If you're looking for a catchy Canadian anthem, we have your fix with Dre Pao's playful single, "Timmies."
As an entrepreneur, influencer, and artist, Dre Pao has landed his music amongst popular radio stations across Canada, while also using his TikTok platform to review new and unique snacks for others to enjoy. Averaging a total of 2.5M views per week, it's safe to say that Dre's recent single "Timmies" puts Canada's fast-food franchise in a whole new light. A short and fun track that features Dre Pao's fun-loving delivery and playful bars surrounding the warmth of a morning coffee, or merely a day-to-day drive-through occurrence.
"Timmies" opens with the familiar voice of a drive-through worker asking for our order, while Dre Pao begins rapping that craving feeling where nothing else would satisfy him but Tim Hortons. What makes the track even more catchy and fun is the choice of beat Dre Pao decided to rap over, being Dababy's "ROCKSTAR (feat. Roddy Ricch)." While rapping about his favorite items on the menu, Dre Pao captures this entertaining atmosphere through his delivery that not only has our feet tapping but gets our stomach grumbling for a freshly baked good from none other than "Timmies."
Seeing as Dre Pao has made waves in TikTok's food industry, his single "Timmies" allows international listeners to get a feel for Canadian culture and get down with the true North's love for Tim Hortons, eh?
Hey Dre, it's so great sitting down with you at BuzzMusic. Can we start by asking what made you want to create a song that highlights your love for "Timmies?" FYI- Tim Hortons is a Canadian coffee staple, as to our Dunkin Donuts.
"Timmies" was created after a bunch of my TikTok followers requested a song about Tim Hortons. I would often post about Tims on TikTok and the comments would be filled with "Let's hear a Tims song" or "Timmies needs a theme song". I have a strong Canadian fanbase, so naturally, they connected to Tim Hortons. Of course, I am a big Timmies fan as well, so creating a song about my favorite coffee and donuts just felt right.
Why did you choose Dababy's beat to rap over with your single "Timmies"? Did you feel that the beat adds extra flavor and fun?
I wanted to create a TikTok sound that resonated with the current audience on the platform. At the time, Da Baby's "Rockstar" was the top trending song. I felt like it would be a lot of fun to put a different spin on it and sort of "Canadianize" it. It definitely adds a different flavor to the song and is a lot different from the type of music I usually create. As an artist that usually sings on Pop tracks, this was definitely outside of my comfort zone. But I feel like that's what TikTok is about - Having fun, connecting with others, and trying new things.
Seeing as you have quite the following on TikTok, how do you plan on using "Timmies" for your upcoming content? Will you create your own sound for others to use?
I definitely will use the Timmies song in future videos. It's the perfect theme song for promoting your favorite Tim Hortons' items or content that is truly Canadian. The song is actually available for anyone to use right now on the platform! It has also led to some pretty exciting sponsorships from a few Tim Hortons franchises across Canada, so Canadians will definitely be hearing the song a lot more on their For You Page.
We've noticed that you're quite the versatile creator, from TikTok, entrepreneurial endeavors, TV hosting, and more. How do all of these experiences help your music career grow and expand?
Being diverse is really important to me as a creator and I think it has really helped me build an intimate connection with my audience. Platforms like TikTok help me get to know my supporters personally and give me an opportunity to interact with them directly. Creating for different platforms showcases different sides of who I am, and I feel like this helps listeners connect with the music in a deeper way. It's just not my personality to only make music. I like doing different things and I love that we live in a generation that is accepting of multidimensional creators.
What are you doing to keep inspired and passionate throughout these tough times?
It's been a tough last few months for many and I feel like it is the job of creators to put positivity into the world. So I'm doing my best to create content that helps people escape and feel good. I'm translating this in different ways on TikTok, on Rogers TV as a host, and through the brands that I consult with Xrozs Group. Watching old concerts has been keeping me inspired creatively. I hope that we can get back to that very soon.