Revival Single From Sydney's St. Humain Titled "Sick Sad Love Song"

St. Humain is a Singapore born, Sydney based singer, songwriter and producer whose music is a delicious amalgam of sounds and stories. The genre-agnostic artist blends pop and electronic with a healthy dose of R&B, to create something which is comfortably familiar, yet alluringly unknown. St. Humain strives to represent the everyday person, delivering honest and relatable songs which speak about his own battles and looks to explore the emotions that make us human.

Having released his debut EP, EMOTIONAL SAUNA, in 2019 with Capitol Records, to the acclaim of Billboard, Live Nation’s Ones to Watch and Earmilk, to name a few, St. Humain suddenly came to a halt during the pandemic. Taking some time to recalibrate, he is now ready to unveil a new body of work, entering with a whole new chapter. “Sick Sad Love Song” is the first single to be released off of his upcoming EP, METADRAMATIC. Self-written and self-produced, with mixing by Simon Cohen (Justin Bieber, Masked Wolf) and mastering by Dale Becker (Lauv, Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, Snoh Aalegra), the track pays homage to his love of pop and R&B, inspired by artists like Troye Sivan, Olivia Rodrigo and H.E.R..

“Sick Sad Love Song’ is a song about not going to the prom for a date… But to sing at it. It’s a song about not fitting in. The songwriter confides, “The song’s backdrop is (loosely) my high school prom where I didn’t really wanna go for the social aspect but I just really wanted to perform. Which I did, in a cover band with some of my friends whom I was in a band with at that time.” The track takes various “standard” scenarios and twists them around, making it an odd approach to what normally is standard practice: Riding shotgun in a prom car instead of driving a date, singing at the prom instead of simply attending and heartbreak when there on a date. It’s a mix of real and made-up scenarios that paint the emotions of being someplace but not actually being included — life on the periphery. The narrative behind “Sick Sad Love Song” echoes the style of emotional storytelling which will be seen throughout the entirety of METADRAMATIC.

Sonically, the track emits a feel-good, dance-worthy feeling. St. Humain’s distinct, falsetto vocals dance atop the throbbing bass and soaring synths as the track builds into an explosive chorus.

This new chapter for St. Humain is also accompanied by the arrival of his new merch brand, Emotional Sauna. Named after his debut EP, the brand will offer pieces that allow our minds to escape into an aesthetic. It’s pro escapism, by St. Humain: Each future release will be paired with a line of merch to compliment the unique “world” of that song. With limited runs and small batches that will never be reprinted, the musician is offering entirely exclusive pieces.

Hoping to aid Asian representation in the music industry as well, St. Humain wants to prove that the dreams of a boy from the small country of Singapore aren’t just dreams. Having racked up over a million streams to date for his music, it’s looking like he is on the right path.

What’s your story as an artist?

I love music and when it came to me putting out my own, at first I just wanted an outlet to express myself so I started writing songs. Soon I realised that I can use songs to talk about emotional things that maybe I wouldn’t necessarily be able to in real life. Life is a crazy place and now I just hope that my songs can connect with other people to make us all feel human.

What inspired this last release?

My latest single “Sick Sad Love Song” is based on my high school prom experience — I just wanted to sing at it, not just go for the social side of things, ha. It’s about feeing special since you’re singing at the prom, but also an outcast because you’re technically not really involved with everyone else.

Do you get inspired by other art forms?

Definitely!! I love clothes and fashion and it’s been a big week with the sad news of Virgil Abloh’s passing. I feel like how things look, feel, and smell so inspiring. You can create your own world and that’s exactly what I’m doing with my brand Emotional Sauna which I can’t wait to reveal soon! (http://instagram.com/emotionalsauna, http://facebook.com/emotionalsauna)

Any funny anecdotes from the time you were recording or writing this?

When I was writing “Sick Sad Love Song”, part of it was me actually house sitting for my friend who was away, and looking after his dog Daisy. I’m not sure if I have the video of me writing it anymore but she was definitely in the background running around haha!

What’s your favorite place or environment to write?

My home studio, after dark. Hands down. Comfort is king.

What’s a record that shaped your creativity?

SO. MANY. But most recently… The latest H.E.R. album “Back of My Mind”. So freaking good.

Who is an artist or band you look up to today?

My friends will laugh at me again but I just think Ariana Grande’s got it. Actually listening to her now as I write this… Not guilty.

What excites you the most about what you do ?

When a stranger loves the music. That does it for me.

What is your view on genres and music styles since you mix a lot of them in your music?

This is a good question actually. I think there has to be a huge amount of respect and homage to the past and origins of music styles, and at the same time also a bravery to forge your own path. You gotta learn from the past but innovate into the future. I think the new Silk Sonic album did this so damn well, musically it’s a classic but the songwriting? It’s current. Genius.

What does music and art mean to you?