Kat Harlton
Lead Photo: Provided via artist / PR Team
Australian (Perth) pop riser Jordan Anthony recently released his late-night anthem “Reckless” The single was born in a session with Grammy-nominated producer Emile Ghantous and writer Sam Sznd. “Reckless” is an R&B drenched late-night pop anthem that captures the rush of falling fast, and maybe a little too hard, for someone who makes you feel just a little wild.
The singer first gained attention in 2019, where he placed in the Top 4 on The Voice Australia, then went on to represent Australia in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest with his original song “We Will Rise,” placing eighth globally. The same year, he headlined One Big Voice at Perth’s RAC Arena — a feat he repeated in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, Jordan was handpicked for American Idol, where he became a Top 14 finalist and won over U.S. audiences with his compelling vocals and grounded authenticity. The opportunity prompted his full-time move to Los Angeles to take his career global. He has since found success with over 600,000 streams on his debut single “Broken Love” (featured on Spotify’s “Peaceful Pop”).
I had the opportunity to chat with Jordan about his new single, his musical journey so far, and what’s next.
Kat: “Reckless” has this euphoric, late-night energy paired with vulnerable lyrics. What was the emotional spark behind the song, and how did you know it had to be yours after writing it?
Jordan: To be perfectly honest, the reason why we knew that it was my song is because we had to do so little tweaks to the song from that very first session when we wrote it. I just felt the song really deeply and because we wrote it a personal experience of mine I felt super connected to the song, so when I was laying the vocals down in the booth I really felt like I was singing it from a place of it being my own song. I remember so vividly the moment right at the end of this session when we were listening through the song after it was all finished; I was working with the incredible Emile Ghantous and Sam Sznd and we all kind of looked at each other and was like “yeah this needs to be my song”. Just felt like it fit me and my voice so well so we kind of followed our instincts with it.
Kat: You’ve described the song as being about that rush of falling a little too hard, a little too fast. Do you tend to write from lived experiences, or was this more of a fantasy scenario you wanted to explore?
Jordan: Ummm short answer yes. I’ve definitely had a tendency in the past to fall too hard and it’s definitely landed me in some tough positions emotionally, but this song is kind of about that exciting feeling before the potential crash. The feeling of crushing hard. This song definitely draws from multiple experiences of mine with falling for someone who didn’t fall back.
Kat: From Perth to Los Angeles, from The Voice Australia to American Idol, how has your global journey shaped the kind of artist you are now, especially with songs like “Reckless”?
Jordan: I think it’s really built my resilience, strengths and massively opened up doors for me in the industry allowing me to work with truly some of the best to do it. I feel I’m also finally in a place where I feel confident in the sound of the music I’m making and proud of it and I’ve honestly never been able to say that so it’s really special. A lot of that I can credit to these huge experiences I’ve had.
Kat: You’ve worked with some serious hitmakers on this track, including Emile Ghantous and Sam Sznd. What did you learn from that session that you’ll carry into future projects?
Jordan: Working alongside Emile and Sam is one of the biggest pleasures I’ve been able to have so far in music. We got connected and from the very first session we had together It was just such a good fit. I feel like Emile believes in me and believes in my project and that’s really the type of people that I’m wanting to surround myself with throughout my journey out here in the US. so I’m really fortunate to be able to continue to work with him on amazing songs. They’ve really taught me to be fearless and confident in my own abilities and voice, and choosing really nice moments vocally when I need to – they have a way of bringing that out of me.
Kat: You’ve been open about writing your first song as a way to cope with bullying. How does that early emotional honesty still inform the way you write songs like “Reckless” today?
Jordan: To be honest I don’t think that has changed one bit. I still use my music as a coping mechanism for everything in my life, and just use my songs as a vessel to tell those stories, whether it’s love, heartbreak, missing my family I still use songwriting as an escape and a way of dealing with it all hoping that maybe the things I’m singing about in my bedroom someone out there also resonates with.
Kat: You call your music “ballads that move”, how do you balance emotional depth with the infectious, groove-forward sound you’re developing?
Jordan: I think just keeping the performance really honest and authentic when I’m in the booth and feeling every word I’m singing as if I was on a stage singing it and also lyrically making every word count and true to me and my story in hopes that others resonate with that too and the stories I’m telling. I think if all of that is happening throughout the song the production is just there to support and elevate that.
Kat: There’s a clear blend of pop, R&B, and some nostalgic touches in your sound. Who are the artists or records that shaped the musical lane you’re carving out for yourself now?
Jordan: Easily my biggest influences growing up and now have been the likes of Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Adele, Lewis Capaldi, Charlie Puth. They’ve been so inspiring for me not only musically but also artistically.
Kat: How does “Reckless” build on your previous single “Cherry”? What direction are you heading sonically with future releases?
Jordan: It definitely pays homage to Cherry, building on that soulful feel with underlying r&b influences. Super different yet fun for me. The upcoming singles definitely build on this but leaning more towards more of the anthemic pop record feel.
Kat: You’ve said your purpose is to help others feel less alone through your music. Has there been a moment with a fan online or in person that reminded you why you do what you do?
Jordan: There have been multiple insanely special experiences since I’ve had with some of the fam, the most impact on me personally is messages I’ve received saying that my music has saved their life or dragged them out of the lowest points in their life. Sometimes it really gets lost on me the impact music can have due to the digital nature of the industry right now, but it’s so insanely special knowing there’s people out there resonating with me and my music.
Kat: If someone’s driving late at night with “Reckless” playing full volume, what do you hope they feel in that moment?
Jordan: I want them to feel like crashing out over someone is totally normal lol but I think to be totally honest I think in turn when people say that they relate to reckless it also makes ME feel less alone in those feelings too. Kind of that moment of like “oh ok maybe I’m not crazy and I’m not the only one that’s felt like this”. But I hope they feel seen, and I just want them to be able to have fun with this track and SCREAM the lyrics in the car.
Connect With Jordan:
https://jordananthonymusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/jordananthonymusic
https://www.facebook.com/JordanAnthonyMusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8twyEjRxXxXNMptty_Qw4Q
https://www.tiktok.com/@jordananthonymusic