FEATURED ARTIST *Obeeyay * - SINGLE REVIEW + INTERVIEW
FEATURED ARTIST
Obeeyay
Utah, United States
BACKGROUND
Oba Bonner, better known as artist Obeeyay, is Utah’s diamond ring of the local music scene. Combining electronic dance beats with soulful lyricism, Obeeyay is has been described as “Khalid and Cautious Clay meets Sean Kingston.” Oba “Obeeyay” Bonner has all the makings of a star: talent, charisma, energy, ambition. Yet it’s his hard-earned wisdom—an inner strength running just below his bubbly surface—that ties everything together for the Utah native. Pairing pinpoint beats with velvety vocals and a sharp pop sensibility, Obeeyay is in it for gold, too: “Success to me is the #1 spot,” he says. “Nothing below it.” He took his first stride toward that top spot with his single “Make You Mine”, his debut for Wonderwild Records. The follow-up single, “Winnin’,” is the title single from Obeeyay’s new EP, released on March 4th.An experienced studio engineer with high-tech music industry skills, Obeeyay is now ready for his solo close-up, slipping seamlessly between hip-hop, and pop. Lead single “Let ‘m Know” leaps from synth-wave to drill-inspired drum kicks, laying out a case for Obeeyay as a multi dimensional talent capable of crooning and rapping. On “Make You Mine,” Obeeyay flashes a vulnerable side – he paints the picture as if he’s waiting at this party for the girl of his dreams to arrive while aching to “blend into the wall” until she “walks in all alone.”. ‘Hard’ is the fourth and final single from Obeeyay’s new EP 'Winnin’.' It’s a song about throwing caution to the wind and loving someone to the max, all while living lavishly–with no regrets.
REVIEW
'Hard' really took me by surprise from the first beat. Obeeyay has a sound that is incredibly similar to Khalid - and as one of my favorite artists I was sold right from the start. The track starts with a solid pop introduction and the minute we hear Obeeyay's vocals we hear his soulful love for what he does. His singing style varies from pop to rap in this track which offers something that keeps us interested throughout the whole duration. The mix in tempo creates an RNB/Pop/Rap fusion. This is a track that needs to go viral for sure. I'm really looking forward to watching this artists' journey, I think he's going to blow and fast! The quality of all the components are not just solid but are great! I don't have a single piece of constructive criticism for this artist - One thing I'd add though, he really needs to go get his face into all the places he wants to be to create the life that he truly deserves because he is great! I know that his network and support are strong but I want to see this artist bigger, stronger, and most importantly HEARD! I know I'll have this track on repeat for a long time. Click the link below to make sure you've got him covered. Go show him some much deserved support.
INTERVIEW
What would be your ultimate achievement for your latest single? Is there a particular vision that you had when putting the song together?
The ultimate achievement would be to inspire others do go hard especially when doubters multiply against you. I wrote this song at a time when people didn’t believe in the vision I had with the girl I was dating at the time. They didn’t like her vibe and didn’t like that I was with her. But at the end of the day, it was my decision, so I wanted to prove everyone wrong and make moves that would put me and her at the top. Nobody could tell me different. So this song was really for them, sort of a “i don’t care, we’re still gonna do what we want” song.
What do "no regrets" look like to you?
No regrets is giving it your very best through adversity and struggle. It’s capitalizing on every opportunity given you. Not letting little things bother and block you from what’s meant to be yours. I think sometimes it’s so easy to slack off on things that don’t seem important, but at the end of the day, time won’t wait up, so it’s important to do all the small things that’ll soon turn into a big deal.
When did you first realise that you had the potential to be an artist? Is there a memory that has stuck in your mind as the turning point for you?
When I was a child my parents moved up to New York, and took me and my older 2 sibblings with. When I lived there, I decided to audition for Apollo Ameteur Night and got in! I ended up winning this competition twice in a row! This is when I realized I enjoyed singing and performing and didn’t suck. My 4th grade class came out to support and I’ll never forget that experience. Another one was when I was in 1st grade, my teacher took just me to different classes and had me sing in front people I didn’t know, just out of the blue. It was like I was on tour or something, crazy.
How would you define your sound?
A good time
Cubase, Protools, or neither?
I was like raised on pro tools haha so this question is obvious.
This might be a tricky one but Studio vs Live - Which do you prefer and why?
I like both. In the studio you can try out things and mess up and it’s cool. You can literally make mistakes and see what works best for your vocals. Different riffs, melodies, and lyric. With live, you can’t mess up, what’s done is done, but you got fans in front of you who want to vibe with you and want to live your journey also. The thought and feeling of me getting to share what I’ve worked so hard in the studio on with them is amazing. And that’s literally the best of both worlds.
If you had the opportunity to work with one of your favorite musical artists, who would you most like to collaborate with and why?
Will.I.Am. I feel like he changed the game for music with BEP and raised the torch of a fresh sound.
What are your future plans? What can we look forward to for the rest of 2022?
New music and more concerts! I hope to catch everybody at one. Make sure to follow me on instagram for updates and continue to listen to my EP “Winnin’” that just dropped.