TOOSII’S NEW EP, BOYS DON’T CRY, IS OUT TODAY
Toosii released Boys Don’t Cry (South Coast Music Group/Capitol Records) – a six-song EP that affirms his ability to turn on a dime, going wherever inspiration and life lead. XXL tipped Boys Don’t Cry as one of the fall’s highly anticipated drops and hailed the closing track, “Love is…,” as one of the “Best New Hip-Hop Songs.” Download / stream Boys Don’t Cry HERE.
The 22-year-old Syracuse-born, Raleigh-based artist – who will be joining Rod Wave on his fall North American arena tour – had an album ready to go. Then everything changed. He had a baby boy, and suddenly his music began to reflect a different mindset. So Toosii went back into the studio and conjured up Boys Don’t Cry, a mixture of new songs and fan favorites teased on Instagram. But he’s no longer just singing for himself and his adoring fans. He’s singing for his family, too.
“I wanted to give my fans a snapshot of where I’m at, of how much my life has changed with the birth of my son,” Toosii says, acknowledging that fatherhood has caused him to reexamine long-held assumptions. “Growing up as a man, we were always taught to be tough, not to have emotions, and that boys don’t cry. But it’s just not true. It’s alright as a man to tap into that emotional side.”
Boys Don’t Cry depicts Toosii in the rawest, most unfiltered state he’s ever presented. The EP opens with “Hey Now! (Car Freestyle),” an emotionally intense piano ballad. Songs like “Butterfly” and “Date Night” celebrate the bond forged by emotional and physical intimacy. On “Bikini Bottom,” he reflects on his come-up with a twist that shows the impact an absent father can have on the next generation: “There was times I don’t remember where we slept / But I know that we done made it out the ’jects / And my nephew’s daddy locked up in the feds / Couldn’t pick a phone up, we didn’t have enough for collect.”
He bares his soul on “Love Is…,” which has amassed more than 35 million combined global streams to date and inspired more than 163,000 creations on TikTok with over 90 million combined views. View the official video for “Love is…” HERE. KAZI Magazine noted, “[Toosii’s] lyrics often draw on more intimate details of his personal life than standard fare, and he delivers them with a melodic sensibility.”
“‘Heartaches’ sees Toosii continue to push the boundaries of what a R&B artist is meant to be,” said Our Generation Music. UPROXX noted, “Toosii has never run away from difficult emotions, and offers one of his most somber records in ‘Heartaches.’” View the official video for “Heartaches” HERE.
After a Rolling Loud New York performance that brought him attention from MTV, Brooklyn Vegan, okayplayer, Dirty Glove Bastard, among others, Toosii is excited to hit the road with Rod Wave. The run kicks off on November 11 at Minneapolis’ Target Center and includes shows at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY (November 23) and Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC (11/30). It will conclude at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA (December 21). Tickets are on sale HERE. See below for itinerary.
Though Toosii’s aspirations are somehow even higher than what he’s already achieved, he’s already proven himself plenty since he first went viral with his debut single “Red Lights” in 2019. Since then, he’s dropped a pair of projects that showed off his uniquely textured approach to music – 2020’s Poetic Pain and 2021’s Thank You for Believing – both of which charted in the top 25 of the Billboard 200. But he’s still dedicated to his continued growth. Boys Don’t Cry shows that maturity, and an innate ability to translate his experiences into catchy, club-ready music.
Boys Don’t Cry – Track List
Hey Now! (Car Freestyle)
Butterfly
Bikini Bottom
Date Night
Heartaches
Love Is…
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