25 Juin 2021
From UNITED KINGDOM •
TONYB. is a singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN. Heavily influenced by 90’s and early 2000’s R&B, he credits his range of musical and vocal dynamics to the likes of Aaliyah, D’Angelo and Usher.
His latest single “Doubt Me” was written during a period of trying to find his stride after hitting the ground running. He shares, “This record is actually one that I’ve had in the vault for a while, but has never felt like the right time to release it.” Having decided to move from Los Angeles back to Nashville due to the pandemic, TONYB. was going through a transitional point in his life, just hoping that things would naturally fall into place.
He explains, “You have a lot of eyes on you back home and of course there are those people who expect you to fail and aren’t necessarily rooting for you. That combined with struggling to find my stride out in LA the first year, lit a fire inside of me that I’ve never had before. I channelled all of that frustration and pressure into this song. And even though I didn’t necessarily have as much confidence at the time writing it, I was sort of writing it for myself to help me build that confidence.”
“Doubt Me” encompasses self-confidence, vulnerability and living 100% authentically. Headstrong, witty and a little bit tongue and cheek, TONYB. delivers his message with no hesitation. Co-produced by long-time collaborator Jon O’Hara, “Doubt Me” has a fierce undertone while still maintaining the beauty of his soulful vocals and honest lyrics. The production has a more streamlined drill influence amongst the pulsing 808’s and echoing melodies that scream power and confidence. The experimental feel shines through with TONYB.’s stamp sealing the deal that this is just a more empowered version of the artist's music. The fresh, modern hip hop tinge and sultry tone radiates through the track, eliciting a unique and memorable sound.
The release of “Doubt Me” also sees the first time TONYB. openly discusses his experiences as a queer person of color, sharing, “Growing up, there were no examples of who I could be in music or entertainment. I didnʼt see myself. Which at the time made me feel like I had to choose between what I loved and who. So even though I've lived honestly within my circle of family/friends for years, itʼs super important to me now to live openly because representation & visibility 100% matter. And who knows, maybe I could be who someone needs to see right now.”
The track follows the release of the acclaimed 18-track deluxe edition of his album Flashing Lights. Garnering over 750,000 streams across all platforms, the album received praise from the likes of Live Nation's Ones to Watch, Earmilk and American Songwriter, to name a few. He has also landed numerous editorial Spotify playlists including Fresh Finds and R&B Fresh Finds.
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DIFFUSION June, 25, 2021