talks upcoming project titled G2, GrindPretty Summer Issue, New music, Keyshia Cole and more
There’s a certain kind of confidence that doesn’t need an announcement.
Pearl Jade has it.
In a white tank, relaxed boyfriend jeans, a chain hanging from her side and a black newsboy style cap she gives off an effortless cool that feels familiar yet distinctly her own. No overworked styling. No need for excess. The look is sporty, feminine and effortlessly cool, much like the artist herself. Pearl doesn’t enter a room demanding that everyone look her way. She makes you look twice.
And maybe that’s the point.
A basketball player from the beginning, a former member of multiple girl groups and once signed to Mary J. Blige, Pearl has lived through enough versions of herself to understand that becoming an artist isn’t always about finding a louder voice. Sometimes it’s about discovering exactly when to use it.
That journey brought her to GROWL, her 2025 debut solo project, a moody, funky, occasionally house infused collection built around resilience, self belief and the process of reclaiming your own voice. Now, she’s stepping into the next phase with G2, a project that promises to reveal even more of the woman behind the music.
And judging by the momentum she’s built over the past year, from CBS News and GQ South Africa to stages across the country, including an arena performance opening for Keyshia Cole, the quiet confidence is beginning to get considerably louder.
FROM GROUP GIRL TO SOLO WOMAN
Pearl’s journey toward becoming a solo artist wasn’t overnight. After her group chapters came to an end, she took something increasingly rare in today’s music industry: time.
Q: We’ve seen you tell the story of being signed to Mary J. Blige as part of a girls group. What we haven’t heard is what your steps were from there going solo?
Pearl Jade: So after the group came to an end, it took me a little while to get to a point where I felt ready to have a solo career. I still needed time to grow and figure out my direction. That was the first step. From there, I just continued to work on my craft and study the greats until the time felt right.
That patience became part of the foundation for GROWL. Rather than arriving with a collection designed to fit neatly into one genre or one moment, Pearl created a world of her own. “Crazy House” opens the project with an inward journey, escaping mental limitations and old pain, while “Fall In” floats somewhere between funk and R&B. “Ooh La La La La” closes the record with a celebration of feminine influence and power.
The only feature comes from Los Angeles dancer and cultural force Thee Brooklyn Jai, whose presence makes perfect sense on a project so connected to movement, rhythm and physical expression.
Now Pearl is ready to open that world even wider.
G2: THE OTHER SIDE
Q: Last year you released your first solo project, “GROWL.” Your upcoming project is titled “G2.” How do they connect?
Pearl Jade: G2 is an extension of GROWL. It’s giving you the second phase of the journey I’ve been on in my life and career. It’s the other side of me I didn’t really explore on GROWL. More of my personality and experiences are on G2. It’s me pulling people more into this world I’ve created that’s all about the human need to believe in and assert ourselves.
If GROWL introduced Pearl, G2 feels like an invitation to get closer.
The music continues her exploration of R&B, pop, funk and dance, but she’s pushing further this time, less concerned with staying inside a familiar box and more interested in seeing how far the box can stretch.
It’s an approach rooted in the artists she grew up studying.
Q: You’ve been intentional about creating music that’s genre bending. Is that something you’re conscious of?
Pearl Jade: Yes, I’m very intentional about that. The artists that inspired me the most growing up, such as Janet Jackson, Brandy, Beyoncé and Michael Jackson, were all very bold in their sound and unafraid of standing out. They were true innovators in the lanes that they created, and I want to shine that same light.
That philosophy extends beyond sound. For Pearl, Black music history is inseparable from the evolution of American pop culture.
Q: Black folks have been at the root of most American bred music genres.
Pearl Jade: It’s true. Pop music is Black music. In so many ways, Black artists were the cornerstone and inspiration for pop music and so many American genres. Our melodies, our showmanship, our cool.
FROM THE STUDIO TO THE STAGE
For all the technology surrounding today’s music industry, Pearl still believes in the oldest technology there is: the performer standing in front of an audience.
She’s spent much of the past year proving it.
From Los Angeles during BET Weekend to opening for Keyshia Cole at Westchester Arena, Pearl has been steadily taking her show to bigger rooms and new audiences.
Q: You spend a lot of time traveling and performing, most recently LA for the BET Weekend Culture Honors event. You also opened for Keyshia Cole at Westchester Arena in May.
Pearl Jade: Yes. I love traveling and meeting people who just really love music. The Culture event during BET Weekend was a great time. I had some great conversations, great feedback on my performance and rubbed shoulders with legends. Opening for Keyshia in an arena was surreal for me. I grew up listening to her, definitely a full circle moment for me.
Apparently, Pearl has also discovered something unexpected about herself along the way: she likes the biggest stages.
Q: Do you prefer intimate spaces or arenas?
Pearl Jade: Honestly… I prefer arenas, haha. It’s so big it doesn’t even feel real sometimes, so the nerves aren’t there as much. But the more intimate spaces, whew! Everyone’s right there in your face, just staring at you, haha. So it’s just a different experience.
For Pearl, performance isn’t something technology can replace.
Q: Is performing still an important part of art for you with all of the new tech and visual resources available?
Pearl Jade: Absolutely. I love performing, and I feel like there’s no better experience than human interaction. You should be able to feel the soul of an artist. Technology just doesn’t give you that alone. That comes from great performances, stage presence, charisma…
GRIND PRETTY SUMMER ISSUE 2026
Q: You’re featured in the Summer Issue of Grind Pretty Magazine featuring Nivea, and you’re highlighted as an artist that’s up next. What does that mean for you?
Pearl Jade: For me, it really just means I’m on the right path. I was so sad this year that I couldn’t make it to the Grind Pretty Fest in Atlanta. Grind Pretty is truly genuine and empowering. I love what they do for so many young women who are bold enough to go after their dreams and bet on themselves. It’s always an honor and a privilege to be acknowledged for the hard work and dedication you put into something. It means everything to me!
And then comes the inevitable question.
Q: So, new music… soon?
Pearl Jade: Yes. I can’t wait for people to hear G2. There’s a song called “Taste” that I’m so excited to play. The other single is called “Hello.” I gave myself permission to play with sounds and production in a way I hadn’t before. I’m really proud of where it went.
Permission.
That may be the best word for where Pearl Jade is right now.
Permission to experiment. Permission to be pop. Permission to be R&B. Permission to be funky, dance, feminine, athletic, moody, playful and completely unexpected. Permission to step outside of whatever people thought they already knew about her.
If GROWL was Pearl Jade finding her voice, G2 may be the moment she realizes just how far that voice can travel. Follow her journey on Instagram @bypearljade, stream GROWL on your favorite music platform
