Emanuel: Manifesting Success and Taking His Music “Worldwide”
When asked about vulnerability in music, up-and-coming R&B artist, Emanuel, said “What’s the point of such a beautiful way to connect with people if you’re not gonna tell the truth?”, and in listening to his music it is abundantly clear that “truth” is at the center of it all.
Born in London, Ontario to Ethiopian parents, Emanuel grew up surrounded by a rich diversity of music and culture, and he incorporates all of these influences as he speaks his truth in his freshman album, Alt Therapy, which just dropped this Wednesday along with the music video for his song, “Worldwide”. Listening to the album, he says, is meant to be a therapeutic experience, hence the title, and his deeply emotional writing seems to be as cathartic for listeners as it has been for him. Alt Therapy is all about recognizing that we are in constant need of healing and growth.
Check out the dreamy “Worldwide” music video here
The album opens with the piano-heavy ballad “Need You”, a song that has already garnered millions of streams. It also features “Black Woman”, Emanuel’s love letter to the Black women in his life and in the larger world, and a song which he said was the hardest to write since it describes not his own experience but that of those who shaped him. The song is meant to amplify and uplift the voices of those who reared, raised, and inspired him to become the person and artist that he is today.
“Worldwide” is a track that Emanuel sees as more of a mantra than just a song, and it is all about manifesting success and bringing his message from a small town in Canada to a worldwide audience. When the song was first written, Emanuel was not the critically acclaimed, JUNO-nominated artist that he is now, but he could see that future for himself and he created “Worldwide” to speak his success into existence. The final song on the 12 track album is “I Been”, a song that Emanuel is the most excited for people to hear. His smooth vocals and rich falsetto tell the story of a tough situation he was experiencing in his relationship, and he says that creating the song ultimately helped him to come to a deeper understanding of the issues he was facing and to reconnect with the woman he loves.
Emanuel creates music that evokes deep emotion, and he has always focused on writing songs that are full of substance and that “you can’t just ignore when you hear them”. He has been inspired by the atypical sound of artists like Frank Ocean (also a dream collab of his), and Black female artists like Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone.
In a recent press conference, Emanuel said “I think it’s a cardinal sin to hide your light”-- and it is clear that he lives by these words as his light is shining bright for all the world to see.
Check Out Emanuel: