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SXMSON has just released his brand new pride anthem, 'L2LY' (Learn To Love You), which sees him reassuring his younger self that life gets better as soon as you learn to love yourself.
The empowering pop song has a bold and refreshing message about being proud of who you are, which was inspired by SXMSON’s own journey with identifying as LGBTQ+. Born and raised in London, Iranian/Jewish SXMSON grew up listening to 90s/2000s Pop and R&B music. This was the sound that eventually inspired him to pursue a career as singer-songwriter.
SXMSON has written and worked with the likes of Laidback Luke, Grammy-nominated
Maths Time Joy, SAKIMA, Gil Lewis and One Bit. With support from influential tastemakers such as Gay Times, BBC Asian Network Radio, HUNGER and BBC Introducing there is a lot more to expect from this talent on the rise.
We had the chance to speak with SXMSON on the release and more as part of our Get to Know series...
Tell us a little about yourself!
"Helloooo! My name is Samson and my artist name is SXMSON. I love writing stories and sharing them with the world through music. I’m also a vegan who loves animals <3"
When did you start making music?
"I wrote my first song when I was around 16 years old, but took a real interest in singing when I was 13. It’s been really cool being able to feel my progression as a songwriter and artist over the years."
Where are you from and do you feel like your surroundings inspire your sound in any way?
"I feel like more and more people act surprised when I tell them, but I am originally from London, and I still live here. It’s definitely had a massive impact on my music. London is enriched with so much diversity, culture, colour and talent, which I have had the privilege of being exposed to all my life. I also think there’s a raw type of honesty and humour found in London, which I love to try and bring into my music."
Who or what inspires you musically?
"My music is very much inspired by a lot of my own experiences as someone who identifies as LGBTQ+, Jewish, Iranian and British. All of these things are part of my own unique story that help give my music a message and purpose as a songwriter. With that being said, my music, of course, is also heavily inspired by others. I love late 90’s and early 2000’s pop/R&B/dance music. In all honesty, if it makes me feel nostalgic, I’m there."
What would be your dream venue to play live?
"Let’s all close our eyes and manifest SXMSON Glastonbury pyramid stage!!"
How would you sum up your sound in the form of a hashtag?
"#RainbowPop"
You recently released your new single ‘L2LY’! How has the reaction been so far?
"The most special thing about releasing 'L2LY' for me has been the personal messages I’ve received from people who have identified with the message and meaning of the song. I love making music with a purpose, with a message. And I’m so happy that it is connecting with people. However, large or small the audience is right now, it means the world to me."
Tell us a little about the track!
"'L2LY' has been on quite a long journey since it was written in 2019. I had originally planned to release the song in 2020 with a completely different sound and image, but I decided to dig deeper and lean into a different, more poppy direction, which I am so happy about. 'L2LY' was produced by and co-written with Benji Winters and we wanted to write a song that spoke about my childhood and how it affected my relationship with myself. We wrote the song as a daily reminder that however hard life gets, you gotta keep pushing through because life is too short to not know how badass you really are."
Do you have a favourite lyric from the release?
"“Tried to be happy but deep down inside I was empty” - It’s so raw, simple and sad."
Finally, what else can we expect from you in the near future?
"I’m buzzing to be performing at Birmingham Pride in September and I have more singles planned for release, which will be coming soon! I’m even more excited about these songs because I feel like they show different sides to me as an artist and as a person!"
'L2LY' is out now.
Listen HERE
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