How Jason Dhakal Is Rewriting the Rules of R&B [Video]

There’s just something magnetic about artists who break out of traditional moulds, and Jason Dhakal is doing exactly that.

Fresh off a buzzworthy set at SXSW Sydney, Dhakal is carving out his space in contemporary R&B, where raw personal storytelling meets sonic innovation.

Drawing comparisons to Omar Apollo and Frank Ocean feels both apt and limiting – but it doesn’t quite capture the whole picture.

Dhakal’s sound isn’t about following footsteps; it’s about stepping outside the lines entirely. His latest single, “Favorite Song” (featuring DENY), nails this balance—deeply intimate yet instantly relatable.

“Music is something I love doing, it’s not even love, I just have to do it” Dhakal shares, and it’s not just talk. With nearly a million monthly listeners on Spotify, 111K TikTok followers, and 38K on Instagram, Dhakal isn’t just gathering fans – he’s building a community.

But it’s more than numbers. Dhakal’s music dives into identity, threading his Filipino roots and queer experience into something …