featured image: single artwork
The DIY star crafts another indie pop gem
Fast-rising DIY artist Yxngxr1 unveils his dreamy new single ‘Budapest’, out now on Storm Gvng /Empire.
Fresh off his well-received EP, where has everyone gone. which came out in May, Yxngxr1 is back with more bright Americana-tinged indie-pop on his latest single.
Dripping with sweet nostalgia, ‘Budapest’ shows off Yxngxr1’s envelope-pushing talents while exploring themes of growing up and exploring the world. “Where i’ll go to next is where I’ll least expect”, he sings over an upbeat blend of chorus-rich guitars, singalong hooks, and heartwarming lyrics.
“Budapest is a song I wrote about my feelings towards growing up”, the artist says. “There’s a lot of talk about finding my way home. I think this reflects moving out, moving to a different country and finding brand new friends. A lot has changed over the last four years and I think this song summarises how I feel.”
The track is also accompanied by an introspective music video, featuring multiple versions of the artist in dialogue with himself. Yxngxr1 says, “This video is so beautiful. We shot it in North Sweden and it took us about two days to do it! In the video we wanted to show the different versions of ‘myself’ all coming together to work on this project, but in the end it’s just me and how I feel right now.”
A true product of the internet generation, Yxngxr1’s music has gained 410M+ streams across DSPs, national radio support from BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 Music and plaudits at press from the likes of Dork, The Line of Best Fit, TMRW and The Guardian who applauded his “lovable lo-fi indie-rap.” Despite his heady rise to success, he has continued to challenge himself in the studio, pushing the envelope and breaking the boundaries between hip-hop and indie.
Born and raised in Cardiff, UK, Yxngxr1 first stirred up buzz with his DIY record ‘Tyler’ in 2019 whilst holding down a post school day job at Foot Locker. Following its viral explosion, he quickly tallied tens of millions of streams across fan-favourite singles such as ‘Rather Do’, ‘RockStore’, ‘721’, ‘Pigeons’, and more. Simultaneously, he released a flurry of full-length projects, most recently last year’s well-received Teenage Motel, and carried his hot streak into 2023 with the singles ‘you remind me of’, ‘Something Else’ and ‘my mum told me about u’. A full EP, where has everyone gone., quickly followed, gaining acclaim for its sweetly nostalgic lofi as well as hard-hitting hip hop beats. You can expect his newest LP out later this year. The rising talent is also preparing for some exciting live dates, including his support slot for Glaive’s upcoming European tour (flyer below).
Until then, the dreamy indie-pop of ‘Budapest’ is a perfect expression of Yxngxr1’s unique pull as an artist, painting a nostalgic picture of sunshine-filled youth while looking ahead to an exciting future.
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