Bazzi
about the artist
Magic surrounds us. We may not always see it, but we feel it. For Bazzi, magic alchemizes emotion into music. The Michigan-born and Los Angeles-based multiplatinum singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer molds skyscraping pop melodies, otherworldly R&B grooves, and adventurous alternative soundscapes into a reflection of his feelings. After generating billions of streams, selling out shows everywhere, and earning acclaim from Billboard, The FADER, Rolling Stone, and many more, he harnesses the power of this magic like never before on his third full-length album, Infinite Dream [Atlantic Records].
"To me, magic is just a feeling," he reveals. "It can exist…
MoreMagic surrounds us. We may not always see it, but we feel it. For Bazzi, magic alchemizes emotion into music. The Michigan-born and Los Angeles-based multiplatinum singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer molds skyscraping pop melodies, otherworldly R&B grooves, and adventurous alternative soundscapes into a reflection of his feelings. After generating billions of streams, selling out shows everywhere, and earning acclaim from Billboard, The FADER, Rolling Stone, and many more, he harnesses the power of this magic like never before on his third full-length album, Infinite Dream [Atlantic Records].
"To me, magic is just a feeling," he reveals. "It can exist in a voice memo, but it doesn't have to be recorded or even written. It could be a melody that holds the heart and the pulse of a song. Once the heart is there, you've got a platform to build anything. Humans traditionally recognize communication and language as our biggest feat, but I think it's our ability to turn one thing into another. You can morph trauma or good feelings into music."
Bazzi has converted emotion into anthems since his emergence in 2017. His 2018 smash single "Mine" went quintuple-platinum and broke into the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 as it paved the way for his platinum-certified full-length debut offering, COSMIC. Blasting off to the forefront of popular music and culture, his dynamic catalog expanded to include the quadruple-platinum "Beautiful" [feat. Camila Cabello], platinum-certified "Paradise," "Why?," and "I.F.L.Y.," and gold-certified "3:15," "Myself," and "Honest." He only continued to evolve on the critically acclaimed mixtape, Soul Searching, in 2019. Inciting tastemaker applause, HYPEBEAST hailed it as "an introspective journey," and V Magazine attested, "Bazzi carved out a niche of his own." In between packing houses everywhere on tour, he performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, and beyond. Along the way, he crafted what would become Infinite Dream.
He stole away to the rural hideaway of Topanga. Just 45 minutes north of L.A., he decamped to an Airbnb with regular collaborator and GRAMMY Award-nominated cohort Kevin White [Rice N' Peas].
For as big as the music may sound, it originated from a tightknit creative core.
"Four of the songs came on our first trip to Topanga," he recalls. "It defined a bit of the insanity and madness we wanted the album to have. It pulled in everything from this crazy four-year journey. Each time we went back up there, something clicked. It could be because Topanga is mountainous and untouched. It's like a holy place for Kevin and me. We would forget the equipment is there and follow the easiest path to ideas. The process is childlike."
This translates into the music. Bazzi heralded the album with "I Like That," "Will It Ever Feel The Same?," "Miss America," and "Heaven." Of the latter, Billboard raved, "Bazzi has returned with perhaps his best single since his breakthrough." A glossy beat punctuated by shimmering guitar underlines his hypnotic harmonies on "Heaven."
"Kevin and I were on a writing trip in Hawaii," recalls Bazzi. "We drove out to the middle of nowhere at night. There were these loud frogs, and they were making a bird-like noise. We were terrified, but we went to sleep. When we woke up, we were in the middle of heaven. It was so beautiful. We had a crazy view of the water. It was a great disconnect and reconnect to the present. I sang the melody in the car, and we recorded it."
The single "Only Fan" glides towards a rapturous refrain on a neon synth and head-nodding beat. It culminates on the chorus, "Cancel all your plans girl. I'm your only fan girl."
"The lyrics just help provide a feeling," he says. "It's more about the sensation. It's definitely open and up for interpretation."
Guitar wraps around a thumping bassline on "SYWM." His high register flutters over handclaps as he pleads, "Say you want me babe." Then, there's "Lost In The Simulation." The organic percussion shuffles beneath airy guitar as the rhythm snaps into an otherworldly hook.
"I've been inspired by bands like MGMT and Phoenix for a while, but I got to explore the synths and guitars more on Infinite Dream," he notes. "It definitely added to the sound."
Meanwhile, the album concludes on the piano-laden finale "Don't Leave Me Know." Its chantable chorus echoes with bliss and longing all at once before a soaring guitar solo rings out.
"I tried to make the perfect song to end a show on," he says. "It's about not letting a night or experience end — and how special it was. I want to make an album you listen to all the way through."
In the end, that's the real magic of Bazzi and Infinite Dream.
"There's something for everyone on this album," he leaves off. "It's a wide net, because I'm touching on so many different things. I'm becoming more of myself. I'm changing every day. I'm focusing on making the right decisions in relationships and creating great ideas. I think you'll get to see me through my art. I can't wait to show everyone what I've been up to."
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BOILER
For Bazzi, magic alchemizes emotion into music. The Michigan-born and Los Angeles-based multiplatinum singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer molds skyscraping pop melodies, otherworldly R&B grooves, and adventurous alternative soundscapes into a reflection of his feelings. Bazzi has artfully and eloquently converted emotion into anthems since his emergence in 2017. His 2018 smash single "Mine" went quintuple-platinum and broke into the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 as it paved the way for his platinum-certified full-length debut album, COSMIC. Blasting off to the forefront of popular music and culture, his dynamic catalog expanded to include the quadruple-platinum "Beautiful" [feat. Camila Cabello], platinum-certified "Paradise," "Why?," and "I.F.L.Y.," and gold-certified "3:15," "Myself," and "Honest." He only continued to evolve on the critically acclaimed mixtape, Soul Searching, in 2019. Inciting tastemaker applause, HYPEBEAST hailed it as "an introspective journey," and V Magazine attested, "Bazzi carved out a niche of his own." In between packing houses everywhere on tour, he performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, and beyond. After generating billions of streams, selling out shows everywhere, and earning acclaim from Billboard, The FADER, Rolling Stone, and more, he harnesses the power of this magic like never before on his third full-length album, Infinite Dream [Atlantic Records], including the singles "Heaven," "Only Fan," and more.