R&B Star Fridayy talks New Single 'Baddest In The Room', Wireless Performance and Debut Album. [Interview]

Many of the greatest R&B artists of our time trace their musical roots back to the church, where their sounds were first nurtured in the choir's harmonious embrace. From Aretha Franklin to Whitney Houston, the church has been a crucible for raw talent, shaping artists who would go on to redefine the music landscape. This foundation is shared by the talented Fridayy, whose journey from playing instruments in his father’s local church to becoming a multi-Grammy-nominated artist is a testament to the profound influence of his early beginnings. 

A self-taught musician proficient in piano, bass, trumpet, and drums, Fridayy’s sound is heavily influenced by his Philadelphian and Haitian origins. His unique blend of gospel roots and diverse musical skills has helped him craft a distinctive style that resonates deeply with audiences, making him a star in the R&B scene.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Fridayy to delve into his recent performance at Wireless Festival and explore the creative journey behind his latest release ‘Baddest in the Room’. Coming off collaborations with greats like DJ Khaled, Jay-Z, John Legend, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne, his debut album in 2023 has already captivated listeners and showcased his unique sound. Fridayy shared his insights and excitement about his music, offering a glimpse into the artistry that has made him a rising star in the R&B scene.

You performed at Wireless Festival over the weekend—how was the experience for you?

Amazing, I love Wireless, I love London.

You've performed in London before, but typically in front of your own fans. What was it like performing at Wireless Festival, where the audience might not be as familiar with your music?

Oh, it was amazing, I'll say that. It was a different energy than back home. It was like, you know what I'm saying, I could see like the audience trying to learn my songs and stuff, you know what I'm saying. It was a lot of people that knew my songs, but it was like, I loved the energy.

You've recently released your new single, Baddest in the Room. Has some dancehall influences, so basically tell me about the process of making the song. 

I was in my basement and I picked up the guitar, and I played them chords, and then I laid that whole idea down in probably like two minutes. And I just had the whole song in there. Immediately I was saying, we wrote to it. Yeah, so I know you play a lot of instruments, so when you're writing a song or starting the process for a song.

When you're writing a song or starting the process for a song, which instrument do you tend to pick up the most?

It's guitar and piano.

"Baddest in the Room" and "When It Comes to You" both explore themes of love and desire. How does the writing process for an upbeat track like "Baddest in the Room" compare to crafting a ballad like "When It Comes to You"?

It's kind of like the same process. Like you said, they're kind of similar in the lyrics. just feel good music for the females, that's what I would say. Yeah. So it's the same process, it's just a different energy.

The song resembles "You" featuring Fireboy from your album, particularly in its genre-blending. When mixing Afrobeat and Dancehall, which African and Caribbean artists inspire you?

I don't really look to people for inspiration, it's kind of like in me right now. Me being Haitian and having listened to Haitian music, Kompa music. And me being a fan of Afro music, it's a second home for Haitians, it's natural in me. It’s probably my favourite type of music. Yeah, just from listening, it just flows into the music.

Being Grammy-nominated for a song with DJ Khaled, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, and John Legend is a huge honour. What did it mean to you to be recognized by both industry peers and legendary musicians?

It means a lot. That's the type of stuff that, like, I feel like not artists, but like anything that we do in life, we like confirmation, like from your idols, it's like give you a different type of confidence. I'll say like, give me a different type of confidence.

 How did the collaboration come about? 

I wrote God did hook in my room, you know what I'm saying? Because DJ Khaled was on Instagram saying God did like every day. And I was like inspired. So I sent it to my manager. And I sent it to my A&R, and my A&R sent it to Khaled

Let's dive into the album. The opening track ‘Came Too Far’ feels like you're on stage at church, giving a personal testimony about your journey in life. How important was it for you to include both your spiritual and cultural background in this album?

It was important. I've been doing it on my EP, every song I do. I put my background in the music, that was a special song. I feel like Haiti it's not known, even the language Creole that she was speaking is not even known that well. So I feel like I made my country proud and all my Haitian people proud. Having the world even singing it, you know what I'm saying? Singing Creole, singing Haitian languages. I felt like I did a big thing. 

The song features Maverick City with gospel choir arrangements. Did you personally arrange or produce these, or was it a live choir setup? How did that process come together?

Oh yeah, on my new album, I got a choir on there, I was with them while we did it too, it was amazing and then on Came Too Far, a little song in my mind, I actually just sent that song to Chandler Moore and Maverick City and they just added it on top. Yeah, sometimes it's like, alright let's call the choir, but sometimes I'm there.

"Done For Me", with Adekunle Gold, lyrics touch on the theme of God's plan for your life. In past interviews, you've mentioned your initial plans to pursue basketball and how you later attended college but decided it wasn’t the right path for you. Do these experiences shape your sense of God's plan for your life? And do you draw on these personal journeys when writing your music?

Yeah, definitely. Because everybody's gonna try different things, you know what I'm saying? You might try a lot of different things. But whatever God has in store for your life, it's gonna get done. No matter what route you take, you know what I'm saying? No matter how long it takes. Whatever you want done, it's gonna be done. 

You've mentioned being inspired by artists like PartyNextDoor, The Weeknd, and Drake. How do you balance incorporating influences from these Canadian artists while staying true to your sound and roots in Philadelphia?

It's crazy. I don't know it's like in me, you know what I'm saying? Anybody that listens to my music is like damn, he's coming from so many different places. Especially when I go on tours and when you come to my shows. Like, it's like a guy from Philly talking, you know what I'm saying? Talking from the trenches. Damn, he's Haitian. The Africans love him too. You know what I'm saying? It's like a second home. So it's just putting everything that I grew up in, like these five things, in one sound. It's like a beautiful thing to watch.

‘When It Comes To You,’ explores personal sacrifices and putting aside pride for love. How do you translate these intimate experiences into your music and share them with the world?

It's beautiful. I know how to like do it in a great way. There's a lot of things I can say that I don't want to say, but I know how to write it in a way where anybody can relate to it. I could say some crazy stuff, but it's like, nah, I keep it simple. Whatever I’m going through, you're gonna relate it to me the same way I relate to it. So I don't really like, go deep into my situations. I just draw from them and put it in a way that the fans could relate to too.

What are your favourite themes to write about when it comes to music? 

My favourite personally is life music.

Life experiences?

Yeah, everything. Everything people are gonna relate to, personally. It don't matter who you are, if you hear the song, you're gonna relate to it. 

How does it feel to know that music that has deeply impacted your life was made in a personal, intimate setting in your house in Philadelphia with just a small setup?

Everything, bro. You know what I mean? I ain't gonna lie. It's a crazy time.

What was the process behind selecting the features for your album, and how did you decide which artists to collaborate with?

I usually go based on the song and it's based on if I want to do a second verse or third verse, but it's basically the sound of the song, like you know what I'm saying? Like the features on my album, I use Chris Brown. Ain't nobody else I wanted to use on the upbeat R&B song and the Afro beats, you know, Adekunle Gold, Byron Messiah, Fireboy. I feel like every feature made sense. Like every beat and feature, it made sense, perfect for every artist. Because I'm a producer, you know what I'm saying? So I know exactly what a person gonna be able to do on certain songs.

As an artist, producer, and songwriter, which role did you enjoy most while creating this album?

I play every role because I'm hands-on, I produce every song, every song you ever hear from me, it starts with my production, me on the guitar, me on the piano. 

Would you say that's your favourite part of the process? 

Yeah, like the start of it, it's so free, you know what I'm saying? I'll probably get on the piano or the guitar and like the subject comes to me or the melody, the whole song comes to me.

How was it collaborating with The Chainsmokers, given that their music is quite different from your usual genre? What was that experience like for you?

It's easy, it's like it's easy bro, it's like I could dive into any genre I want and like I feel like when you listen to my album you see that, you know what I'm saying, it's just I'm be myself in every genre and my voice match in like a lot of genres, so it's like I feel like it's just like you gotta just be the right song

Are there any genres that you haven't tapped into that you'd want to in the future? 

Probably Latin music, that's the only genre I ain't tap into. Yeah, I want to. That would be good.

What's next for Fridayy? Like what can we look forward to?

New music, album, headlining tour. 

Can we get some themes on what the album’s going to be about? 

I've been trying to think of it but ain't nothing come to me yet but I gotta like dig deeper, it's all personal for me. Yeah, rest in peace, my father.

Fridayy’s latest single, “Baddest In The Room,” is now available on all digital streaming platforms.