If you’ve ever wondered what mixing elements from both Frank Ocean and Steve Lacy would sound like — look no further — as rising R&B star Forest Claudette does just that with his infectious music!
For those who don’t know, the 23-year-old Aussie released his debut EP The Year of February back in September, perfectly blending sounds of alternative R&B, bleary soul and glowing pop over the course of six tracks.
But the soundscape didn’t come so easy.
When chatting with Celeb Secrets reporter Juliet Schroder, Claudette mentioned that it took years to figure out what he wanted to write about and what story he wanted to tell, ultimately diving into his battle with imposter syndrome in the music industry for his debut project.
“It took a lot of time [to figure my sound],” Claudette tells Celeb Secrets. “I’m really grateful for the time that I had because I feel like I really got to settle in and cement this sort of soundscape that is now [The Year of February].
“It’s things that I’ve tapped into earlier on but then kind of left; I’ve always gravitated towards things that I deem beautiful but cool. And that’s just like, I don’t know, the spaces that I try to occupy in the most general sense,” he adds.
Opening with his buzzworthy debut single “Creaming Soda,” Forest introduces the listener to his most intimate thoughts over a blend of genre-crossing sounds that continues his journey of self-discovery with songs like “Don’t Worry,” “Gone Without a Trace,” “Goodbye” and “Hologram.”
According to Claudette, the six-track project will fit all of your feelings — from the “where am I in life” and “should I text my ex” moments to the heartbreaks and even the cheeky dances, The Year of February is the perfect record to to spin all year round despite its name.
“The story is really about kind of the themes that kept coming around. Initially I thought ‘The Year of February’ would be these songs that I wrote from February 2018 to 2019,” Forest shares.
“But from there, I just kept being able to measure my life in February in a weird way. Everything seemed to reset during that month — I found myself in a new relationship and signing a record deal — and I felt like it was a really cool way to put together a project that spans over quite a lot of time.”
For more on Forest’s music, watch our full interview below, and don’t forget to let us know what you think about The Year of February EP by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
LISTEN TO “THE YEAR OF FEBRUARY” EP NOW:
