serpentwithfeet

Jonathan Josiah Wise (born July 9, 1988), known professionally as serpentwithfeet, is an R&B singer based in Brooklyn, New York City. Wise signed with the English record label Tri Angle to release his debut extended play (EP), Blisters. He entered a joint venture with Secretly Canadian to release his debut studio album, soil (2018), which was met with critical acclaim. His second EP, Apparition (2020), and his second and third albums, Deacon (2021) and Grip (2024), were each met with continued critical praise.

Early life Wise was raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up in a religious family; his father owned a Christian bookstore and his mother was a choir director. Wise joined the church choir as a child and grew up with classical and gospel music as a primary influence.

When he was 11 years old his mother asked him if he wanted to audition for the Maryland State Boychoir and, ignoring his refusal, she signed him up anyway and he ended up loving it. This was his introduction to classical vocal music. He realized from this experience that there was a lack of diversity in the choir and there was "not much room for the black voice." Wise then moved to New York, where he released his first single "Curiosity of Other Men" in 2014.

The song led to Wise's eventual signing with Tri Angle in 2015 and the release of Wise's debut EP, Blisters, in 2016. The EP featured production from the Haxan Cloak, who has worked with artists including Björk and the Body. Blisters debuted to extremely positive reviews from critics.

Wise began work on his debut studio album Soil in 2017 with producers including Clams Casino, Katie Gately, and Adele collaborator Paul Epworth. The album was released on June 8, 2018, to positive reviews from critics. AllMusic observed that serpentwithfeet brought avant-garde elements into his usual mix of R&B, gospel and classical sounds to create a sense of aching sadness.

In 2017, Wise went on tour with the band Grizzly Bear as their opener. On the Brockhampton album Iridescence (2018), Serpentwithfeet features on the song "Tonya", which was first performed live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He appeared on a remix of Björk's "Blissing Me" (2017), and performed in concert with Björk on her 2019 Cornucopia tour. In 2019, he also served as the opening act in selected dates of Rosalía's El Mal Querer Tour.

On June 26, 2019, he released a song "Receipts", which featured Ty Dolla Sign. In 2020, Wise was featured in a track titled "Start" in Ellie Goulding's fourth studio album Brightest Blue, and collaborated with Ty Dolla Sign again by singing background vocals and writing on Ty Dolla Sign's song "Ego Death", a collaborative track with Kanye West, FKA Twigs, and Skrillex, and additionally appeared on an interlude on Ty Dolla Sign's 2020 album, Featuring Ty Dolla Sign.

On March 30, 2020, Wise released the single "A Comma" in collaboration with Adult Swim. He also announced his upcoming EP Apparition, via Secretly Canadian. Apparition was released on April 29, 2020. Made up of three songs, it includes the single "A Comma", "This Hill", and "Psychic".

On January 8, 2021, he was featured in Virgil Abloh's single titled "Delicate Limbs".

In January 2021, Serpentwithfeet announced his second studio album Deacon, and release the lead single "Fellowship", co-produced with Sampha and Lil Silva. The album released on March 26.

In August 2022, Serpentwithfeet released "On Air", a collaboration with Moby, released on the Always Centered at Night label. On September 30, 2022, he was featured on "Fungal City", one of the songs on Björk's album Fossora, marking their second collaboration.

Personal life Wise is gay and from a young age used gospel music to express his sexuality.

Discography

Studio albums Title Album details Soil Released: June 8, 2018 Label: Secretly Canadian/Tri Angle Records Formats: Digital download, streaming, CD, vinyl Deacon Released: March 26, 2021 Label: Secretly Canadian Formats: Digital download, streaming, CD, vinyl Grip Released: February 16, 2024 Label: Secretly Canadian Formats: Digital download, streaming

EPs Title EP details Blisters Released: September 2, 2016 Label: Tri Angle Records Formats: Digital download, streaming, vinyl Apparition Released: April 29, 2020 Label: Secretly Canadian Formats: Digital download, streaming Deacon's Grove Released: November 5, 2021 Label: Secretly Canadian Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles Title Year Album "Bless Ur Heart"2018Soil"Cherubim""Seedless""Receipts" 2019 "Delicate Limbs"2021"Fellowship"Deacon"Same Size Shoe""Heart Storm""You Don't Own Me / Canopy" "Down Nuh River"Deacon's Grove"Fellowship (Remix)""Bless the Telephone" "On Air"2022"I'm Pressed""The Hands""Gonna Go" 2023"Damn Gloves" Grip"Safe Word" 2024"Ellipsis""Writhing in the Wind" 2025 Grip Sequel"Wanderer"

Collaborations 2013 Gifts for Shitenno 2021 Luvaroq 2022 On Air

Music videos Title Year Director(s)"Four Ethers" 2016 CRUDO"Cherubim"2018 Allie Avital"Bless Ur Heart" Andrew Thomas Huang"Same Size Shoe"2021 Shadae Lamar Smith and Rush Davis"Fellowship" Kordae Jatafa Henry"Heart Storm"(with NAO) "Down Nuh River" John Marq and Jarred Jaymes"Gonna Go" 2023 Jonathan Aubrie Lewis

Guest appearances + List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name Title Year Artist(s) Album"Nu Renegade" 2015 Zebra Katz, Leila, JerVae Anthony Nu Renegade"Serpentwithfeet_Altadena_88 BPM" 2018 Kelela Take Me a_Part, the Remixes"Start" 2020 Ellie Goulding Brightest Blue"Scottie Pipen"2021 Mick Jenkins Elephant in the Room"FYI" Love, Victor: Season 2 (Original Soundtrack)"Postcards" NAO And Then Life Was Beautiful"Ends Now"2022 Lil Silva Yesterday Is Heavy"Woodland" Nosaj Thing Continua"Fungal City" Björk Fossora"Disillusioned" 2023 Daniel Caesar Never Enough