Curtis Waters

If indie artist Curtis Waters is anything musically, it’s brutally honest. With singles like “STAR KILLER” and “MANIC MAN," Waters explored themes of struggling with mental health, notions of grandiosity,  and reconciling his complicated multicultural identity in a  journey of self-exploration on his debut album.The artist is back with “BAD SON," a sophomore effort  that serves up a stirring, candid portrait of the pressures of fame on a young man of color, and explores how he has managed to navigate its highs and pitfalls. With raw honesty and cathartic lyrics laid over eclectic production by Waters himself, Waters examines the toll that sudden fame after an explosive TikTok hit has taken on his psyche, and how at the time people's perception of him didn't line up with his perception of himself - someone flawed and insecure, but simultaneously someone deeply confident in the art he's making everyday. This duality is evident in Waters' contrasting tracks “HIMBO” and “GOD'S LONELY MAN”, where he highlights the burden of sudden fame and the pressures to maintain it. Refreshingly authentic, Waters brings a nuanced, diverse perspective to the indie scene. 

The Nepali-born Waters achieved rapid success after his single “STUNNIN’” went viral on TikTok in 2020, which to date counts billions of streams across platforms. Waters was then covered by Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Pigeons and Planes, and quickly launched himself into collaborations with iconic artists such as Kim Petras  and renforshort. He also served as an ambassador for brands such as MCM, Mercedes, and Haagen Dazs. Following up his debut record “Pity Party” , “BAD SON”— a title that refers to Waters’ inner child— explores the dualities of fame, most prominently through two singles, “HIMBO” and “GOD'S LONELY MAN.” An energetic tune that embodies the confidence of ego-driven fame through the hedonistic and flamboyant “HIMBO” persona, Waters was inspired to create a song that was “stunning” after a trip to New York to be in a modeling campaign for MCM, one that marked the artist’s first time modeling for a brand.” Waters was struck by the house beats and sexy energy of NYC and wanted to pen something that was like “a soundtrack of me feeling good.” With “GOD'S LONELY MAN," Waters puts a different lens onto fame, one that explores the external validation that Waters received from fame and reflections on self-worth. Through the vulnerable character, Jester, Waters examines the lows of fame and walks one through the ways that the drive to succeed can leave a budding star without an anchor to who they are outside of the music world. Introspective in its tone, Waters delves into his childhood fascination with fame and expresses how his drive to achieve success in his career is impacted by that love. “ I thought that if I became famous, I’d be able to help out my family. When I was 10 and we moved to Canada, it was the typical immigrant struggle of starting from scratch when you come to a new country. I always felt this burden or pressure to make it okay and support my family.” Waters wanted to reflect on why this “desperation” is present and why he has fears of being “a normal person”, something that has always existed in his mind. Combining heavy subjects like the pressures of fame, immigration, the pressures on people of color into one record could seem like a lot, but Waters says that it happened organically. “Over the time that I was making music, it seemed like one day I was talking about killing myself because I’m going crazy, one day I’m talking about being a superstar, and one day I’m making something about missing my mom because i’m living in LA and I haven’t been able to talk to her. At the end of it, I was like ‘Oh, this is all talking about the same thing, just through very different characters and sounds.’ I was able to categorize these characters in a way that made sense on the album.” When Waters writes a song, he does it in a way that puts his personal lens on it. Infusing his perspective into a moment that could be seen as mundane is how Waters likes to work. With “BAD SON," Waters’ take on being a person of color in the music industry and how he’s adjusted to fame is heard in its full capacity— all of the highs, lows, and gray areas included— without shying away from any parts of his story. Authenticity is the lifeblood of Water’s music, which is something that sets him apart from other artists. By embracing his journey, listeners can learn how to appreciate their own path too.