Singer-songwriter and producer Gidi releases his new single “Damned” (feat. Jonah Mutono). Produced in collaboration with Liam Barr Jones & Thorington, the track is a heart wrenching alternative R&B anthem that shows off the young talent’s shocking vocal range and immersive writing. An ethereal intro by Chloe George leads into Gidi’s stunning falsetto chorus which floats seamlessly over the top of stadium-ready R&B drums & nostalgic blues guitar licks.
He mentions, “Damned is the song I’ve always dreamed of making. I pulled from my biggest inspirations, the likes of Prince, Kanye West, D’Angelo, and Frank Ocean, and created a sonic landscape that I think can be the future of pop music. At its core though, it’s the most original and honest reflection of myself to date, and further establishes my ambitious creative vision.”.
What’s your story as an artist?
I loved music my whole life but I only started making it about two years ago. At my high school in Baltimore, I used to be a part of a chorus group but it was more so a thing where my friends were in it so I was in it. Because we were singing a lot of older, more classical songs that didn’t fit my voice, I thought I couldn’t sing. But after a while I couldn’t ignore a growing, underlying desire to be an artist, so a year after I graduated high school, I moved to Los Angeles and started making music. These past two years have been a blur. I’ve been so focused and tunnel visioned that I haven’t been able to process what has been going on. But also it’s been nurturing and incredibly rewarding, forget from a notoriety standpoint, but from an internal development perspective.
What do you want your music to communicate?
I always want my music to be rooted in reality. I can appreciate the romanticized coming of age story but I want to speak on the harsh realities of growing up in a unfathomably complex world. Rather than my music being an escape, I would love for it to help my listeners face their problems and provide any sort of guidance they may need. I hope that my honesty & transparency translates and provides comfort for those who need it. And also I want my music to show people to never allow someone else to decide your ceiling & box you in. Despite how I carry myself, look like, where I’m from, how new I am to making music — no one can tell me that I won’t be the greatest to do it. I want my music to make people feel invincible.
What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?
All things existential & any matters of soul — every album though I deep dive into a specific concept under those parameters. Also my mum fuels a lot of my songwriting.
Who is an artist that you look up to more than others?
Narrowing it down to just 1 artist is so hard for me because there’s like 10 of them who were very formative for me!! But I’ll get it down to 4 — Prince, Frank Ocean, Kanye West, and The Weeknd. Prince for refusal to conform & for his glamor, Frank for doing things on his own terms (& for making my favorite music ever), Kanye for his visionary mind and unapologetic passion, and The Weeknd for being an Ethiopian icon who followed his dreams and didn’t let antiquated cultural restrictions stop him from becoming the biggest pop artist in the world. Also all 4 of them are incredible at executing eras.
What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?
Frank & Abel. I started listening to them when I was 11 so I fully grew up on them. Even though it took me forever to fully realize it, they started the process.
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about.
“Damned” is a song about maintaining & breaking trust in a world where you don’t have much reason to trust in the first place. It’s the continuation of my last single “Tendencies”, stemming from the same breakup I went through at the end of last year. Like most of my songs, “Damned” is pure catharsis. Inspired and going through it, I randomly came up with the chorus. I recorded it, then took it to my co-producers Liam Barr Jones & Thorington. We produced the instrumental around the acapella vocals that same day. When I wrote the intro of the song, I always imagined an amazing female vocalist singing it, so when I met Chloe George it was a blessing and she was the perfect person to sing it. I’d been a fan of Jonah Mutono’s since the beginning of the pandemic so I was so honored when he said he wanted to be on the song. I spent so much time in post-production on this song trying to perfect it, but I’m so excited with how it turned out. It’s real arena R&B!
What inspires your sound?
Every album/era in very different; one album I may be inspired by the energy of Abbey Road and another album I may be inspired by what Nigerian disco artists were doing in the 80s.
What’s your favorite tune of yours?
That’s fucked up, that’s like asking which of my grandmas do I like more hahaha. It’s too many good ones to pick from cause I have loads of unreleased chunes but I really do love “Damned”. Sonically it’s the record I’ve always wanted to make — it has the blues guitars, strong pop structure, 90s R&B inspired drum pattern, and a huge sounding chorus (all things I lose my mind over when I hear other artists do).
What are some things you really want to accomplish?
First priority is taking care of my family. Nothing matters more than that. But, I want to push pop music forward, open more doors for people to become superstars through their own unique identity & ideas. Imagine if a song like “Damned” went number 1, it would change everything. I plan on getting to the top without compromising my vision or my moral compass. So many people say to me “you have to be unethical to get to the top” & to that I just say just because it hasn’t happened before doesn’t mean it can’t happen ever!! Also music is very much a piece of the puzzle but not the whole puzzle, I do all of the creative direction for my artist project, that includes directing videos, designing clothes, graphic designing, etc.. Just like I do with my music, I’m going to try to be the best director and designer that I possibly can be. Outside of the art world, I have a lot of ideas for 20 to 30 years in future regarding new forms of education, amongst other things. But that’s not ready to be elaborated on hahahah.
Favorite lyric you ever wrote?
It’s between, “Sinning world, over indulgent in this hell. It’s all just enemies, despondent memories.” and “If knowledge is wealth then I’m broke as hell, so tell me what to do — but only time will tell”.
Was there ever a moment when you felt like giving up?
Hell nawwwwwwww!!
What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
In my junior year of high school, my AP literature teacher, Mr. Dagenais (a man who changed my life and helped form me into the person I am today), told me that i was waxing poetic too much and that my voice was being lost in the essays that I was writing. He taught how to write conversationally & bluntly yet beautifully and that has 1000% translated into how I write my songs.
Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?
Right here — my friends & I are going to light the world on fire and it’s going to be a beautiful sight <3
