Meet Jarell Perry: He's joining the neo-soul ranks of singers like Frank Ocean and Miguel.

In 2012, R&B got a lot darker, more intellectual, and developed a lot of feelings (more than usual, that is). 2012 was when we officially met alternative R&B players like Miguel, Frank Ocean, and The Weeknd -- artists' artists who blurred the line between contemporary R&B and neo-soul. Well, 2013, it's time to meet alt-R&B's latest contender, Jarell Perry.

Listen to Jarell Perry after the jump.

Like so many other startup singers, Jarell got his start covering artists like Beyoncé, Coldplay, and Jay-Z on YouTube while in college at UCLA. (We should probably also mention that now Jarell's YouTube has since amassed more than 1 million views. Cred!) Jarell's also got the collab game on lock: In addition to co-writing Fat Joe and Chris Brown's "Another Round," Jarell's worked with everyone from Cormega, Thurz, and Cadence Weapon, to Usher, to producers Diplo, Hassan Johnson, and Boi-1da. Nowadays, Jarell's looking to dominate the charts himself with his upcoming self-released LP, Simple Things, set to drop on March 18.

On "Whiskey a Go Go," Jarell brilliantly layers multiple vocals, beats, and lyrics resulting in a song smoother than the finest whiskey. "Go ahead and make your move -- don't matter what you're drinking. If you're feeling the way I do, toast to the life and let that whiskey, make it go, make it all go, go good." Jarell smashes with his vocal range on "Awkward," a song that chronicles a tongue-tied moment with a girl, leaving him feeling like he has two left feet. (We've ALL been there; don't lie.) Then, on the Thurz-assisted, synth-filled "Happy 4 U," Jarell quickens the pace, swapping his usual R&B for a dubby, club-ready beat.

These days, you can find Jarell generating buzz on Thurz's "Keep Livin," and he's got more collaborations with Cormega and Torae on the way (we don't think sleep is a part of his life, by the way). Start catching up with Jarell on "Getaway," his latest off Simple Things, below.

+ Listen to Jarell Perry.

Photo credit: Jarell Perry