In 2018, Jarad Anthony Higgins was a kid in Chicago with a Soundcloud account and a catchy song recorded over an illegal Sting sample. By the end of 2019, he was one of the most promising talents in new music, his blend of trap and emo truly representative of the fallen barriers between genres. His savvy, old-soul breakup anthems and drug raps often explored the parallels between love and addiction. In the final month of 2019, barely a week after turning 21, he succumbed to the latter, dying of a heart attack from an overdose. This title foreshadowed more truth than fans needed. Songs like “Fast” and “HeMotions” will speak eerie volumes in his afterlife, and single “Robbery” was this critic’s favourite song of the year.
