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JARKI MONNO bares his soul on NEW single
‘WHO TOOK YOUR SMILE?’ IS RELEASED VIA MARSHALL RECORDS
JARKI MONNO

BARES HIS SOUL IN ‘WHO TOOK YOUR SMILE?’
VIA MARSHALL RECORDS
WATCH | LISTEN
“I know that Greg James is a fan, loads of us here at Radio 1 are loving what he does.”
Mollie King, BBC Radio 1
"He absolutely killed the BBC Introducing Stage at Radio 1's Big Weekend. It was incredibly emotional."
Jess Iszatt, BBC Introducing on Radio 1
Today, London native singer-songwriter and poet Jarki Monno shares the raw and introspective single ‘who took your smile?’ via Marshall Records. Since his inception in 2019, the rising artist has steadily become synonymous with producing refreshingly vulnerable and heartfelt sonic stories and has garnered the attention of vital tastemakers across BBC Radio 1.
Jarki divulges that ‘who took your smile?’, which was crafted alongside artist and producer FJ Law, was born out of a period of overwhelming grief. After losing two significant people in his life within a week of each other, he spiralled into a state of self depreciation and harmful coping mechanisms that saw him relying heavily on other people and consumption habits as a means to heal. “I was extremely hard on myself… I felt I was an omen and that trouble followed me.” The troubadour confesses.
LISTEN TO ‘WHO TOOK YOUR SMILE’ HERE
However, a pivotal realisation shifted his perspective, opening his eyes to the fact true healing cannot be sourced externally; it must come from within. “I had to hold myself accountable for the journey to being myself again.” Jarki explains. ‘who took your smile?’ is not solely a story of grief, but a powerful reflection of personal growth, self reflection and taking accountability for building yourself back up after being broken.

Press shot: Izzy Reeve
MORE ABOUT JARKI MONNO
Jarki Monno, the moniker of London-born singer-songwriter Mark Johnson, has set the tone for reflective pop. A master of producing fresh, genre-defying and soul-bearing tunes, his music’s mission is to create art that truly makes a difference. “I want to be able to help people with my music,” he says. “I want to be unapologetically myself, and never change on that front. Music is what keeps me going, and it helps me navigate through my life.”
He first burst onto the scene in 2019 fostering a rap and spoken word approach, as seen on tear jerking ‘Wet Shave’, but in recent years has turned his attention to singing, such as with ‘Dead End Town’ and ‘PettyCries’, the latter of which was awarded the title of BBC Radio 1’s Introducing TOTW.
A kid from Hemel Hempstead who wanted something different from his life, music took him to Brighton as a student, making friends with a host of different people. Inspired by his surroundings, his lacking self-belief, returning to the confines of his teenage bedroom sparked a sense of resolution – he needed to get out. A perpetual dreamer, he wrote down his ambitions on a whiteboard in his room, and then watched as each one came true. “Things come as and when they’re ready for you,” he reflects. “I remember singing in the kitchen, using a salt shaker for a microphone, dreaming I was at Big Weekend… and then it all happened!”
His sound can be described as a tasteful amalgamation of indie, alternative, electronic and soulful pop - an ever evolving mix that marks him as one of the most exciting prospects the UK has to offer. With this innovative take to music, there’s no wonder why he’s graced the stages at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Victorious and The Great Escape, performed to an audience of millions on The One Show, played alongside Sam Tompkins and Alfie Neale and found fans in industry vanguards like Jo Whiley, Phil Taggart, Greg James and more.
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