Poly-instrumental Brooklyn-based songwriter and performer STOLAR is celebrating the one year anniversary of his ambitious project Raw Emotions, which found the performer releasing new music once a month for an entire year beginning October of 2017. Each month was tied to a different emotion, with each song providing candid insight into the effects of that particular feeling. Stolar created the projects to redirect his struggles with bipolar disorder and depression into a creative channel. The successful campaign has resulted in over 20 million streams between all of the songs Stolar released over the past year.
The emotions that were represented were Desire (October), Invisible (November), Hopeful(December), Regret (January), Uncomfortable (February), Nostalgia (March), Excitement/Anxiety (April), Emotion (May), Loneliness (June), Breathe (July), Happy(August), and Change (September).
During the Raw Emotions campaign, Stolar, who is a prolific songwriter, has also racked up an impressive list of artists whom he's written/co-written songs with. These artists include Aloe Blacc ("Brooklyn in the Summer"), Hall & Oates feat. Train (the top 10 Hot AC hit "Philly Forget Me Not"), Hedeegard feat. Ylva ("Back To You," which releases later this month), Cash Cash, Fitz and the Tantrums, production team Take A Daytrip ("Raw Emotions"), Guy Sebastian (the first winner of Australian Idol), Nikki Yanofsky (Performed at the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics), Maggie Lindemann, Caroline Pennell (Contestant on the fifth season of The Voice), Australian indie electronica band Glades, jazz fusion singer Izzy Bizu, and actress and musician Kat Cunning.
The stunning range of genres showcases his immense talents and ability to really capture the mood and voice of those he works with. He is able to work with an artist and infuse his own talents and voice while showcasing the artists own unique style. It is this flexibility and ability to really get into the heart of an emotion and an artist's voice that similarly informs his work on the Raw Emotions campaign.
Say Stolar: "When I started the Raw Emotions project I couldn't think about anything else. People thought I was a bit out of my mind to want to release a song, an emotion, a photo, and a collaboration every month. Now a year later looking back at what we've done, I'm beyond proud of Raw Emotions. If you go on Instagram and see the conversations people are having with each other, that's what hits me the most. Raw Emotions was never about me, it was always supposed to be a public place for people to connect and talk about what they are feeling. The music is my expression and this is by far the most transparent music I've ever created. I feel really lucky to have stumbled upon this idea and can't wait to share what we have planned for the next few months."
This unique project has taken Stolar and his fans into areas of the heart and of expression he couldn't have imagined before. With the wild success of the campaign, he plans to continue the campaign into the next year.
When talking about plans for the future, Stolar said, "I look at Raw Emotions in two ways. One part is about the transparent creation and expression of my songs. The second is about open communication with people around the world about emotions and how they play a part in our lives. One year from now I'd like the music to be not only reflect the most real, transparent songs I've ever created, but also be an even bigger part of the soundtrack of the world. I want to create music for people to live their lives too. In terms of the emotions, I'd love to see millions of people having a forum to connect to their emotional life through art, music and inspired communications."
Stolar is a poly-instrumental songwriter and performer who has worked with many known and up and coming names, including Train, Hall & Oates, Aloe Blacc, Hedegaard and more. He co-wrote Aloe Blacc's summer smash hit, "Brooklyn in the Summer" which has over 1.6 million views (between official and lyric videos) and over 19 million streams on Spotify, as well as the first single from Hall & Oates (feat. Train) in 15 years, "Philly Forget Me Not" which reached #12 on the AC charts. His recent EP, Raw Emotions: West Village, N.Y. was released in May, as part of his year-long project based upon spotlighting and creating songs around individual emotions, entitled Raw Emotions. Outside of the recording studio, Stolar is actively involved with NAMI, the JED Foundation and Be Vocal, the mental health awareness foundations. His newest collaboration with Hedegaard and Ylva, "Back To You," will be available later this month. For more information on Stolar please visit www.stolarmusic.com. Stolar is available for interviews.
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