Kevin Olusola opens up about Jay-Z while talking of debut solo album

Pentatonix’s Kevin Olusola is placing out on his personal with Daybreak of a Misfit, a deeply private debut solo album impressed by id, evolution and a lyric from Jay-Z.

In an interview with Folks, forward of the album’s launch on Friday, the 36-year-old singer, cellist, and beatboxer shared {that a} line from Jay-Z’s 2009 observe On to the Subsequent One helped form his method to the mission.

Furthermore, Olusola mentioned, “If you like me in Pentatonix, then watch me in Pentatonix,” whereas paraphrasing the lyric. “But the evolution of me as a man and a father… you’re going to get the full extent of that [here].”

Identified for his work within the Grammy-winning a cappella group Pentatonix, Olusola says Daybreak of a Misfit explores a extra intimate and uncooked model of himself, which can come as a shock to longtime followers. 

With reference to this, she mentioned, “It may make you feel uncomfortable — and that’s okay as long as I’m being truthful to who I am,” as per the outlet. 

He hopes the album’s message resonates with anybody who has ever felt like an outsider. 

Moreover, he mentioned, “It’s okay for you to not feel like you fit in. Those things that made you feel different are exactly what will help you change the world.”

That includes all the things from instrumental covers of Gnarls Barkley’s Loopy and Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come to classical samples from Beethoven and Vivaldi, plus a playful observe for his daughter Kaia, the album blends Olusola’s ardour for cello, beatboxing, and genre-defying storytelling. 

The lead single, Darkish Winter, showcases his signature classical-meets-contemporary fashion.

Reflecting on the journey from Yale premed pupil to international performer, Olusola mentioned, “I journaled by means of the method, and it actually grew to become a therapeutic journey for me.”