Gender-Bending Queer Artist ALONE Releases “Everything”, An Ode to His Trans Siblings
Debut Single Declares “Opulence is a State of Mind”
“Everything”, the debut single from the gender-bending Queer artist ALONE, pays homage to the shiny, brassy days of Motown while also serving as an affirming ode to the Transgender Community who continue to enrich our world while battling tremendous negativity. “I want my siblings to know that they are blessed, loved and perfect just the way they are,” says ALONE, who’s own lewk blends disco-rock camp fierceness with svelte Hollywood glamour silhouettes. He wrote, composed, and arranged the soulful RnB Pop track, and topped it off with soaring falsetto vocals brimming with joy fitting for a true anthem. The song was recorded in New York City with a full live band on all-analog equipment. “It is meant to be a bright and feel-good reminder that you already have everything you need to be happy and thrive,” he explains. ALONE’s “Everything” is available now on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms. Its music video is available on YouTube.
“Everything” started as a love song to a guy I was dating who had a fabulous life but couldn't stop complaining about everything,” ALONE recalls from his NYC home. “I wrote the song to try to convince him to see how good he had it and help him cultivate a spirit of gratitude.”
During the production of the song, the message grew larger than a simple love song. It became a proclamation for all to appreciate life regardless of unfavorable circumstances. "Your joy is not dependent on external factors," ALONE urges. "Right now, just as you are, you are already as good, as well and as complete as anyone can ever hope to be — and therefore you are already, in fact, everything."
“I wrote the lyric, ‘Opulence is a state of mind,’ while sunbathing on the crumbling roof of an old house I was living in,” he continues. “At the time, I was barely making rent and struggling to find work and ways to bring my music to life. I laid down a patch of Astro turf on that hot tar, covered it with a piece of leopard fabric, treated myself to a box of strawberries and felt like royalty.”
In the song’s music video, ALONE spotlights an all Trans and Gender Non-Conforming cast. “I wanted to assure the Trans and Queer youth out there that there is a family here for them and that they are beautiful, powerful and worthy,” he says. He enlisted some of the leading activists in the Black Trans Lives Matter Movement including Tahtianna Fermin, founder of Bridges 4 Life, an organization that serves Trans youth in the foster care system; Danni Gucci, founder of the #Wontberased campaign for Trans visibility; and Suburbia, a drag queen who has been featured on HBO Max’s And Just Like That, and is the founder of the POC Collective.
ALONE was born Alon and raised in Israel, in a small coastal town called Herzliya. His father died in military action when he was three and a half years old. He grew up in a household of women, with only his mom and sister. His musical influences were Prince, Grace Jones, George Michael and Sylvester. “Growing up as a Queer kid who never fully fit in anywhere, seeing a Queer artist like Sylvester was a beacon of hope,” ALONE reflects. “It made me feel like I wasn't alone, like there was a future for me and that there were others out there like me.”
Upon moving to New York City, Alon changed his name to ALONE to reclaim the word; empowering its meaning from something sad and scary to independent and in control. “Being alone is one thing everyone experiences from time to time. There is beauty and strength-building in it. The binary concept that being alone is bad and being together is good is false. Both are equally important to our growth and well-being.”
ALONE’s next single, "Fine", is currently in production and scheduled to be released on April 8th with an accompanying music video. A sultry tribute to homo- and pansexual attraction, it pays homage to 80s rock strip songs while challenging the prevalent notions of sexuality and gender.
ALONE’s “Everything” is available now on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms. Its music video is available on YouTube. Visit his website and follow ALONE on Instagram @ TogethALONE.
STEWART TAYLOR IS TAILOR-MADE IN “COVER BOY”
HIS NEW SINGLE AND MUSIC VIDEO
Stewart Taylor’s “Cover Boy” is a modern pop track with a seventies’ throwback vibe about falling in love, knowing your self-worth in a relationship, and not playing mind games along the way. Produced by DWhit and co-written by Taylor with his longtime collaborator Benjamin Samama, the song also draws inspiration from bold men who take chances with their style and aren't afraid to be both masculine and feminine, glamorous and rough around the edges. “James Dean, Marlon Brando, Harry Styles, and Timothée Chalamet are by far my favorite cover boys,” says Stewart Taylor. “I've always had a soft spot for the old school, brooding, classic Hollywood types.” Stewart Taylor’s “Cover Boy” is being distributed independently and is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all digital platforms. Its video is available on YouTube.
“I was inspired to write ‘Cover Boy’ after landing my first magazine cover for my last single, ‘Mess Your Hair Up’,” Stewart Taylor continues from his Los Angeles home. “I had just started dating someone new and the idea came to me when I felt like he wasn’t making enough of an effort to take things to the next level. I wanted to be his cover boy. I wanted to be front and center; the starring role in his life. The relationship didn't end up working out but it was a great premise for a song!”
“Cover Boy” expands both sonically and vocally from Taylor’s previous release, “Mess Your Hair Up”. “I've evolved a lot as an artist over the years. I’ve tried on different sounds and outfits, stripped those things away, started over, and have rebuilt and rebranded myself into what I feel is the most authentic me in the moment. I've come into my own with my music, dance, and fashion and everything I do now is a lot more influenced by funk and R&B while still staying very pop.”
Stewart Taylor sings in a sexier, lower tone on “Cover Boy,” reminiscent of early Robin Thicke.
The music video reflects his evolution as an artist. Directed by Brad Hammer and styled by Kiki Xtravaganza and Kályd Odeh, the video is vintage, stylish, flirty and joyful. Taylor turns out many different looks from Guess, Versace, and Chanel; surrounding himself with old vintage magazines, Polaroids, and a stereo from 1982. He even dons a triangle jacket that pays homage to Madonna and the movie Desperately Seeking Susan.
“I love bringing little moments from the past and carrying them into the future like that in videos. Hopefully some of the hardcore Madonna fans will get the reference!”
Stewart Taylor is an LA-based singer, songwriter, dancer, and MMG model. He grew up in a small town outside of New York City, where he began writing songs and performing in local talent shows and Lower East Side clubs. Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, he's collaborated with Grammy-nominated songwriters and producers Charlie Puth, (Wiz Khalifa) Kara DioGuardi, (P!nk, Katy Perry) Jayson DeZuzio, (Imagine Dragons) and David Pramik (Selena Gomez).
In addition to writing for himself, Stewart Taylor has penned songs for Romanian pop star Antonia and American Idol's David Hernandez. He is an active voice in the LGBTQ+ community and his coming out story was featured in the New York Times bestselling book, It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating A Life Worth Living.
“I struggled through this last year of pandemic,” he reveals, “but I'm coming out of it wiser and more driven to succeed than ever before. I’m not waiting in the wing for the industry to shine its stage light on me. Nor am I going to wait on the side while some guy decides whether or not he wants a real relationship. My time is valuable and I’m not wasting another second.”
Stewart Taylor’s “Cover Boy ” is available on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms. Its video is on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=numGLNO6B7c. Visit www.stewarttaylorofficial.com. Follow on Instagram @ imstewarttaylor.