photo credit: Mark Peaced / click for hi-res version
single artwork by Malik Rasheed / click for hi-res version
INTRODUCING KEVIN SMILEY
May 9, 2024—Poised for a breakout year, emerging singer, songwriter and musician Kevin Smiley’s highly anticipated debut single, “Paralyzed,” is out tomorrow—his first release in partnership with Rebel Music/gamma (pre-save HERE). Watch the song’s powerful music video (directed by Nathan R. Smith) HERE.
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MUCH ANTICIPATED DEBUT SINGLE “PARALYZED”
OUT TOMORROW, WATCH THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
FIRST RELEASE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
REBEL MUSIC/GAMMA
Of the track, Smiley shares, “My mother said being the youngest of her six kids I observed a lot. ‘Paralyzed’ is just an observation that became a song.”
A raw and impactful reflection on the realities of depression and addiction, “Paralyzed” is the first taste of Smiley’s unique creative voice as he combines traditional country sounds with the perspective of a 20-year-old black man living in today’s world. He first shared portions of the song on social media last summer and has since received significant attention across platforms, garnering 20 million cumulative views to date.
Raised in the small town of Okeechobee, FL, Smiley is the youngest of six children and has been homeschooled by his mother his whole life. Learning to sing and play guitar at church (where his father was a pastor and his mother played piano), Smiley’s musical interests shifted in 2020 when he began listening to country music after his parents forbid him from listening to rap while playing video games during the pandemic. It was then that Smiley heard George Strait’s classic hit, “Amarillo By Morning,” which led him to discover 80s and 90s country music and legendary artists such as Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley. These influences can be heard throughout Smiley’s work, both sonically and in his storytelling-focused songwriting. Smiley is currently working on more new music, additional details to come soon.
For more information, please contact Asha Goodman,
Catherine Snead 615.320.7753 or Carla Sacks 212.741.1000 at Sacks & Co.