From Toronto, comes Mannie – an R&B artist with a burning desire to make his voice heard since his early years.
Raised on funk, soul and pop music through his parents, Mannie developed his own musical tastes growing up through legendary influences like Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie, Stevie Wonder and ABBA to name a few. His love for R&B music began in the early 2000’s, a golden era that illuminated artists such as Beyoncé, Ginuwine, Usher and India Arie. Now, Mannie is ready to build his own legacy through his voice.
We had the chance to catch up with Mannie and talked about his latest work, dream collaborations and plans for upcoming music.
XMPL: How would you describe your music to new listeners and what do you hope they might take away?
Mannie: I would describe my music as a feeling, more than a specific thing. I feel like my music reminds listeners of older songs with a new-age vibe to it. A lot of people have told me they can’t pinpoint exactly who I sound like or who they could compare me to, so I guess gotta use more abstract terms to describe me.
Who were some of your inspirations growing up? When was the moment you decided you wanted to officially pursue music?
My mom heavily played Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, and Madonna so I feel like I’m indirectly influenced by those artists. But for my own musical inspirations, I would name Usher, Anthony Hamilton, India Arie and Beyoncé.
Your latest project “Bad Intentions” was a great listen. Can you tell me the story behind the EP name? What was the inspiration for this project?
Thank you! The story behind the name for the EP was a look into the mind of a young man going through life, deciding what kind of intentions he wants to have in love. I’m all about storytelling, so I wanted to express through music the bad intentions that we might think about, or the things we might do. The inspiration behind the music was just that; my own experiences when I was younger, deciding how I wanted to move, and the thoughts behind each situation I was going through.
Not too long ago you released your music video for your track “Tonight.” Can you tell me about the creative process behind this visual?
The creative process for Tonight was honestly too much fun. I was in LA for Grammy weekend with my team, and one night, I realized how visually appealing the house we were staying in was. With the help of our head of media, Kristin Lewis, I came up with a storyboard of how I wanted to represent the introductory song of my EP. We were limited with what we could do because it was so impromptu, but I think that was the beauty of it all. We found a way to make it look like that was my house, and I was really going through some difficult shit.
Your latest new single “Trip,” a pop vibe- something we haven’t really heard from you before. What made you want to go in this direction for this single?
I’m always down to step outside of the box. I think with Trip, me and the team wanted something light and fun for the summertime, so I was definitely down to try something new. I’m also definitely a fan of funk music (thanks Mom), so I think it came naturally to me. I feel like I know what my core sound is, but it can be fun to dip ya toe into other genres too!
Who are some current artists that you’d like to collaborate with?
I got a long list, but I’d love to do a track with Coco Jones, Lucky Daye, Chlöe, and Khamari.
What can Mannie fans anticipate for this year?
Mannie fans can expect some new music for the summer for sure, I’m tryna keep the good summer vibes going 100%! Beyond that, I can tell y’all that I am working on some new music, something like a sequel. Don’t forget to keep up with me on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to see wassup!
