Toronto-based artist Jennarie is redefining what pop, R&B, and soul sound like in 2025 with her bold debut EP, Never Been Small — a fearless, body-positive celebration of self-love, growth, and unapologetic authenticity. The project arrives after a whirlwind year that saw her viral anthem “Never Been Small” soar past 2.3 million Spotify streams and ignite a movement that stretched far beyond music.
Take a listen!
One Canada’s Most Exciting New Voices
With 157k Instagram followers, 16k on YouTube, and over 230k on TikTok, Jennarie has quickly become one of Canada’s most exciting new voices. Her radiant confidence and genre-defying sound have earned her a spot in the RBCxMusic First Up 2025 Cohort and the Canada’s Walk of Fame / RBC / Stingray Emerging Musician Program, where she claimed second place for her boundary-pushing artistry.
Born in Montreal and based in Toronto, Jennarie (she/her) blends pop, R&B, and jazz into a sound that’s as rich and layered as her story. Proudly queer, body-positive, and neurodivergent, she crafts songs that speak directly to the soul—songs that lift, move, and remind listeners of their own power.
Catching the attention of SZA and Meghan Trainor
The EP’s title track, Never Been Small, transformed pain into purpose after online comments about Jennarie’s body went viral. Instead of retreating, she responded with the lyric heard around the world: “I have never been small, I have never been thin, I’m almost six feet tall, so tall I stretched my skin.” That line, and the song’s message, resonated globally, catching the attention of SZA and Meghan Trainor, and landing a spot in Rosebud Baker’s Netflix special The Mother Lode.
Across six tracks, Never Been Small is a genre-blending masterclass in vulnerability and resilience. From the soulful empowerment of “Stop (You Can Let It Go)” to the sultry, introspective “Minding and Business,” Jennarie builds a soundscape rooted in radical honesty. “I’d Rather Be Ugly” flips beauty standards on their head with the powerful lyric, “The closer I am to beauty, the further I get from myself,” while “Melodies” and “Summer With You” bring light, warmth, and community into focus.
“Music has always been how I make sense of the world,” Jennarie shares. “Every lyric, every note, is written with intention and is a mirror of how I’m feeling, processing and what I’m thinking about. This record is about growth, reclaiming joy and standing tall in a world that asks you to shrink.”
“You deserve to exist fully, loudly, and with love.”
She adds, “Never Been Small is more than a title—it’s a declaration and a promise. It’s for every person who’s ever been told they take up too much space. You deserve to exist fully, loudly, and with love.”
Produced by Nick Tateishi, the EP features lush strings, horns, and group vocals from a circle of Toronto collaborators who share Jennarie’s vision for inclusive, soul-centered pop. Supported by the Ontario Arts Council and powered by a growing community of fans, Never Been Small is just the beginning of Jennarie’s world-building journey.
As she prepares for new music, live performances, and future collaborations, Jennarie continues to prove that being big—in sound, in heart, in presence—is something to celebrate. With every lyric, she reminds us: we were never meant to be small.
submitted by Eric Alper
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