Long before he released his full-length debut album, Let Sound Tell All, in June 2022, New York City-based pianist and multi-instrumentalist Julius Rodriguez was already a hot commodity in the jazz community.

For jazz aficionados, his upbringing is the stuff of modern-day legend: When he was 11 years old, Rodriguez's dad was already driving him from their home in White Plains into the city so that he could play at jam sessions at the West Village jazz club Smalls. Despite being half (or even one-third) the age of his fellow performers, he left a major impression on the crowd, – honing an already well established style that, years later, would earn him acceptance into Julliard. He studied there for over a year, but dropped out to launch his performing career by going on tour with A$AP Rocky.

In this episode of Press Play at Home, Rodriguez' early influences of jamming in small jazz clubs are on full display. His sprightly performance of "Blues At The Barn" evokes a night out in an intimate NYC club, even though the performance was filmed at home in the middle of the day. A drummer and bass player form a classic jazz trio with Rodriguez, who handles the lively main melody on his Yamaha upright piano.

With an impressive resume as a musician at the age of 23, Rodriguez is now introducing himself as an artist in his own right with Let Sound Tell All. "Blues At The Barn" is the first on that nine-track collection, serving as an expertly executed nod to his jazz jam roots.

But Rodriguez isn't tied to classic jazz trio convention in his new album. On the contrary, songs like "Where Grace Abounds" bring gospel influence into the music, and offer narratives that — while still primarily instrumental — are more inspired by the artist's personal history and feelings than they are by established jazz traditions. 

Another track, "In Heaven," actually features vocals — courtesy of fellow-NYC-based jazz act Samara Joy — and elaborates further on the gospel background that Rodriguez picked up in church, where he earned a substantial component of his early musical education. 

As he rises to jazz fame, Rodriguez is demonstrating a lively, inspired talent within the genre's conventions while also infusing his own personal musical identity and history into the music. Press play above to watch the pianist perform one of Let Sound Tell All's more upbeat tracks, and keep checking GRAMMY.com 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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