Back with the second studio single, "I'M THE ONE," TT17 teams up with Mike Lozano to bring forth a song that has seen mass success from the time it was released.
Recorded in Long Beach, California, TT17 says, "It doesn't even feel real, dropping this song. I didn't think I could come up with this quality of lyrics, have this kind of vocal range, or even get in a studio and be taken seriously at the age of 18. I knew all my life I would be great and make amazing music."
Taking in the reflective soundscape for all that it's worth, we hear the significance of "I'M THE ONE" related to the styling of TT17 in a colossal manner. The resilience and charisma that he holds so well are propelled forth in this song as we get to see yet another side of his authenticity. Making music to have others relate to him is one of the qualities that make TT17 so empowering.
In "I'M THE ONE" we get to latch onto the introspective lyrical motifs that he sends spiraling through the speakers. As he raps with a distorted texture to his vocals that embeds him into the mix that much more, there's a nostalgic sense that is conjured up within us. Taking us to a place of hope, the carefully crafted words performed by TT17 have us revisiting the memories we have stored in our headspace. It's a refreshing experience to hear the progression of one's career as they advance in the music industry.
As we see TT17 evolve and the pop essence of his sound creating a unique lane for the up-and-comer, we can wholeheartedly state that "I'M THE ONE" is a breakthrough moment for him. We're ready to see what 2022 has in store for TT17, but in the meantime, we highly recommend that you add "I'M THE ONE" to your favorite playlist.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, TT17. It's a pleasure having you back to speak about "I'M THE ONE." With the passion we hear as you perform these lyrics, where did the inspiration strike for this song?
Thank you guys so much for having me back for another interview! I honestly remember every single detail about this song. I wrote and recorded it in July when I had just blown up on Spotify, I was getting settled into my job, and I was almost dating this girl. My life was amazing. I truly felt like “the one.” I jinxed myself with this song, though. I’m not kidding, literally, a week later, everything fell apart. Me and the girl “broke up” (check my interview on ‘Hard Hits’), one of my best friends from high school completely turned on me, and I fell back into depression. I was just trying to take life day by day, but it was getting really tough. July of 2021 was the best month of my life, and August of 2021 was the absolute worst month of my life. I was originally holding ‘I’M THE ONE’ until my album drops on February 4, 2022, but I dropped it as a single in September to try to get my confidence back. I would say that it sort of worked, but I still felt down every day. I faked a smile every day. Honestly, I wouldn’t say I was truly happy at all in 2021 after July ended.
How long did it take you to write this track? Did you follow the usual creative process that you craft your music with?
It’s a funny story about the writing process of this song. I wrote an entire song to the beat, and that original song ended with the same lyrics that ‘I’M THE ONE’ begins with. Literally, on my way to the studio to record the song, I tried to “copy and paste” the lyrics to send them to someone, but I accidentally pressed “cut,” so they were gone forever. I was working on that original song for about a week, but I had to quickly write new lyrics. I just looked at how much July had changed my life, and how much confidence I gained, and I free wrote from there. I had to freestyle the very last parts of the song; that’s how it got so deep in the end, with me opening up about my past suicidal thoughts, and my middle school experiences. All of that, and I still came out a winner in the end. My confidence was so high on the very last lines, “Now I’m the one, now I’m the one!”
What has been your biggest takeaway from this release? Does it tie into where you're headed as an artist?
All of my life, I’ve felt like I’m “one of one,” which could be a good and bad thing. Whether it was getting bullied in school, getting ignored by others, or even getting “fans” to come up to you in public, the attention has always been on me all of my life. I hate it and I love it. There are times when I wish that I never wanted this life, but I can’t quit now. I’m in too deep, and this release proved it. The night after I dropped ‘I’M THE ONE,’ I went to a high school football game, and around 100 people there noticed me and asked me for pictures, and even told me how much I inspire them. It’s times like that that make me want to keep going with music and to continue to be an inspiration to the younger generation. I would say that this drop 100% ties into where I’m headed as an artist. Give me 5 years, I’ll be on a world tour, influencing lives through my music. I’m one of one, and I always will be until I die.
If your fan base could take away anything from "I'M THE ONE," what would you want it to be?
I always want my fan base to be able to relate to my songs, especially this one. I consider myself one of one, but, if you think of it, everyone is. It’s just the mindset and confidence that you have to have to be successful. My friend, Andres, told me a quote that has stuck with me; “To be the best, you have to think you’re the best; and if you’re not thinking that, you’re already wrong.” One thing I’ve noticed in my 2 and a half years of making music is, anything is possible if you truly believe in yourself, and if you don’t see results right away, you are always learning, whether you are trying to or not. I didn’t see the results I wanted until the end of 2020, and I’m still not close to being satisfied with myself. One piece of advice I’ll leave with, is, don’t ever get comfortable, and always, always, always believe in yourself. You are one of one.
What's next for you?
My 3rd album, ‘Wake Me Up In Calabasas’ is set to release on February 4, 2022. I also am working on a music video for the first track off the album, ‘Change In The Room.’ For me, personally, I’m going to use the next few months to try to gain back the same happiness I had in July of 2021, but do it all on my own, and not rely on other people to make me truly happy. I also want to continue to be an inspiration to everyone around me and have a real smile on my face while doing it.
