Photos and Interview by Jordan Edwards

In 2021, Sara Kays landed a viral hit with "Remember That Night." Although that track gained her new fans as it pushed past 200 million streams, it was just a hint of what was to come. From the quiet melancholy of "When You Look at Me" to the vulnerability of her latest, "Math," the Indiana native has proven to be a skilled songwriter and a master at capturing the feeling of a moment.

Like Sufjan Stevens and Joni Mitchell, Kays leaves listeners feeling like they just read a short story. Her lyrics are specific and clever, two things often missing from the hook-heavy songs that blow up on TikTok.