HAIDEN Pays Homage to Boy Bands in New Single OKAY OK K

Redefining what it means to put on a Halloween costume, Haiden's latest single criticizes poor communication in relationships, with a little help from himself.

The air is getting cooler, the leaves are turning colors, and the ever-popular throwback Halloween costumes are for sale - with the shift to Fall, what better way to bring in this change than with a brand-new Haiden single that reveals his costume this year?

Okay ok k was released October 15, with production from frequent collaborator Barry Fowler. Listen now on your favorite platform.

Following similarly 90s and 00s-inspired hits Harmony and Welcome Home, Haiden looks to pay homage not only to the frequent-artist comparison, Justin Timberlake, but to the whole sound of his *NSYNC boy band and its contemporaries from the Backstreet Boys. On Okay ok k, allow Haiden to introduce the world to his five singer alter egos in the band he's going as for Halloween: the Nice Guy, the Diva, the Heartthrob, the Bad Boy, and the Tortured Artist.

Parallel to the multiplicity of "okays" in the title and chorus, Haiden pairs his frontman voice with the echoing backup vocals of... multiple versions of himself. Playing off of the nostalgia of the boy band craze, Haiden utilizes his career-establishing, male model background and characteristic falsettos to match its vibrant, polished aesthetic. Kicking off the track with a show-stopping synth line, "Okay ok k" brings its 90s roots full circle to recall modern iterations of the boy band model, like the K-pop superstar group BTS. The crisp production is interrupted by an electric guitar-led second half, channeling how the genre was further refined in Haiden's lifetime by groups like the Jonas Brothers, Big Time Rush, and One Direction.

Reminiscent of the era-defining Bye Bye Bye refrain, the lyrics originate from how an ex- girlfriend of Haiden's would spell the word okay in text messages depending on how she was feeling. With "O-k-a-y" representing that she was perfectly fine, "O-k" suggesting a moderate level of annoyance, and the dreaded "K" conveying that she's dangerously upset, Haiden's inner lyricist lampoons the sheer ridiculousness of how such trivial differences in spelling hold unnecessarily deep, underlying feelings that are near-impossible to immediately understand.a??

"A lot of the sounds in the track are recycled text and AirDrop tones from my iPhone, which we felt invited fans into the text conversation," Haiden explains. "We even made one of the main percussion loops by placing a microphone in my mouth and drumming on the top of my head with drum sticks - kind of like the goofy antics expected from a boy band, and quite literally allowing people to 'hear my inner thoughts.'"

A departure from the self-focused, personal storytelling Haiden has relished in to date, this unique "boy band" style lends itself to an eclectic universalizing of the narrative. That the lyrics are delivered through the voices of "five," a relatable saga can be told in a way that evokes a sense of empathy for and fellowship with the group of narrators.

With an upbeat pairing of falsetto vocals and intimate sensuality that rival Justin Bieber and Justin Timberlake, Haiden has developed a unique sound with his own patent "lyrical saltiness." Though just breaking into the recording industry, Haiden is no stranger to music or the spotlight. Growing up in California, his talent was the self-taught solution to the childhood pressures of frequently moving around the state. At age 17, Haiden was scouted and signed by a major agency in Los Angeles as a runway and commercial fashion model, working concurrently with life as a student. Despite the thrill of the modeling world, Haiden longed for a creative outlet where he could achieve a higher level of self-expression, returning to the musical passion of his youth and eventually attending the prestigious Thornton School of Music at USC. Looking to make his mark on the alternative pop space, Haiden's rich vocals, lyrical compositions, and presence as a musician make him a rising star worth paying attention to.

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