Atlanta's newest singer-songwriter is bringing a new meaning to the word 'popstar' as he navigates around the new era of music streaming. Born and raised in Central New Jersey, Lánre began his music career at age 10 when he attended a music school classically trained in vocal performance. From then on, he continued performing in off-broadway musical productions and local festivals in Atlanta when his family moved south during his sophomore year of high school in 2008
Lánre's artistry promotes a sense of nostalgia akin to the era of pre-streaming pop stars like Michael Jackson, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, and Chris Brown, which he frequently lists as significant influences on his music and look.
Taking in the vibrant mid-tempo R&B vibrations that are reiterated in his latest single, "LA," Lánre powerfully emits heartrending tenors that caress our ears as we delve deep into this composition.
With instrumentation that has us experiencing the rollercoaster ride of emotion professed, we get to tap into the peaks and valleys served up by the infectious grooves residing in "LA." Through tightly knit percussion patterns and a fusion of groove fueled bass riffs, the enticing factor that's laced into this dreamy soundscape complement that robust vocal performance of Lánre in an impeccable manner. His vocal range is effortlessly executed as he hits each note with passion and poise.
Allowing us to escape reality for the brief moments of "LA" Lánre has us fixated on lyrical motifs such as 'remember all those nights you were laying by my side and dreams got you so excited.' Fueled by passion and the longing to make us feel each word he charismatically sings, the bright-eyed persona of Lánre is conveyed through "LA."
There's little left to the imagination when you take in a Lánre masterpiece. Guiding you through his memorable soundscapes with ease and grace, the magnetic appeal of Lánre becomes more apparent with each song released.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Lánre, and congratulations on releasing your latest single, "LA." We love how you give the genre of Pop your exclusive R&B twist. How did your unique sound come to you? Was this always the genre that you would create in?
Thank you! We're really proud of LA. We just crossed 10k streams and are so happy with the reception it's been getting. My producers Keychange and Mileage played the beat for me way back in April, and I was hooked after hearing the first few seconds of it. It had a lot of buildups and come-downs that drew me in immediately, and I knew there was an interesting story to tell there. I've never written a pop ballad like LA before, so it was a challenge for me creatively to make sure all the sounds fit together. But once the melody came to me, the song pretty much wrote itself from that point.
Could you please take us into the creative journey that brought "LA" to life? What was the moment that inspired this concept?
I came up with the concept for LA in 2020 way before I even met the song's producers. At the time, I was thinking about people I used to be close to who've moved to new cities and are obsessed with their new lives. The original song I wrote on the piano was called 'NY Aint the World', and it was pretty much about me missing those people who were so special to me. Fast forward to 2021, when I heard the LA beat for the first time, I knew it was the perfect fit for that song concept. But with LA, I put myself in the shoes of the person who moved away to a new city, and the person who's narrating the song isn't really a 'person.' They represent my previous life in Atlanta.
Is there a central theme, emotion, or vision that you hope your audience takes away from this record?
Yea, the most rewarding part of writing music is seeing how listeners connect with your lyrics. With LA, in particular, I wanted to remind myself to stay grounded and humble no matter where life takes me. I'm so blessed to be at a place in my career that different opportunities are bringing me to big music industry hubs like LA and NYC. As grateful as I am to be living my life-long dream of making music, there is way more to life than that. I think everybody has an 'LA,' which can be a new job, new marriage, new house, etc. While it's great to be starting a new chapter in your life, it's important not to lose yourself in the process and to remember how you got there. This doesn't mean you should be hung up on the past either. Use the lessons you've learned along the way to help guide you to your brighter future. In a nutshell, that's what I hope listeners will get out of the track after a few listens.
What's your mission statement as an artist? How do you ensure that's carried over into everything that you do?
Be true to yourself. I would get that tatted on my forehead if it would help make the point more haha Seriously, I wasted so many years of my life trying to fit in or 'prove' myself to certain people. Ironically, all I was doing was suppressing everything that actually made me cool. When I finally embraced the things that made me different, my whole life changed. It was during this time that I started writing and recording music again, and that's no coincidence. Whether I'm writing about falling in love or getting too drunk at a bar, all my songs are a peek into how I experience the world around me. And I really feel like people wouldn't gravitate towards my songs if I didn't write them from the heart. Even with my social media presence, I make it a point to be vulnerable and show the good, the bad, and the ugly, like my mental health struggles. It's important to me that my fans see all of my different sides because I want to show them that it's ok to be different and that they're not alone.
What's next for you?
I've been working on so many cool things! First, I'm honored to announce that I'm doing my first big show in my hometown of Atlanta with Breaking Sound on 12/8. Pre-sale tickets are on sale now. Trust me. You don't want to miss this; we have a really amazing show planned. This show is just the beginning, though. We're working on securing a whole bunch of live shows for the beginning of 2022! It's been a goal of mine to perform more regularly, so I'm very excited about this. I'll be doing shows in Atlanta and in a couple of other US cities that'll be announced soon, so follow my Instagram to stay updated! On top of that, I'm in the most creative place I've ever been, so I've been writing and recording new music like crazy. I've had the opportunity to work with some really talented artists lately, and my next single is going to be a smash collab project. Expect that to release early 2022! The best is yet to come, guys. I can't wait to see everyone at my shows and to hear the new music.
