To be honest, which I usually brutally am, I’m kind of more like… ok, let’s see. Remember I’m from NYC, so I’m a tad jaded. Also, I’ve been involved as a songwriter for so long and heard so many promises, like “This is going to be on the radio,” or “This is going to get you an award” or whatever. I’m blessed I can make music in this incarnation, so it's nice it’s out. Hopefully, I can find a booker now because I think I’m a better performer than anything else, but yeah, I feel normal. (Laughs).

I want them to feel comforted by a lesson I’m describing, or feel like, “Woah, that’s facts.” At the end of the day, we all go through the same things, ups and downs, all around. I just wanna bring comfort, realness, and vibes all with some dance energy.

Besides like three other singles, I’d say this is truly, truly me. Before I was writing more to fit with a producer somehow, but as I’ve really searched for the right people to work with and brought them back to Kapote and Toy Tonics for a family collaboration, I feel like I’m giving my most realness here

I remember it being like “damn, I’m mad good at this classical thing,” but I’m not trying to recite songs from 100 years ago for the rest of my life, I’m trying to create music and tell my story musically.

Around seven times at Radio City. I was young but that was so dope!

He told me one thing that scared me and one thing that benefitted me. The beneficial part first was, “learn how to write songs fast.” I get it, he’s coming from Boyz II Men, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey's era into modern music times, so the thing that was changing was speed. Everything was picking up, like write quickly and let’s make another vibe. The scary thing he told me when I was around 11 was like you need to get a deal before 23-26 or it’s a wrap. That played with my head, I felt like the older I got, the less time I had to make it. Thankfully, that wasn’t entirely true because when it’s your time, it’s your time.

Sure, the songs were all refined by Kapote, the founder of Toy Tonics, but before the polishing, producers Ben Badaboom and Woz 301 did like two of my favourites – the album title track and Happy Ever After. If you listen to the instrumentals, it’s so lush and just a vibe. I met them on Instagram. Then the tracks Good Thangs and Invincible were by my label mate who’s an amazing human, Sam Ruffilo. Then we got the golden child himself, the son of French legend Cerrone, Greg Cerrone, he made Too Big and Fake Love. Both have this warm pop, funk vibes which I love. Then there’s the genius German producer Zac Tannenbaum with The Formula and Magic. He and his partner Jonas Shandell collab on Magic and then Zac and I finished Magic in just two hours, post a long flight back to Berlin. In both scenarios, the sessions were fun as fuck. Zac’s a great dude. Like the others, they’re all great! I want to collaborate more with women and more producers that are people of colour, hopefully on the next one!

It would be either Magic because it’s definitely more poppy or Happy Ever After because I’m basically Draking or talk rapping the entire song, which is also out of the norm for me.

Invincible because it'd been changed so much.

Berlin is lit. Think freedom and expression, and I get Berlin. The most support I got during Covid was in Berlin, they just appreciate art and they protect it so much. Artists are the athletes of God. I know Einstein said ‘dancers’ but I think all artists, and we are all here in Berlin. It’s affordable and everyone has a bassline of music in their foundation.

I’ve just done two back-to-backs in Germany. I’m writing from Los Angeles now, I'm going to support my brother, DJ Améné, and do some live vocals at the festival Lightning In A Bottle, followed by Melt Festival. Then I need to find a booker that likes the vibe and knows where to place Kosmo! Shoutout to all the beautiful people that stream and buy the album. Shout out to all the dope producers I was privileged to work with, shout out my label right now Toy Tonics, and thanks to everyone and everything, including myself and God!