Uproxx Music 20

Uproxx Music 20: Jordan Mackampa Nourishes The Soul With The Fulfilling ‘Welcome Home, Kid!’

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Jordan Mackampa 2024 press photo
Aiden Harmitt-Williams

Jordan Mackampa’s sophomore album Welcome Home, Kid! will be one to remember in 2024.

Through 14 songs, listeners will be whisked away on a soulful journey that is rejuvenating. Welcome Home, Kid! is the British-Congolese singer’s coming out party, and boy is it a good time. “Proud Of You” keeps you light on your feet with a giddy dance that’s a perfect match for the song’s fluttering piano keys and roaring trumpet. “Step By Step” and “Blaccjack The Mac” take you to church with glorious trumpets, lively drums, and the energy that only a family cookout can provide.

I’ll go out on a limb here and say Mackampa’s Welcome Home, Kid! will go down as one of 2024’s best R&B releases. Along with production that adds fuel to the spirit, Welcome Home, Kid! celebrates the moment that things start to make a little more sense. It captures the applause that comes when you’ve finally discovered your purpose after doing the nitty-gritty work to get there. In his second coming as an artist, Jordan is back home – at least in the figurative sense – where he belongs.

With Welcome Home, Kid! available in just a few hours, Uproxx caught up with Jordan Mackampa to talk about his early music memories, who he’d play on The Bear, and more for our Uproxx Music 20 Q&A.

What is your earliest memory of music?

My mum dancing in our kitchen and me clinging onto her legs as she moved.

Who inspired you to take music seriously?

My music and performing arts teachers.

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 few at the moment, I’d love to learn a horned instrument next like a trumpet, just need to find a quiet play to practice that doesn’t annoy my neighbours.

What was your first job?

I was the world’s worst door-to-door salesman, asking folks to give me their credit card details at the most inconvenient times of the day, in return for a £9.99 ‘Lovefilm’ subscription.

What is your most prized possession?

My hard drive.

What is your biggest fear?

Hahahaha, no way I’m sharing that on the internet.

Who is on your R&B afrobeats Mt. Rushmore?

Jazmine Sullivan, Miguel, Frank Ocean, Lianne La Havas.

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

First things first, I’m clearing all student debts everywhere and repurposing that money into affordable housing, healthcare & education systems, with a mandatory course on a selection of Bell Hook’s work. Secondly, I’m giving Palestine back to the Palestinians as well as every other country fighting for their freedom. Not long after that, I’m decriminalising sex work & any incarceration charges for marijuana. Lastly, I’d put together my dream show so I can watch Childish Gambino & Kirk Franklin go back to back.

What are your three most used emojis?

☠🤎🥵.

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

Something with Ari Lennox or J. Cole.

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

The Bear, I could play Marcus’ brother or a new love interest for Sydney — I’m open to both.

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

Damson Idris, I feel like in an alternative universe somewhere we’re good friends who have discourse all the time, over where the best Jamaican food in London is.

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

Songs In The Key of Life isn’t Stevie Wonder’s best album.

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

“Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza” by Mac Miller. I love how instantly I’m trapped in that nostalgic feeling so quickly.

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?

London’s always gonna be a favourite because it’s home, New York is fun too. Europe is taking the top spot right now though, especially Germany & the Netherlands.

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.

Chance The Rapper only doing Acid Rap/Coloring Book songs, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler The Creator, Kaytramine, and Dijon. Gimme a field with an open bar/taco stand & I’m comfy.

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

I’d be a chef running my own 24hr diner.

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

Past, so I could reassure myself that we’ll be ok.

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

Don’t break your back keeping bonds that don’t feed you.

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

As someone who poured all they had, into everything they did.

Welcome Home, Kid! is out 2/16 via AWAL Recordings Ltd. Find out more information here.

Uproxx Music 20: Majeeed’s Versatile ‘Cheers To Life’ EP Catapulted Him Into The AFCON 2024 Spotlight

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Majeeed 2024 Press Photo
Press Photo

Nigerian singer Majeeed displays the type of vulnerability that shows the true range of afrobeats. For three years, Majeeed worked on his craft and showed his elevating vulnerability through a collection of singles he released dating back to 2020. “Time,” released in 2021, showcased his textured vocals over savory production carried by a mesmerizing violin. The following year, “Yawa No Dey End” showed how Majeeed would fair over more flavorful or vibrant production and he cruised through the record as well as its eventual remix with Joeboy.

The best example to date of everything that Majeeed brings to the table is his debut project Cheers To Life. The 8-track effort leans into the afropop sound, but even that isn’t enough to fully capture the project’s true sonic landscape. “Waka Jeje” alongside Bnxn is an amapiano-inspired track that combines the lively production the genre is known for with Majeeed’s cool, calm, and collected demeanor. “Gbese” with Tiwa Savage takes amapiano to more spirited levels while the “Cheers To Life” and the Lojay-assisted “Cry (Shayo)” wade into afro house waters.

Majeeed’s wide-encompassing talents made him perfect to curate the theme song for the AFCON 2024 tournament with his song, “Let’s Do It Again.” With the Nigerian Super Eagles just a game away from winning the tournament, it seems like Majeeed’s record is providing the necessary boost for himself and his home country.

With plans to continue his streak of success still in motion, Majeeed took a moment to answer our Uproxx Music 20 questions. Discover his inspirations, tastes, future goals, and more through his responses below.

What is your earliest memory of music?

My earliest memory of music has to be when my mum constantly played old Yoruba records by great artists like Baba Ara and Tope Alabi.

Who inspired you to take music seriously?

The person who made me take music seriously is Wizkid.

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 don’t play any instruments but I’d love to learn how to play the violin.

What was your first job?

My first job was as a salesboy.

What is your most prized possession?

My most prized possession is my voice.

What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear is losing the ones I love.

Who is on your afrobeats Mt. Rushmore?

The person definitely on my Afrobeat Mt. Rushmore is Wizkid.

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.

The artists I’d love to perform with at my music festival would be Wizkid, Rihanna, Harry Styles, Post Malone, and Rema, and I’d love to perform with these great artists at the 02 Arena.

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

I would empower the youth and provide social amenities, and infrastructural facilities for hospitals and schools.

What are your three most used emojis?

❤😂🔥.

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

An evergreen record with Rihanna.

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

I’d love to appear in the TV show titled Fool Me Once because the storyline is really amazing.

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

The celebrity I admire and respect is Kanye West. His realness is top-notch

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

Hard work, smart work, and consistency pays. No one can change my mind about that.

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

“Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles because it transcends beyond my imagination.

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?

My favourite city in the world to perform is Wembley Stadium and the city I’m most excited to perform in is Madison Square Garden in New York City.

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

I would be a professional footballer if I wasn’t doing music.

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 pick 5 years into the future because my future is too bright to look back at my past.

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

Consistency and hard work pays, never give up.

Cheers To Life is out now via Dream Empire Music / EMPIRE. Find out more information here.

Uproxx Music 20: 4Batz Welcomes You To The Show Where It’s Anything But An Act

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4batz 2024 press pic
Cameron Moore

In just a matter of two months, Dallas singer 4Batz went from an underground artist to one of this year’s most-anticipated new acts. He achieved that with just two songs available for his growing fan base to listen to. Released as “acts,” 4Batz kicked things off with “Act I: Stickerz “99”” which he released in June 2023 and six months later he returned with “Act II: Date @ 8.”

The latter record is one that swiftly pushed 4Batz into the spotlight. “Act II: Date @ 8” sits at over 34 million listens on Spotify, much of which can be credited to the 4Batz’s From The Block performance of the song going viral, a video that was posted just five days after the song was released. “Act I: Stickerz “99”” is nearing 13 million views while 4Batz’s Spotify page boasts 6 million monthly listens.

So what makes 4Batz so popular? One might say it’s the singer’s juxtaposing music videos that capture him and friends in dark clothing and ski masks as he belts out lyrics about love that are equally juxtaposing. For example, take well-intentioned yet coldly-delivered bars like “I’ll come and slide by 8 PM / And send a text to your DM / Five hunnid for your f*ckin’ hair / Two hunnid for your f*ckin’ nails” on “Act II: Date @ 8.”

Maybe its his pitched-up vocals that are raised just enough to catch the ear, but not too much to recall trauma from the endless TikToks with the chipmunk voice filter. It could also be his blunt and moderately toxic approach to love with lines like “You hate I’m stuck up in my way / But love it when I’m playin’ games” on “Act I: Stickerz “99”” and “She like ‘boy go find someone, find someone you love’ / Girl, I can’t find no one, ‘cus you’re the one I love” on his upcoming track “Act III: On God?”

Personally, as boring as this answer might be, I think it’s a little bit of everything. It’s not the first time an artist has stepped into the scene like this (see: RMR), but make no mistake, this isn’t an act for 4Batz. That was clear after we spoke with him as a part of our Uproxx Music 20 series. Below you’ll learn about his start in music, favorite R&B artists, how he avoids feeling regret, and more.

What is your earliest memory of music?

[It] was when I used to write down verses of music in my old spiral [notebook], and I used to tell my grandma it was raps… and she would always take my notebooks and say these aren’t raps, these are poems. It’s funny cause even though it was negative she would always put it together in a positive way, I’m like, ‘Grandma I’m talking about killing this n****,’ but she would still call it a poem.

Who inspired you to take music seriously?

Nobody did. I did. I feel like the downfalls of my life inspired me to take music seriously.

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

Yeah, I play the guitar.

What was your first job?

My first job was at Burger King.

What is your most prized possession?

My Ruger-5.7.

What is your biggest fear?

Regretting. Regretting or missing the moment and not doing something, and regretting like damn I should of did that. So I try to put my life on the line and just stand on business.

Who is on your R&B Mt. Rushmore?

Sadé, Mint Condition, Miguel, Jodeci, andddd… Anita Baker.

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.

My festival would be held in Dallas, Texas; with Chief Keef, Tupac, Biggie, DMX, and 50 Cent.

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

Mannn, I’m going to sleep. If I have all the resources in the world, it’s kind of boring in a way… the thrill is being told you can’t do something and doing it vs having everything in the world.

What are your three most used emojis?

🦇5⃣🔫

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

4Batz, cause he gone be the biggest in the world.

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

Power.

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

I respect NBA Youngboy. He’s one person I’ve seen in the industry that don’t wanna f*ck with everybody. And I kind of respect that, cause you see people true colors in this industry. Cause I’m like that, I don’t f*ck with nobody forreal so I respect that.

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

When you walk through the street and you split the pole, that’s bad luck. You can’t split that muhf*ckin’ pole.

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

Sadé’s “Kiss of Life.” Cause on that song, she didn’t say a lot of words but she said a lot of things without having to. She’s the one that showed me you don’t have to put all these words in a song, music is a feeling.

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?

I haven’t performed yet but I’m excited to perform in Paris.

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

Trappin’.

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

Five years in the future, because my past was really crazy, like I don’t even want to think about it. I’d rather extend the future because lately my life been going good.

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

I’d tell myself to keep pushing [and] keep grinding. Like if I woulda went harder I would probably be somewhere else.

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 like to be remembered as, the biggest artist in the world and one of the most humble people in the world who gave back and inspired people, and who you know was talented.

Uproxx Music 20: Chxrry22’s Red-Hot Passion Is Nothing Short Of Captivating On ‘Siren’

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Chxrry22 Press Photo 2024
NSTY

If Chxrry22 (pronounced Cherry-22) established her artistry in 2022 with her debut EP The Other Side, then she strengthened and elevated it to impressive standards with her second EP Siren, released at the end of 2023. The Toronto-based singer, the first female singer signed to The Weeknd’s XO Records label, exudes a level of self-awareness, vulnerability, and honesty (for better or worse) that many of us could only dream of fearlessly having.

Chxrry22’s The Other Side presented all of this under a gloomy cloud of realization and acceptance that she played both the villain and victim in the realm of love. “Do It Again” craves the return of an expired love and “Call Me” hopes to re-spark a toxic flame. In the end, “Wasteland” is Chxrry22’s moment of recovery as she dusts herself off and takes a step forward with a newfound commitment to herself and peace within.

That very commitment is the launching pad into the dominating Siren that Chxrry22 presents herself as on her 2023 EP. The gloom of The Other Side is no more, and instead, we’re hit with the fiery passion that blares as loud as the warning signal that shares the name of her most recent project. Chxrry22 dares a partner to be as passionate as she is on “Ride 4 Me” and goes even further with a sultry request to put their words into action on “Never Had This.” For seven songs on Siren, Chxrry22 asserts he dominance and captivates with her euphoric energy.

Months removed from Siren, Uproxx spoke with Chxrry22 to learn more about her start in music, the one artist from whom she needs a feature, and the advice she’d give her 18-year-old self.

What is your earliest memory of music?

I feel like music was a part of me before I was even born. Both of my parents could sing and they were in a choir, so they would make my brothers and I sing Ethiopian songs and record us. I’m not even kidding when I say that in every single home video I have from my childhood, I’m singing. I don’t think they thought that one of their children would actually grow up to be a musician, but I think it was their love language and also a way to teach us our language.

Who inspired you to take music seriously?

My mom. She used to make me perform everywhere growing up. Birthdays, weddings, you name it — I’d do it. She would pass around a hat for people to put money in. When I saw people actually giving a child money to sing my brain went off like, oh this is lit.

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’ve actually tried learning how to play the guitar and keys multiple times but my schedule gets hectic and I never have a chance to see it through. I actually just ordered a keyboard on Amazon to my LA apartment so we’ll see how long it lasts this time. But I do wish I could, it’s one of my goals.

What was your first job?

A hostess at a restaurant. I’ve had a million jobs and I’ve been fired a million times.

What is your most prized possession?

My voice. My health. My ideas.

What is your biggest fear?

I actually have two. Having a painful death but also just having regrets in life.

Who is on your R&B Mt. Rushmore?

Whitney, Marvin Gaye, Anita Baker, D’Angelo, Keyshia Cole. I think that’s a few too many, but you get the point.

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.

Dead or alive? Kali Uchis, Lana Del Rey, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and Nina Simone. Held in my hometown, Toronto, of course.

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

Donate to every cause imaginable and use whatever’s left to buy every vintage bag in sight.

What are your three most used emojis?

🍒 💋 🖤 . Classic.

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

Lana Del Rey. No questions asked.

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

Girls. 100% Bring them back!

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

I don’t know, I don’t really pay attention.

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

That celery is disgusting. It actually makes me gag.

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

Omg, I love this question. Also so hard to answer but for sentimental reasons I’ll say “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole. It’s so simple but heartfelt. It’s the soundtrack to my life.

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?

My favorite is always Toronto because I get the most love and it’s for me, duh! No, but in all seriousness it’s always so special looking into the crowd and seeing your friends and family. But, I have so many fans in London and Atlanta so I can’t wait to perform there. Atlanta actually holds a very special place in my heart because it’s where I really found myself as an artist. I lived there for a few years when I first got signed, and it’s actually where I wrote “The Falls” and the majority of my first project.

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

I’d love to be a creative director and help other artists in some capacity! Or a hairdresser. I’m shockingly good at hair. Anything that lets me create freely would be a dream.

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

The past was too traumatizing, so I’ll say the future haha. Also, I’m really nosey so I want to be ahead of the curb.

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

Don’t date him. Don’t date anyone until you’re 25 honestly.

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 think like every other artist, I hope people can still connect and feel something when they listen to my music years down the line. I want to be remembered as someone who represented my city and my culture, and if I’m lucky, I’ll have said and done enough of the right thing that they know my heart.

Siren is out now via XO Records/Republic Records. Find out more information here.

Uproxx Music 20: Odeal Confesses The ‘Thoughts I Never Said’ With Nobility On His Emotive EP

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Odeal press image 2024
Aaron Paul Walker

One of the most fascinating things about Odeal is the diversity of his cultural background. The 23-year-old singer was born in Germany and spent time in Nigeria, Spain, and the UK over the years. In turn, that granted Odeal an artistic palette that many would dream of. He’s collaborated and excelled with UK artists like Nines and Enny. The same goes for afrobeats artists like Gabzy. Odeal proved that he could wear many hats and wear them well. Additional proof of that can be found in his 2023 EP Thoughts I Never Said.

Released back in November, the project is a 20-minute confession of the raw emotions and heart-wrenching feelings felt in romance. Overall, Thoughts I Never Said captures Odeal’s rise and fall from love to loss in a moment-by-moment account detailed through the EP’s nine songs.

It begins with “Landmine,” an enchanting intro that details the unmatched feelings he has for the significant other in his life. The EP continues with “Bedroom Weather” and “Water” which both capture the euphoric intimacy that lives between partners whose chemistry is sky-high. Odeal’s love takes a turn for the worse on “Rigamortous” and another vulnerable moment on the album is instead, now used to showcase pain and anger. By “Fine By Myself,” acceptance amid the pain has set in as Odeal finds the silver lining within rain clouds.

Just a couple of months removed from the release of Thoughts I Never Said, Uproxx caught up with Odeal to discuss how Burna Boy inspired him, a feature he needs in his career, and what he’d be doing if it weren’t for music.

What is your earliest memory of music?

My earliest memory of music would have been me listening to Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange. At the time, Facebook was prominent, and I thought, you know what? As I moved around quite a lot, I had loads of friends in different places, so I posted a video of me doing a cover of Frank Ocean’s “Thinking About You.” Once I posted it on Facebook, everyone was like, “Yo, this is crazy. You should do this more. When did you start singing?”

Who inspired you to take music seriously?

I think it was Burna Boy. I went to his first show when he came back to the UK in 2016. It was his first time back in the UK in 6 years after not being allowed to perform here for a while. He came back and did a show, and I saw how everyone came together to listen to him. Bear in mind he wasn’t the biggest Afrobeat artist at the time; it was Wizkid, Davido, and maybe some others. So, for him to come back from Nigeria, just the same way I came back from Nigeria, and then he was having an immense amount of love. I saw so many different people there to see his performance, to see everything. From that day, I was like, yeah, man, I need to take this seriously. Before that, it was just a hobby.

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

The only instrument I can play right now is my voice. I play keys, but I just figure out the chords as I go along. If I could play any instrument, I would love to know how to play the keys even better than I know how to play now.

What was your first job?

My first job was working in Subway at a highway service station.

What is your most prized possession?

My hard drives and my laptop.

What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear is not achieving all my dreams.

Who is on your R&B afrobeats Mt. Rushmore?

D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Brandy, and Usher.

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.

Tems, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Santi, and Rema. I’d love for it to be held in the Sphere in Las Vegas!

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

First things first, I’d have a massive breakfast. Next, I’ve been blessed with unlimited resources, so I’m praying. I’m going to give God thanks. And then, what else am I going to do? From there, I think I’m going to chill, taking in the scenery in my huge kitted-out house somewhere in Spain. I’ll hop on a private jet because I want to hop on a private jet. I’ve always wanted to. Eat fried rice from this spot in Ghana that I love. So, I’ll have fried rice from Ghana on the plane.

We’re going to take the jet to Tanzania. We’re going to take the private jet to Tanzania where I’ll get on an island where there’s like lunch or dinner prepared, then I’d have a studio session in a hut on an island. For the rest of the evening, soak in the scenery and make crazy music! And then sleep in a huge, you know, them extra-large king-size bed I want to sleep in. That’s how the day ends.

What are your three most used emojis?

😂🙏🏾😔

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

Tems.

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

Power, as I’d like to see how serious I could be in it, and it’s an all-time great series for me. Sex Education – I feel like the chaos of the school matches the energy that I’ve got.

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

Vince Staples, he doesn’t care, and Odumodublvck matches that energy as well.

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

I genuinely haven’t missed in my music. Ever. I don’t think I’m missing any time soon!

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

“Rock My World” by Michael Jackson. The lyrics, melody, and feel of the record speak to my inner soul!

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?

My favorite city I have performed in is London, and I’m very excited to perform in Lagos, Nigeria.

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

I’d be a film director. Or a creative director. Or a fashion designer.

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

I’ll go into the future. See the future, yeah? Yeah. And why? Because I want to prepare myself. For good, for the bad, the ugly. At least if I know, I can, like, just prepare myself for what’s about to come.

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

I would say, it’s going to work out, just stay consistent.

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’d like to be remembered as someone who brought different kinds of people together, music-wise. I want to be remembered for having made people’s favorite songs in my lifetime.

Thoughts I Never Said is out now via OVMBR. Find more information here.

Uproxx Music 20: Samaria Begins Her Brightest Chapter Yet With ‘Even Paradise Rains’

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Samaria 2024 Press Photo
Ryder

Samaria’s music presents a layer of vulnerability that, though thick, allows listeners to see and feel all the pain, joy, and everything in between that exists in her life. For the pain, look no further than her 2022 EP Didn’t Start With You. Her struggles in love are showcased with raw emotion through the project’s six songs as she details how failed love rocked her world. “I was purposely isolating myself from everyone so that I wouldn’t accidentally take my pain out on the wrong people,” she said at the time. “I didn’t even want to make music.”

Thankfully, the Bay Area-born singer chose to press onward, and with that comes the optimism for the future that healing from the past provides. The departure from pain and the subsequent journey towards joy live on Samaria’s new EP, Even Paradise Rains. The project marks her first release since signing a deal with RCA Records, and it grants Samaria the opportunity to start a new chapter — her brightest yet. Even Paradise Rains glimmers with the promise of better days while Samaria’s voice provides lush, velvet-like comfort as she lets go of the past in pursuit of finding the best version of herself in the future. “Best Thing For Me” details this entire process while “Forever More” highlights the search for better and “Serial Recluse” captures the departure from what once was.

Together with the upcoming release of Even Paradise Rains, Uproxx caught up with Samaria to chat about her first job at In-N-Out, her biggest fear, and her love for SZA and Euphoria in our debut Uproxx Music 20 Q&A.

What is your earliest memory of music?

Being in the car with my dad when I was a kid, he turned on “Where I Wanna Be” by Donell Jones. It was my first time hearing it and I really wanted to impress him, so I started singing along with the hook. He looked back at me from the driver’s seat with a proud look on his face, turned the music down, and told me to sing it louder. That was the first time I think my dad realized I actually had a voice. It’s a cool memory that stuck with me.

Who inspired you to take music seriously?

My grandma, nobody’s ever pushed me to be great like she did.

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

The piano & the basics of guitar. I’m super rusty. The goal this year is to pick the guitar back up.

What was your first job?

In-N-Out Burger in San Francisco when I was 16. They’re super strict about not having tattoos, so I hid my finger tattoo, but a coworker saw it a few weeks later and ratted on me to the manager. Shortest job I’ve ever had.

What is your most prized possession?

My grandmother’s ring. I’ve kept it with me since she passed.

What is your biggest fear?

It used to be failing and having everyone laugh at me. Life taught me that failure is inevitable, and I’ve had people laugh at me, it’s actually not so bad. Now, my biggest fear is dying before I get the chance to see my dreams come to fruition.

Who is on your R&B Mt. Rushmore?

Lauryn Hill, Frank Ocean, SZA, and Shiloh Dynasty.

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.

Frank Ocean, SZA, Shiloh Dynasty, Lauryn Hill, and Labrinth. I’d hold it in Hawaii and make it a secret location on the island. You’d have to be formally invited and flown out like in the Scooby Doo movie.

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

I’m throwing the biggest beach bonfire/surf party with unlimited BBQ. I’m hiring ocean waiters to bring food out to those of us waiting on set waves – to hand feed us so we don’t have to get out of the water.

What are your three most used emojis?

🥹🤙🏾🐚

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

SZA. For sure. I can retire a happy camper. That pen is just… vicious. The only artist that makes me push myself to write better.

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

Euphoria, obviously. It’s just shot so beautifully, and I think I could match the energy of the show. It would feel natural.

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

Beyoncé. She does her job with love and care then she lives her life in privacy to protect her peace and the things that she worked hard to build.

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

The fact that nobody on this earth is responsible for your happiness, no matter how much you may love each other, nobody can give you that satisfaction but you.

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

The answer to this question is constantly ever-changing… Right now it’s “Bleed” by Kid Laroi. Next week it’ll be something different.

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?

Right now, it’s Philly and Toronto! I’ve never had that type of love shown they have my heart forever. I really want to perform in the UK. Anywhere in the UK would be sick, sick.

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

Definitely starting a family and raising my kids in Hawaii, surfing every day. Also, would be acting, that’s a big dream of mine.

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

Five years into the future. I’m a super impatient person so I need to make sure all this work I’m putting in is going to pay off.

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

Stop trippin’. Everything’s gonna be aight kid.

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’d like to be remembered as the artist who healed all the broken hearts when the world needed her most. I’d also hope that the young producers in 2050 sample me like crazy.

Even Paradise Rains is out 1/12 via RCA Records. Find out more information here.