photo credit: Matthew Linman / click for hi-res version
photo credit: Mark Peaced / click for hi-res version
KEVIN SMILEY’S NEW SONG “MATADOR” FEAT. YOUNGBOY NEVER BROKE AGAIN OUT TODAY; WATCH THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
August 16, 2024—Emerging singer, songwriter and musician Kevin Smiley’s new song, “Matador,” featuring special guest YoungBoy Never Broke Again, is out today via Rebel Music/gamma. Listen to the song, written by Smiley and produced by Jahaan Sweet (Drake, Travis Scott, etc), HERE.
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RELEASED VIA REBEL MUSIC/gamma.
In conjunction with the release, the official music video is also debuting today. Directed by Tommy Nowels, the video was filmed in New Cuyama, CA at The Cuyama Buckhorn (courtesy of General Manager Scott Augat) and The Badlands Ranch (courtesy of Thom Hill). Watch/share HERE.
Of the track, Smiley shares, “Jahaan provided the perfect canvas for my voice and what I was trying to convey. YoungBoy is one of the voices of my generation. I can’t be anything other than excited for folks to hear this.”
Today’s release follows Smiley’s recent singles, “Heart to Break” and “Paralyzed,” which debuted earlier this year. Released to critical attention, Rolling Stone selected “Paralyzed” as a “Song You Need to Know,” while All Country News praised, “a testament to the power of music as a medium for self-expression and healing…As Smiley continues to carve his own path in the music industry, one thing remains clear: his voice is one that demands to be heard.” Watch Smiley perform “Paralyzed” for “On The Radar Radio” HERE.
With the new music, Smiley shares his unique creative voice as he combines traditional country sounds with the perspective of a 20-year-old black man living in today’s world. Poised for a breakout year, Smiley continues to gain significant attention across platforms, garnering more than 20 million cumulative views to date, and will release his debut EP this fall. Additional details to come soon.
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.
For more information, please contact Asha Goodman,
Catherine Snead 615.320.7753 or Carla Sacks 212.741.1000 at Sacks & Co.