NXT UP: EJ Jones
EJ JONES
EJ Jones is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting new voices in contemporary soul music, blending a seemingly timeless vocal presence with modern storytelling that resonates across generations. Born Elijah Jones in 2002 and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, a city steeped in soul, gospel, and R&B history, Jones grew up absorbing the musical legacy around him before first gaining attention with impromptu covers and raw performances shared on Instagram and other social platforms.
In early 2025, Jones took a major step forward with his debut original single Too Good, showcasing a voice far beyond his years, followed by the breakout release of Gas Station Love in September 2025. The latter track, rich with warm Rhodes chords, gospel-inflected harmonies and a slow, sultry groove, instantly struck a chord with listeners, its nostalgic feel evoking comparisons to classic soul legends like Bobby Womack and Johnnie Taylor while still feeling fresh and grounded in everyday experience.
Jones’s rise has been fueled as much by viral clips and widespread social media buzz as by his official releases: a snippet of Gas Station Love quickly accumulated hundreds of thousands of views across platforms, with fans marveling that someone born in 2002 could sound as though they’d stepped out of a 1970s vinyl press. His approach resists overly polished production in favor of emotional honesty and vocal texture, a choice that aligns with a broader listener yearning for music that feels lived-in and sincere.
Signed to Quality Control Music, Jones has already released other tracks like What You Won’t Do For Love and seasonal favorites such as What Christmas Means to Me, further demonstrating his versatility and breadth within the soul and R&B idioms. Beyond streaming numbers, his vocal depth, confident phrasing and natural feel for groove signal an artist who isn’t just mimicking the past but channeling it through a contemporary lens, a young singer whose roots in Memphis and early online presence have blossomed into a distinctive artistic identity.