Reuben Aziz drops the deluxe to his debut project

Reuben Aziz is a Southampton born, London-Based singer-songwriter and producer who has broken into the industry and made his mark as an exciting and dynamic new voice. Hailed by Wonderland Magazine as “Your new favourite R&B artist” , his consistency and individuality when it comes to his music has made a place for him to stay in the world of music. His debut project, How did we end up here was originally released in September 2024, and now, the deluxe is here. 

His recent single, ‘Always Come Back’ displays the artist's determination in staying true to his creativity. 

On creating the deluxe, it has been more than a journey for the singer-songwriter and producer. 

With a shortlist of 50 potential songs, ‘Stick Around’ was undoubtedly always bound to be the centre of the deluxe, due to the high anticipation surrounding the track. Other tracks such as ‘More’ eventually found their way onto the completed project.

Beginning to write his own music at the age of ten, Aziz is a self-taught vocalist and guitar player. By the age of fourteen he was learning how to produce, and began to hone in on his craft, focusing on improving his musical strengths.  His musical inspirations span over generations, including artists notorious at the turn of the century such as Tupac, The Fugees, and DMX, as well as Pharrel and Frank Ocean as more recent pioneers of the sound. 

Once pursuing a career as a professional basketball player, Aziz’s decision to pursue music full-time saw him relocate from Southampton, his hometown, to London, the buzzing central city that pushes out some of the UK’s best talent. He is no stranger to dedication, and the final instalment of How did we end up here sees his artistic vision of finishing a project to ultimate completion come to fruition. 

The deluxe version of the London-based artist’s debut project How did we end up here was released on January 15th. The deluxe version of the project sees Aziz release four new tracks to complete his dynamic debut body of work. Included in the four new songs is the highly anticipated single ‘Stick Around’, which was teased last year and accumulated a large number of eager listeners, ready to receive the full length track. 

Since the release of the project, Aziz has collected more listeners through his viral On The Radar freestyle, as well as his first headline show at The Grace. Inviting fellow artists Proph and Odzmoney on stage with him, he displayed his vocal agility and ability to collaborate with different voices, still keeping his signature sound and transforming some of his tracks into a live version. Rap freestyles posted on TikTok also went viral on Balamii radio, widening his circle of fans. Reuben also joined Artemas on their UK and European tour, at which his performance included a mixture of songs from his own discography and covers, which saw his fanbase increase to further around and within the UK than just London. 

‘More’ is a slow and melodic track reminiscent of themes of trust and loyalty, “I can’t turn my back on you”, a mellow guitar melody finishing the track with a smooth outro. The track acknowledges the feeling of brutal honesty and the battle between deciding to say the truth, or staying quiet to preserve peace. "We've been homies, look how long for, Would you hate me, if I said I need more?”

‘Stick Around’ carries on with similar themes that ‘More’ explores, carrying on with a similar tone that questions the reasoning behind one's loyalty, “Why the hell would I stick around?” The track is accompanied by a music video, released via Alamo Records on January 14th. It sees Aziz in various frames against plain backgrounds, performing the track while a group of friends socialise without him, signifying the feeling of being left out, even when in a room full of people.

The deluxe ends with painstaking lyrics that see the artist reminisce on the valuable connections that have seen him through the ups and downs of "You were there when i was broke, when I had nothing to show"

The deluxe version of How did we end up here is a collection of heartfelt tracks that not only complete the project, but display the vulnerability needed to see clearly and address matters of truth in life. As Aziz continues to demonstrate his own way of navigating a journey in musical artistry, his persistence and talent will see him go far, and his listeners staying on for the ride.

Listen to How did we get here now :