The singer-songwriter breaks down his roots and also shares his biggest inspirations.
Brandon returns to drop his new project, Coming Clean, a stripped-down release worth paying attention to.
Throughout the compilation, there’s a looming aura of calmness found on each track. His lyricism in each song is also honest and natural. On Coming Clean, he lays his emotions on display with no barriers. The easygoing melodies on the project provide space for the singer to address lovers of the past tenderly. If we had to describe his music, we’d call it “introspective R&B.”
Brandon’s family migrated to Riverside, California from Trinidad & Tobago years ago. The suburban city outside of Los Angeles molded him into who he is today. At 16, he often felt like an outsider was bullied and chose to channel his authenticity into music. At that age, he decided to learn to play the guitar and pushed himself to excel in track. He went on to earn a college scholarship for track.
Fast forward to 2017, Brandon found himself in a vulnerable position so he leaned heavily into his music again. During this phase of his life, he mastered the guitar and taught himself how to write and produce music. In 2018, he began dropping tracks including “Fallen (Here)” and “Equinox.” Though he’s evolved since then, these two songs are the crux of what landed him where he’s at right now.
“I think where I’m from has made me strong,” he shared. “Everything combined: my family roots, where I grew up, and what I went through growing up has made me the person I’ve grown to be.”
His inspirations include titans like Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson. Lined with these driving forces, his music in his own words is a vehicle for his healing. He expresses that Coming Clean is a product that represents coming to terms “with everything that happened in his life” during a trying year in the past. Though he’s moved on, he believes it’s essential to reflect on that past season. “It’s about being able to let go of the past season of my life, and with that, move onto something new: new love, new friends, new experiences, a new outlook on life,” Brandon adds.
Coming Clean has more than one staple track. The ones we’re quite into are “Baby,” “Believe Me,” “Makeup” and “Her.” Each of these songs provides intimate images of what Brandon wants listeners to relate to, his vulnerability. The entire project is a push in the right direction as it’s beefed up with ambitious storytelling and a sound that’ll be sure to capture new fans.
“I’m happy to say that I am no longer in that space, he notes on the healing he found in recording Coming Clean. “I’m a lot better now, and I’ve grown a lot. I feel like a completely different person now.”
Stream Coming Clean below. Purchase it here.