WONDR is an artist who oozes personality and charm. His most recent single 'F With U' is a vibrant hip-hop entwined track that he entirely self produced from his bedroom. We caught up with the multifaceted talent and asked him all about his new release and his other plans for the future, exclusively for FLEX.
Hey WONDR! Could you describe your sound & style for any of our readers who may not have heard of you before?
I would describe my sound as a NASCAR on an F1 track in the rain. It’s super loud, fast at times, slow at times, and always loose. For those who don’t quite understand the racing terminology, lol, I would just say somewhere around Pop/R&B with a touch of Hip-Hop
Give us a fun fact about yourself we can’t find from Google/social media!
I model as a way to fund my music and for the first job I ever did, with no experience in the modelling world whatsoever, I had to walk a catwalk in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena while dressed like Aladdin in front of over 10,000 DECA teenagers. They were screaming like it was a Justin Bieber or Shawn Mendez concert. Safe to say I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Fortunately, modelling has even begun to tie into my music career. I’ve been able to create my own campaigns for the Perry Ellis America x Urban Outfitter collaboration and Leo Messi’s launch of his new fashion brand, The Messi Store
Your newest single, ‘F With U' has done amazingly well so far, what inspired you to write this track?
It was old, failed relationships with girls that really influenced ‘F With U’. I don’t think it was intentional, but when the first lyrics that came to my head were “I don’t fuck with you, that’s the recipe,” memories of those relationships came rushing back. After contemplating whether those lyrics were “too much” for today’s listeners I finally decided they were more than enough and the rest of the song kind of wrote itself.
As a lyricist, vocalist, and producer, which of your many talents do you find the easiest & the hardest to do?
Ranking them from 1-3, 1 being the easiest, I’d say it’s 1) Lyricist 2) Producer 3) Vocalist. The lyrics and production are in my DNA. Unfortunately, I wasn’t given the perfect ear when it came to my pitch while singing. It’s been a long journey growing as a singer and I’m still working every day to get better. Looking back to where I was just a few years ago, I’m definitely happy with my progression but still know there is a lot of room for improvement.
Please tell us a bit about your creative process when it comes to songwriting.
I sift through self-produced or outsourced beats on my laptop, vibe to ‘em, and see if I catch any flows or feelings. If I do, I drop some melodies over it first, maybe a few words stick out through all the mumbling, and then I start to write. It’s usually the hook that comes first. It establishes what the song is going to be about and helps build the verses. It also lets me know if the song is worth continuing to write.
Who or what influences the sounds in ‘F With U’?
I think when I made the beat for ‘F With U’ I wasn’t consciously being influenced by any specific genre or artist. It was something fun that was more of a test of my production skills. Sometimes I make beats just to learn and grow as a producer, not necessarily to have something to write to. Looking at the song now, subconsciously, it sounds like there is was some beach, reggae, summer influence in there. Summer is my favorite season, hands down, and I’m an ocean lover at heart so I guess that’s no surprise
What do you like best about your newest single?
I think the freedom it gave me as an artist. Although I considered others’ reactions about the song before I released it, I challenged myself to get uncomfortable and put it out anyway. It’s challenged me to not only stretch my boundaries musically but on social media as well. I’ve never put myself out there as much as I do now pushing this new single. It’s been liberating for sure
& Lastly, what can fans expect from WONDR next?
The official ‘F With U’ music video and my first full body of music in either EP or album format.
Listen to 'F With U' here: