Tama Gucci Shares Introspective Track 'Didn't Have To'

Tama Gucci is the NYC-based artist named PAPER Magazine’s “Coolest Person In The Room” in June and, now, he shares the introspective, honest and vulnerable new song, “Didn’t Have To.” The latest taste from his anticipated debut album, Notes To Self is warm and personal with his soft vocals floating perfectly over ethereal synths. "I love this song so much,” notes Tama Gucci. “It’s taken from the deepest pages of my notebook and put into a song – about a past lover who I still think is cool but also manipulative. I came out on the greener side by being able to turn pain and confusion into a beautiful song.”

Last weekend, Tama Gucci performed at NYC’s LadyLand Festival with artists on the lineup such as Tinashe, ARCA, Baby Tate, AG Cook and more. He is set for several shows this month in the Netherlands and NYC - see dates below.

TAMA GUCCI TOUR DATES

July 6 Brooklyn, NY - Fox Collective 

July 20 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Garage Noord Festival

July 21 The Hague, Netherlands - Nyege Nyege x Never Normal @ PIP Den Haag

Notes To Self is out August 16th via Sinderlyn and is the culmination of years of forward-thinking pop songwriting while creating intricate club soundscapes. Described as reimagined Notes app musings and journal entries, the album tracks Tama’s evolution from fun-loving cover artist and studious songwriter/producer to self-assured, wholly encompassing visionary. The Miami-raised, New York-based singer, producer and DJ is constantly pushing the envelope and the album’s lead single, the nostalgic pop-punk ballad “Runaway Pup,” shows he’s up to the challenge, weaving in and out of different genres flawlessly. The album is also an unabashedly romantic and brooding record, predominantly centering self-growth and happiness and gleaning wisdom from past mistakes. Sprinkling sobering moments of clarity into dance music was a meaningful choice for him, who cherished songs of a similar vein as a child. 

His previous releases – 2017’s Out of Order mixtape, and 2019’s Fantasy and 2021’s Almost Blue EPs – allowed him to steadily build his sound and cultivate his artistic voice and, with Notes to Self, he opened his sonic universe to guest contributors for the first time. NYC songwriter/producer Cassius Cruz lent an ebullient rap verse to “No More ‘I Love You’s’”; ambient pop artist Colle (also of Chanel Beads) added heartrendingly beautiful whispers to “You Lost Me”; and Australian multi-hyphenate Jack Slade produced a pair of pop-forward tracks. 

Notes to Self also arrives at the perfect time for Tama Gucci, who’s become a staple of New York City’s queer electronic underground. He’s opened for the likes of Erika de Casier and Christine and the Queens, and guested on Caroline Polachek’s Club Quarantine set. He has also been making waves in the fashion world where he’s scored New York and Milan Fashion Week runway shows for Mirror Palais, Prabal Gurung and Moschino alongside his partner and fellow DJ, Matthew Mazur; has modeled for the likes of tastemakers like Telfar and more, and he also helms his own brand of tongue-in-cheek handmade apparel & clothing, Tama’s Corner. 

What began as a bedroom SoundCloud project to cover and remix popular songs, quickly blossomed into something far greater. Tama began to write, produce and perform his own music and became enamored with his hometown’s queer underground rave scene. The breakbeat-heavy sound of the city’s bustling warehouse parties rubbed off on his music, morphing it into an immersive blend of the ‘90s R&B and ‘00s pop he grew up loving, and the jungle and drum and bass music that fueled his nights out. The South Florida rave scene also brought Tama closer to his Jamaican roots, as electronic music was built on the foundations of dub reggae and, since its spaces uplifted both queer folks and people of color, he found community there. 

Tama Gucci is immensely proud of how far he has come, and is rightly excited by the prospect of people hearing Notes to Self.

Photo credit: Jonathan Qualtere & Pierce Pyrzenski

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