Uproxx Music 20: Josh Levi Makes Love Sound Like The Feeling Of A Lifetime On ‘Something More’

Josh Levi Uproxx Music 20 Interview image
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Josh Levi knows what it means to be in the spotlight. A entertainment career that brought him to Friday Night Lights, X-Factor, and more, now has him in front of a mic full time as a young R&B singer to reckon with. At just 25 years old, the Houston native is just a little over a year removed from his last project Disc Two (Scratched Up). With 12 songs to its name, Disc Two (Scratched Up) — highlighted by the viral “Birthday Dance” — is as complete of a body of work that we’ve received from Levi. It soars high with tales of love, digs deep for moments of heartbreak, and captivates for moments, big and small, that exist in between.

Today, Levi launches into a new era with the release of “Something More.” The passionate single is supported by minimal production which allows Levi’s impressive to run free and even show off a flash of falsetto here and there. The song itself makes love sound like the feeling of a lifetime. Levi has fallen for the woman in question on the song, but she’s yet to jump off the cliff and into his awaiting warms. With lyrics like “I’ll follow you / Girl, would you take me with ya?” and “Baby, tell me how deep / Are you willing to dive / Say it with your body, baby / You don’t gotta tell me twice,” Levi makes a convincing case on why his soon-to-be companion should be by his side for the foreseeable future.

Together with the arrival of his new single, Levi also answered a few questions as a part of our Uproxx Music 20 series that aims to showcase rising artists’ inspirations, influences, and aspirations. Scroll down and learn a new thing or two about the Houston singer.

See Previous UPROXX MUSIC 20 Interviews:

What is your earliest memory of music?

I would say the first memory I have is singing at my sister’s kindergarten graduation. I was five years old and I wrote my first song for her that day and I remember my family all being there and getting a kick out it!

Who inspired you to take music seriously?

I grew up singing in church so I heard amazing voices all the time but I would say Michael Jackson and Brandy were some of the artists that made me fall in love with music and wanna start making my own sound.

Do you know how to play an instrument? If so, which one? If not, which instrument do you want to learn how to play?

I play piano, and a little bit of guitar but I would love to master electric guitar. It’s my favorite instrument and i’ve always wanted to be able to shred on stage!

What was your first job?

My first job funny enough was acting on Friday Night Lights when i was 9! It was my first time working and getting paid and it just so happened to be something super cool like that show! I remember my first day on set I was feelin myself and thought I could do something like that forever haha.

What is your most prized possession?

I would say my family. Nothing is more important to me than my family, I feel like it’s my most sacred, valuable thing in my life.

What is your biggest fear?

Losing someone I love, or failing. Those things both haunt me. I also have a phobia of birds unfortunately.

Who is on your R&B Mt. Rushmore?

Michael Jackson, Brandy, Jazmine Sullivan, and Boyz II Men. There’s Usher, Chris Brown, Joe, and Aaliyah too.

You get 24 hours to yourself to do anything you want, with unlimited resources: What are you doing? And spare no details!

I’m in my bed watching one of the million different shows I watch with all the lights off and some salmon and rice next to my bed with a ginger beer!

What are your three most used emojis?

🥲🕺🏽🫶🏽.

What’s a feature you need to secure before you die?

Beyoncé, Rihanna, or Drake.

If you could appear in a future season of a current TV show, which one would it be and why?

Stranger Things, Bridgerton, The Bear, The White Lotus, The Chosen, Abbott Elementary, Only Murders In The Building, Wednesday.

Which celebrity do you admire or respect for their personality and why?

I really love Prince and Whitney Houston’s personalities. I admire their candor and how unfiltered they were haha. I dream to be as unapologetic about how I feel and what’s on my mind and then on stage be this incredible talent that people revere.

Share your opinion on something no one could ever change your mind about.

Fries are great with mayo and it just is what it is!

What is the best song you’ve ever heard in your life and what do you love about it?

That’s such a crazy question! in my life?? There’s so many! First one that comes to mind is “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson. I think that song is perfectly written, perfectly composed, perfect everything. Everyday I wish I wrote that song.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform, and what’s a city you’re excited to perform in for the first time?

One of my favorite ever shows was in London! I had my first headline show there last year and it was sold out and the energy was just electric, I wasn’t expecting it! I also really love performing in New York! I haven’t done a show in Paris yet or Brazil, I’ve been wanting to go there for a long time.

You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location where it would be held.

It would be in Houston, Texas and I would say Beyonce, Drake, Chris Brown, SZA, and Meg Thee Stallion.

What would you be doing now if it weren’t for music?

I’d probably still be doing something creative or in culinary or in sports! Both my siblings were athletes and I’m really competitive so I’d be somewhere in that world.

If you could see five years into the future or go five years into the past, which one would you pick and why?

I would go five years into the past just to appreciate every moment I experienced more and learn the things I learned all over again. I’ve grown so much in the last couple of years so it’s been a beautiful journey of growth and healing. I’m not in a rush to see the future haha, I like to let God just do His thing and reveal things to me when He wants to!

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Trust in God’s timing!!! Don’t lose hope if things aren’t panning out at the exact time that you want because it will all align perfectly!

It’s 2050. The world hasn’t ended, and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

I would love for it to be remembered as a source of healing for people that needed to feel. and I would love for my music to be remembered for it’s composition, the harmonies, the details that went into it.

Josh Levi Returns To ‘UPROXX Sessions’ With A Swaggering Performance Of ‘She Keeps Comin’

Josh Levi is back again for another smooth performance on UPROXX Sessions. Earlier this week, he helped kick off the latest season of Uproxx’s one-take performance show with his single “Birthday Dance,” and today, the multitalented Texan returns to perform another standout from his 2022 project DISC TWO, “She Keeps Coming.”

In contrast to the upbeat “Birthday Dance,” “She Keeps Coming” is a chest-beating ballad (an amusing combination) in which he boasts to a romantic rival that their mutual interest is choosing Levi. Naturally, there’s a bit of a double entendre with the title, explaining exactly why Josh is the superior man. “He’s gotta be high, he can’t be sober,” he sings, “Can’t blame the next guy who has your old girl.” In this performance, he also nods to one of his inspirations, slipping in some lyrics from Beyoncé’s 2003 solo breakout hit “Crazy In Love.”

You can watch Josh Levi’s performance of “She Keeps Comin’” for UPROXX Sessions above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Josh Levi is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Josh Levi Invites You To Celebrate With His ‘Birthday Dance’ Performance For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

UPROXX Sessions is back with a fresh selection of performances from the hottest rising stars in music. Last fall, we left off on a performance of Monaleo’s “Crying On Your Birthday,” so it’s only fitting that we return with another birthday-themed song.

This one is called “Birthday Dance” and comes courtesy of another Texas native, R&B singer-songwriter Josh Levi. If his voice sounds familiar, that’s because you’ve had a few chances to hear it before. He was a finalist on the third season of The X Factor, and in 2022 he voiced one of the members of the fictional boy band 4*Town in the Pixar animated film Turning Red, where he placed his first Billboard Hot 100 charting song “Nobody Like U,” which was co-written by Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell.

“Birthday Dance,” which appears on Levi’s 2023 project Disc Two (Scratched Up), is a laid-back groove encouraging its addressee to bust a move on the dance floor in celebration of their special day. “Sittin’ here on your birthday,” he croons. “But it seems like the worst day / Let me make you feel okay / Can I take you home tonight?”

Watch Josh Levi perform “Birthday Dance” for UPROXX Sessions up top.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

‘Rap Sh!t’: All The Music You Heard In The Season 1 Finale

(SPOILERS for this latest Rap Sh!t episode will be found below.)

Season one of Rap Sh!t is now in the books, and in just eight weeks, Shawna and Mia (played by Aida Osman and KaMillion) achieved many of the early goals they set out for as a new rap duo. They secured not one but two successful records with “Seduce & Scheme” and “Nann Badder.” Their songs were played in clubs and they were also invited to industry parties. Shawna and Mia have plenty to be excited about as season one comes to a conclusion, but their future is also in question now.

The aforementioned events in the finale of season one are soundtracked by records for the ladies. They’re songs that will boost your confidence and even make you want to shake something if that’s your vibe. Nonetheless, these records perfectly encapsulate the world that Shawna and Mia live in and hope to thrive in as well.

What Songs Were In The Season On Finale Of Rap Sh!t.

In addition to Shawna and Mia’s trademark records, “Seduce & Scheme” and “Nann Badder,” playing in the episode, there are three records that soundtracked biggest moments in this episode of Rap Sh!t. The first two are Kiddo Marv and Dreezy’s “Do It” and Saucy Santana and Renni Rucci’s “Money.” These two songs, along with “Seduce & Scheme,” soundtrack Mia’s time at a strip club. She heads out there with two of her friends for a moment of fun after the frustrating moment with Shawna during their performance in the last episode. It’s also during this scene that Mia records a video for Instagram that makes her fans think that she and Shawna had a split. The second is Steve Lacy’s “Infrunami” which can be heard after Mia hits it off with a fellow Miami rapper. He certainly piques Mia’s interest and the stacks of cash he gave her also boosted his chances.

The soundtrack for this week’s episode also includes the following songs:
City Girls — “You Tried It”
Josh Levi — “Vices”
Tokyo Jetz — “Just Ride”
Foogiano — “Dead In Miami”
Big Boss Vette — “Heavy”
Chelly Flame — “Bandz”
Jackboy — “Hate the B*tch”
Yung Miami — “Rap Freaks”
King Bucc — “Scam B*tch”

HBO Max’s ‘Rap Sh!t’ airs on Thursdays at 9:00pm EST.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

TheBasement Series In Los Angeles Is Where You Can See Tomorrow’s Stars Before They Blow Up

Music discovery is at an all-time high. With algorithms, blogs, social media, and direct marketing by artists and their reps, it seems like every day is a chance to find yourself falling in love with a new artist’s music. But the downside is that there are so many that it can be hard to keep track of them all, let alone figure out which ones are fly-by-night flashes in the pan and which are the real deal.

That’s why live shows are still the best form of music discovery, even with all the newfangled technology throwing new rappers and singers onto our radars all the time. There’s an opportunity to connect with what makes each artist special, their unique energy, charisma, and how they engage with a live audience — that’s what separates the one-hit-wonders from the rising stars and the superstars in the making.

In Los Angeles, the live showcase that best displays the next generation of stars before they gain national attention is TheBasement Series. A monthly industry showcase, TheBasement Series highlights some of the hottest emerging talents from across the country. This week, the show featured rising stars Dub Aura, GoGo Morrow, Inayah, Josh Levi, and KenTheMan, who electrified the stage at Break Room 86 in downtown LA. Each artist also told us which song of theirs fans should check out first. You can get to know each from the quotes and photos below.

Dub Aura

“A song that represents and speaks to who I am right now the most would be ‘New Ways.’ It’s a pretty solid depiction of who I am. There’s many dynamics to the record for me – there’s the lyrical aspect, a tone of vulnerability, and also the wittiness of growing up in New York City, specifically Harlem which makes up who I am and what I represent.”

GoGo Morrow

“As an artist on the rise, I think the best song for fans to listen to from me, to get to know me, would be ‘In The Way.’ A lot of people have been through the same situation that I sing about, but it’s the perspective that truly identifies me as a woman and as an artist. In the song, I sing about deserving to be loved properly and if he can’t, that’s ok, because there’s someone else out there who will. In real life, I’m a soft girl, but I’m dominant as well. ‘In The Way’ is just that; vulnerable and cutthroat all at the same time. And that’s truly who I am… that’s GoGo.”

Inayah

“They should definitely tune into ‘Always Something.’ It’s one of those records that just resonates so deeply with many people’s realities with a message that’ll forever be relevant. “

Josh Levi

“if you listened to ‘NASA’ you’d get a super quick look into the world I live in sonically, a combination of the past and the future. ‘VICES’ would give you a picture of where my head has been at mentally and spiritually, making decisions that are healthy and good for the mind, body, and soul.”

KenTheMan

“I would say ‘Love Yourself’ expresses a lot of me but as a KenTheMan supporter you can’t limit yourself to just one of my tracks. There is so much diversity in my music that exudes self-love, women empowerment, and being in control; you find pieces of me in my entire catalog.”

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Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.