Emerging singer Dora Jar has an expansive, shape-shifting sound, with songs that run the gamut from hip-hop to dreamy pop to imaginative story songs about characters such as mermaids.

But in this episode of Press Play at Home, Jar strips her sound back to its introspective and acoustic roots. She cozies up indoors for a performance of "Multiply," a track from her 2021 Digital Meadow EP.

"Multiply" is a master class in yearning: Set against a gentle, cyclical acoustic guitar line, Jar's breathy vocals create a stark contrast against the intensity of lyrics like "'Cause you got my body all open" and "I think about you 25 hours a day."

The soothing aesthetic of Jar's performance adds to that juxtaposition. Sitting cross-legged against a backdrop of windows, the singer performs the song with just an acoustic guitar as trees gently sway behind her.

While the visuals might soften the intensity of the song's message, they also underscore the intimate nature of Jar's songwriting. Though Jar's music oscillates between different genres and styles, she presents a quiet confidence about her sense of self as an artist — a skill that she had to hone, as she told NME. 

"When I met producers, they were overpowering me. I realized I have to be a boss, I need to know their language to communicate what I want," she explained. "Now, people realize I don't have a specific sound, I am the sound, so it's been easier to experiment. I don't want to land anywhere. I just want to keep evolving."

Recently, Jar's musical evolution has taken her to some pretty enormous stages: She opened a run of shows on Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever Tour earlier this year, including two sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden. 

Watch the intimate performance above, and keep checking GRAMMY.com every Thursday for more episodes of Press Play At Home.

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With his single "MOONLIGHT," Henry Lau refuses to be burdened by his past relationships. Now, he's turning a new leaf, dancing carefree under the night sky, regardless of the negative emotions he might feel.

"I'm waking up in a daze, get it out of my face/ The sun is shining on every move that I make," the singer reveals in the second verse. "So, let's get to forgetting everything that went wrong/ Everybody here, we been crying too long/ We can dance about it to our favorite song."

In this episode of Press Play, Lau performs "MOONLIGHT" from a mansion rooftop during sunset. He constructs the entire song using a loop station, playing a violin, cello and electric and acoustic guitars — one of his signature performance techniques that  prompted his nickname, "one-man band."

Lau released "MOONLIGHT" in January — marking his first single in two years — via Monster Entertainment, the label he founded alongside his brother Clinton. He released another single, "Real Love Still Exists," two months later; the track features Malaysian R&B singer Yuna.

Watch the video above to watch Henry Lau's impressive loop station performance of "MOONLIGHT," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

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With "girls like me don't cry," Vietnamese singer/songwriter thuy searches for a personal sanctuary. Broken and battered from heartbreak, she's taught herself to hide from her true feelings.

"Tell me that you keep me safe and/ Never let this fade away/ Girls like me don't cry/ Girls like me pretend that we don't cry," thuy sings in the song's chorus. By the end of the track, she realizes that the stoic life isn't how she wants to live, revealing, "All I want to do is hide/ Gotta let it go/ Don't wanna keep this all inside."

In this episode of Press Play, thuy delivers a monochromatic performance of "girls like me don't cry." Compared to the track's original arrangement, thuy offers a slow, stripped-down performance, creating a more emotional sonic experience as a piano accompanies her.

"girls like me don't cry" is the lead single from thuy's latest project of the same name. The emerging R&B songstress is currently supporting Ella Mai on The Heart on My Sleeve Tour, and she will embark on a headlining tour through Europe in October.

Click on the video above to watch thuy's performance of "girls like me don't cry," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

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Growing up with severe eczema, Hong Kong native XTIE has struggled with body image issues her entire life. But on her single "Skin," she's ready to embrace what she once believed were flaws.

"I just want to heal on my own/ To take care of my skin," she declares in the chorus, later revealing, "Fighting all of my insecurities/ Stop judging by looking at my skin/ I just want to lift up my chin/ Telling me there's a world to win."

In this episode of Press Play, XTIE delivers a live performance of "Skin," constructing the song with a MIDI controller and keyboard. She wears a vest that exposes her neck and arms, emphasizing her growing comfort in her body.

Chatting with EnVi Media, the singer/songwriter called "Skin" the "most important song" in her catalog. Before her debut, she considered staying behind the scenes as a producer due to her eczema battle. 

"I felt like no one wanted to hear me sing," she explained. "When people consume music, they also consume your singing and your appearance."

Click on the video to see XTIE promote body positivity with her performance of "Skin," and be sure to check back to GRAMMY.com every week for more new episodes of Press Play.

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With "CAKE DIET," DABOYWAY promises to celebrate every day like it's his birthday. As he put it himself, "The fundamental idea behind the song is basically just to have fun. The party doesn't stop, so we ought to live life to the fullest and not take the good moments for granted." 

And the songs lyrics illustrate exactly that: "24-hour cake diet, you should try it/ All the girls and guys like it/ Money making, break it to a science/ Whatever we want we tryin' to buy it/ It's not my birthday, but, for sure, we getting this cake," he proclaims in the second verse.

In this episode of Press Play, DABOYWAY continues the festivities with a cheerful performance of the single. Clad in hot pink outfits, the Thai rapper dances alongside five dancers under flashing neon lights before finally throwing a cake at a mirror with a closing declaration: "You know we're never stopping!"

"CAKE DIET" was released in 2022, and marked DABOYWAY's first solo track since his 2020 self-titled album. On April 5, he released his second party-focused single, "BAKA," featuring Japanese EDM collective Repezen Foxx.

Press play on the video above to watch DABOYWAY's delectable performance of "CAKE DIET," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

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