Alt-R&B sensation Khamari has returned with his new single “Head in a Jar” via Encore Recordings.
Over an acoustic backdrop, which he produced with Trackside, Khamari grapples with a faded relationship worn down by distance. “Cause you keep my head in a jar / Here on your night stand I’ll spend my life left,” he croons.
Speaking on “Head in a Jar,” Khamari notes, “When you first hear the song, you might think the lyrics are about two people in the same room. However, as the song progresses, I want you to realize it’s a situation where you’re an observer, someone looking in, watching someone move through their day-to-day life.”
He adds, “‘Head in a Jar’ is a metaphor for being a part of someone’s life, but from a greater distance than you would like. This is mirrored in the lyrics, ‘If it’s the shelf or gone, then least I’ll be something to you’.”
“Head in a Jar” is the lead single from the Boston native’s upcoming sophomore album, set to release this summer. The project is the follow-up to his debut album, A Brief Nirvana, released May 2023 via RCA Records. The latter album included the singles “Doctor, My Eyes,” “Tell Me,” “Drifting,” “Right My Wrongs,” “On My Way” and “These Four Walls.”
Speaking on A Brief Nirvana, Khamari explained to Rated R&B, “This album is about the struggle of one growing into adulthood. I was making music out of my grandfather’s attic previously when I was in Boston, before packing up my stuff, moving to Los Angeles, and trying to find myself socially out here — and dealing with my adult responsibilities.”
He continued, “For a lot of people, day-to-day can be tough even if you have been an adult for a while. Those are things that are very real for people. That’s something that I wanted to express with this project. Finding a brief nirvana for me was a battle and it was a fight.”
Khamari supported his debut album on his headlining A Brief Nirvana Tour.
In 2024, Khamari teamed up with Spotify to release an exclusive cover of Solange’s A Seat at the Table staple “Cranes in the Sky.” He noted, “‘Cranes in the Sky’ was always was one of my favorite songs. I really connected with the meaning and the analogy,” says Khamari.
Stream Khamari’s new song “Head in a Jar” below.
