From first rising to prominence with his feature on Drake’s 2020 tune “Chicago Freestyle” to later collaborating with other major artists like Justin Bieber, Givēon and his velvety, signature baritone voice have undoubtedly become a breath of fresh air in the music industry.
In a new interview with HuffPost, the seven-time Grammy nominee and R&B sensation opened up about facing anxiety after taking a few years off in between his 2022 debut album “Give or Take” and his sophomore album “Beloved,” which was released last week.
Givēon dropped the project’s lead single “Twenties” in March, and the song quickly skyrocketed up to the No. 6 spot on the Hot R&B Songs list.
Despite the album already deeply resonating with fans on social media for its heartfelt storytelling, Givēon admitted that dropping “Beloved” later than most expected made him a bit apprehensive.
“But not for reasons that people might think,” he began. “I think the anxiety [came] from just the place of the [album] release schedule that other artists are on.”
“Sometimes you feel the need to adapt to their schedules, but … anxiety is really just a fear of tomorrow,” he continued.
Givēon’s 14-track album “Beloved,” an R&B journey through love and growth and a classy ode to ’70s R&B with its own unique flavor, is more than just music; it’s a representation of the songwriter himself.
“My music is the equivalent to me releasing my journal. So it’s like if someone is journaling, I think those are the most vulnerable moments,” he explained. “But those aren’t all of their moments. [For example], if I read someone’s journal, yes, I’ll have a layer of them that I’ll understand, but I wouldn’t say that’s them all of the time, it’s just their most vulnerable moments. [My music] is a part of me, but it’s not my day to day.”
While comparing “Give or Take” to “Beloved,” Givēon revealed what he hopes his fans will gain from listening to his latest project.
“If I had to compare the two … it’s just been a lot of growth [in between the albums], I think just as a person and as an artist. The biggest difference is that ‘Beloved’ … like 98% of it is analog; it’s all played live. That, in itself, just takes a certain type of artist,” he said. “You have to understand how to communicate with the musicians … your vocal process can’t be too perfect or too tight, otherwise it comes off [like] karaoke.”
Explaining that he used to “sing about flaws in a perfect way,” he shared that on his new album, he’s now “singing about flaws in a flawed way.”
Givēon said he hopes “Beloved” can “move the [R&B] genre forward” because the soulful style of the music “sometimes gets [placed] into certain pockets.”
“The album is very much me expanding on the influences that I grew up with…but in my own way, though. Not just like karaoke or cosplay,” he said. “My hope is just to move the genre forward in general, because rhythm and blues sometimes gets into certain pockets where people start to disrespect it or put it in the shadows … I don’t like when that happens, and I feel like that’s when it’s time for me to drop a body of work.”
While revealing that he’s going on tour in the fall (dates have not been announced yet), the musician got candid about what he hopes his fans will experience from watching him hit the stage again soon.
“My biggest thing for the tour is to make sure it translates properly in the sense of all the emotions you felt when you listened to the body of work … to make sure that the live show translates the same way,” he said. “Because if not, it’s almost a waste.”
The album, which was recorded live, is best enjoyed in a concert setting, according to the singer.
“I just wanna say to anyone who enjoys the album on wax or digitally … the tour is just a different experience because you can actually feel the textures [of the music] instead of just hearing it,” he continued. “So it’s just different, it’s almost like a [theater] play because you can see and feel everything … if you like this album, you have to [see it performed] live.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Givēon went on to credit his mom for helping him reach global stardom.
“Anything I do musically, I credit it back to my mom, even if it is indirectly, [because] my taste in music comes from the type of music she used to play around the house and what my grandparents would play on vinyl when she was growing up,” he explained.
“My hope is just to move the genre forward in general, because rhythm and blues sometimes gets into certain pockets where people start to disrespect it or put it in the shadows.”
– Givēon
Givēon, who recently partnered with Chime for its “Mama I Made It” YouTube series, shared that not only did his mom, Pearl, influence his suave sound, she also instilled important values in him about working hard that helped him go from humble beginnings to an adored superstar.
“My mom always said ‘if you succeed, it’s on you; if you fail, it’s on you,’” he said. “She gave me an appreciation for money. I’m not the most materialistic guy, but she gave me an appreciation for things that I would buy … I didn’t come from a [wealthy] family where we [constantly got new clothes and shoes]. So I think that indirectly teaches you about money and about how you should take care of the things you buy.”
While discussing his partnership with Chime, a financial technology company, Givēon spilled the beans about how much money he’s ever spent on a date.
“The most I’ve ever spent on a date that wouldn’t be considered a vacation … just like a simple dinner or something, was like $400 or $500.”
Givēon, who’s currently single, wrapped up the interview by revealing what his ideal date would be.
“So, dates are funny … I like to do curated and pretentious things, but I’m also from east side Long Beach, California, so sometimes I just wanna go [eat] at, like, Gus’s Fried Chicken,” he said, referring to the fast-food chain.
Adding that there are “layers” to him, Givēon said, “And I think anyone who doesn’t have those layers or duality, I wouldn’t even want to date them.”
“Beloved” is out now on Spotify, Apple Music and all other music streaming platforms.
Content shared from www.huffpost.com.