- Words Daisy Ayscough
Returning from his hiatus, we chat to Brandz about his rise to success: from his genre-defying sound to new single 'Lost Feelings'.
Brandz is swiftly emerging as a prominent voice in contemporary music. Hailing from North London, and drawing inspiration from the city’s music scene from an early age. Freshface Brandz has already earned some star-studded accolades, sharing the stage with the likes of Cardi B and Tion Wayne. The multifaceted artist has a bright future ahead and is gearing up for his busiest year yet.
Brandz’s sound resonates with a wide audience. He seamlessly blends Afrobeats, Amapiano, R&B, hip-hop, and rap inspirations to forge a distinct sonic identity. With a talent for poignant lyricism and composition, he crafts a versatile soundscape that traverses infectious dance beats to emotionally charged depths.
After a two-year hiatus, Brandz returns with his latest single ‘Lost Feelings,’ showcasing his ability to transcend genres and layer sounds to create his trademark tapestry of music. A pulsating track with an energetic cadence, complemented by raw emotional storytelling. It holds the potential to become a defining anthem of the summer. To celebrate the release, we caught up with Brandz to delve into his music influences and even chat about his dream video game cameo.
Hey Brandz, let’s start by talking about how you first got into music. Who inspired you to make music, and what’s your earliest music memory?
I remember being around 2 years old in the year 2000, at my father’s house in Nigeria. We had some neighbours, three girls who were around my brother’s age (four years older), who would constantly listen to the MTV music channel. I remember one song in particular, Aaliyah’s ‘More Than a Woman.’ The melodies, harmonies, & music video stuck with me… till today. The autonomy, the rhythm and core talent inspired me heavily.
Your latest single, ‘Lost Feelings,’ is a vibrant journey through danceable beats, bursting with texture, at its core is a sincere message of letting go and self-acceptance. Can you tell us more about the inspiration for the single and what you learned in the process of making it?
It is a juxtaposition of such a bumpy dance-led instrumental with lyrics of which portray otherwise. It’s definitely self-acceptance throughout the record. It was really just me having fun tapping into my songwriting bag, although the whole song was free-styled. I wanted to show people I can indeed hop on anything and to show people it’s okay to lose feelings and celebrate it. Not all losses are losses!
‘Lost Feelings’ is the perfect soundtrack to kick off summer 2024. What else is on your summer 2024 playlist?
Right now, I’ve got Future’s new albums in heavy rotation. I’m also loving Tems music too, so they are both on the playlist for sure.
So, you’re releasing new music after a two-year hiatus, how does it feel putting something new into the world? Has your creative process changed at all?
It’s been a minute honestly, going and growing through the scene for the most part. Beautiful, however, there are some negatives. Being able to come out on top of them every time is my flex and I’m finally back actively dropping music which feels second to none. My creative process hasn’t changed much, it’s more so just my environment (with me always abroad). Also practice makes perfect so I can only say I’ve got better within the innovation aspect and process.
With such a broad range of references in your music, transcending genres from Afrobeats to rap, who are your main influences across your work?
Really good question, there are so many, for so many different reasons but off of my head… I’d say Aaliyah, Drake, PnD (PartyNextDoor), Outkast, Joe, Jon B in no particular order.
You’ve collaborated with UK rapper and singer Zie Zie. Do you have any upcoming collaborations, and is there an artist you would love to collab with in the future?
Yeah, there’s loads more artists I’ve been featured with or about to work with, majority of whom I’ve built relationships with over the years. I’ll give you 2 features I’m excited for this year, Russ Millions and Kelvyn Colt. I’m open to collaborating with anyone as long as it makes sense.
Your music has been featured in Video games such as NBA2K21, if you could choose one game to feature your music, what would it be?
FIFA for sure… That’s what I grew up on, if you’re from the UK you already know how influential that game was/is for the majority. It would be an honour.
Your single, ‘Intro (Real Love)’ featuring Zion Foster, has almost 100 million streams. What did you learn about yourself while creating that track? Did you ever think it would blow up the way it has?
That came about through her UK booking agency at the time, I received an email and boom, it was real. This showed me that live shows really do help engage with the consumer/supporters: for them to see you IRL.
What’s next for Brandz? Are there any exciting projects on the horizon this year?
I’m dropping the most I ever have this year… So be expecting at least 2 projects, many features (worldwide) and singles and tours galore!