Listening to “Outside” by Jaba Khalid and Miri is such a breath of fresh air. This is his debut single, and right from the start, you can tell it’s not trying to be something it’s not. It just feels real, like eavesdropping on an actual conversation about the scary, exciting parts of falling for someone.

The way Jaba Khalid and Miri work together is pretty special. Their voices just fit, you know? They go back and forth in this really natural way that makes me think they either have great chemistry or spent a ton of time getting this right. Probably both. Jaba’s got this warmth in his voice especially when he’s singing about that nervous feeling you get when you’re putting your heart on the line. And Miri? She just gets it. Her parts add something essential to the whole story.

The production is really well done without being too polished. You can hear the dancehall influences running through it, which makes sense given Jaba’s Caribbean roots, but it never feels forced. Everything sounds crisp and intentional, but there’s still space in the track. The vocals stay front and center, which is exactly where they should be, while the music keeps everything moving.

Here’s the thing that makes this track hit different for me: Jaba spent three years dealing with peripheral neuropathy before putting this out. Knowing that adds weight to the whole thing. You can kind of feel it in the music, that sense of someone who’s been through something tough and is finally ready to step back out into the world. It gives the whole song another dimension beyond just the words.

If this is what Jaba Khalid and Miri can create right out the gate, I’m really interested to hear what comes next. “Outside” is the kind of first single that shows you’re dealing with someone who has something genuine to share and actually knows how to deliver it. It stays in your head after it ends, and really, what more can you want?

You can listen here.