Filipino-Singaporean contemporary R&B singer-songwriter Josh Makazo launched his single “Hours” from his upcoming album “Ultraviolet.”
Notably, the self-produced artist ranked No. 2 “Most-Viewed Artist” on TikTok in Singapore last 2023 and is one of the region’s most exciting breakout artists of 2024.
In an interview with Music Geek, Josh described himself as reserved, particularly in his early teens sharing, “Music is the only language that gets me out of my shell. The ability to connect cultures, people, and stories through a simple rhythm is incredible.”
Josh took inspiration from renowned artists Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, and The Weeknd.
“As I grow into recognizing my identity as an artist-music producer, I’ve learned to take inspiration from things closer to my heart and my soul,” he added.Additionally, when asked what first attracts him when listening to ask, he admitted that the instrumental captures his attention first.
“Since I’m a producer first, I always feel attracted to a song’s instrumental and its ability to convey a feeling. When that feeling matches the lyrics, it’s a perfect combination,” he said.
Earlier this year, he released the deluxe version of his first album, “Gradient.” Impressively, the album successfully garnered global attention, particularly his song “Half of My Heart,” with almost 8 million streams as of writing.
Sharing how grateful he was for the support for his craft, he disclosed the backstory of the episode, “I created more than half of my album during my military service in Singapore, and during a training exercise was the first time one of my songs went viral on social media.”
In line with this, he selected “Gradient” as the track that greatly influenced him as an artist.
“It was my first attempt as an artist to create something that intruded the unwanted wonders of my mind,” he mentioned.
Further noting that before creating the song, he only composed flashy rap and dark R&B songs.
“It marked the first introspective track that eventually caused me to write ‘Half of My Heart’ and even ‘Hours,'” shared Josh.
Consequently, with “Hours” being the first single for the upcoming album, “Ultraviolet,” he recounted the moments while preparing.
“One thing you will hear a lot are retro synths and driving basses, and this general direction gave me the blueprints for ‘Hours’ on the production front,” he said.
Describing his creative process, he revealed that composing music is also a form of journaling his thoughts and decisions. Moreover, he aims to bring solace to his listeners.
“It’s exciting to be in the process of creating this universe for my listeners, in which we can escape reality together, but I hope that my storytelling and lyrics can provide the simple feeling of comfort in the real world we all share.”
The singer-producer is also profoundly involved in creating the visualizers saying, “Innately, I have always had an attraction to strong visual aesthetics and its ability to evoke emotion, and I wanted to implement those principles in my recent and upcoming works. I wanted to create this out-of-this-world experience for my listeners.”
Specifically, he named Blade Runner, Akira, and Black Mirror as some of his visual inspirations.
After being named one of the region’s most exciting breakout artists of 2024, the musician expressed, “I’m very excited to keep up the pace of what I established last year, but this year is an opportunity to showcase more of what’s in store.”
In addition, Josh humbly shared that everyone has their definition of a successful musician. Nevertheless, he claimed, “Success would mean nothing to me without being successful with the people I most care about.”
Meanwhile, the artist revealed that he will visit Cebu by the end of the year.
“Every time I visit relatives, I’m suddenly singing at a bar or a karaoke machine, so maybe I’ll stop by Manila to do the same. In all seriousness, I would love to perform in Manila when I do have the chance,” the singer mentioned.
Josh also announced that listeners can anticipate the next wave of new songs soon, stating, “Be sure to watch the “Hours” music video to keep updated.”Read more about Josh Makazo below:
Which artists influenced your sound?
Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, and The Killers.
What are your Top 3 songs at the moment?
Armageddon, Supernova, and Mine, all by Aespa. I’m in my K-pop era.
What’s the best advice you’ve received from someone in the music industry?
Don’t try to be someone you’re not.
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