After the viral success of his viral 2020 single “Stunnin’,” it seems like the last thing Curtis Waters wants is to be defined by such early success. With the announcement of his new album BAD SON, set for release on May 19, Waters is sharing a new single that recreates his hit song’s formula as well as a second single that’s a considerably more introspective look at the effects that song had on him in the immediate aftermath of its virality as the attention began to wane.
Written immediately after “Stunnin’” found success, “HIMBO” amps up the flexes while doubling down on the catchy beat. “This was when I was still riding the high of my success, so I wanted to make a follow up cocky song,” he shares. “I knew it wasn’t fully serious. It was this sort of character that had not fully developed yet, but since it wasn’t tied to an overarching story it didn’t feel like it was worth dropping.”
Meanwhile, “God’s Lonely Man,” written a year later, is a sobering look at self-worth. “It came from a place of desperation in trying to maintain this newfound popularity,” he continues. “In my head, this external attention had finally validated my existence and feeling it slow down was destroying my ego. I started thinking about why I had always been so desperate about becoming famous growing up. Ever since I immigrated to Canada when I was 10, I had this idea that I would become rich and famous and be able to support my family and that pressure didn’t go away even after finding that success. I was very scared I would feel like [a] nobody again.”
To double down on this duality, both singles arrive together in a single video, which illustrates both the exaggeratedly cocksure energy of the former track before abruptly transitioning into the latter song’s downcast spirit. Watch the full clip below.
