Rising R&B star Khamari (@khamari) has officially returned with his long-awaited sophomore album To Dry A Tear, now available everywhere. The Boston-born, LA-based artist delivers a genre-bending, emotionally rich project that pushes his sound further into bold, soulful, and cinematic territory.
The 11-track album blends Khamari’s R&B roots with alt-rock textures, jazz flourishes, and orchestral arrangements that add weight to his reflections on love, loneliness, and inner growth. His influences are wide-ranging. From Frank Ocean to D’Angelo to Jeff Buckley, they show in both the songwriting and sonics. But make no mistake … Khamari’s voice and perspective are completely his own.
Tracks like “Head in a Jar” and “Sycamore Tree” set the stage for the album’s introspective tone. “Sycamore Tree” in particular stands out as a high point, slowly building from a delicate neo-soul groove into a full, cinematic release. The track nods to D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” not just in sound, but in emotional vulnerability. Strings, keys, and soft bass swirl beneath Khamari’s voice as he tells a story of fading intimacy and longing.
Khamari shows listeners what R&B can be
Another single, “Lonely in the Jungle,” marks a sonic shift. It trades the minimalism of earlier tracks for something more lush and expansive. Khamari cites Jeff Buckley as a key influence here, channeling his ability to merge bluesy soul with alternative weight. “‘Head in a Jar’ and ‘Lonely in the Jungle’ are two parts of the same scene,” Khamari explained. “It’s about being surrounded by so much yet still feeling alone.”
That duality runs throughout To Dry A Tear. It’s an album built on contrasts. Soft and dramatic, sparse and full, grounded and otherworldly. Khamari isn’t afraid to sit in the tension between isolation and beauty, and that honesty is what makes the project hit so hard.
With To Dry A Tear, Khamari cements himself as one of the most thoughtful voices in modern R&B and soul. This isn’t just a follow-up to his debut. It’s a clear evolution, deeper, fuller, and unmistakably his.
Check out the project below.
