FEATURING : Ryan Beatty

image from : source

Former teen idol Ryan Beatty has come a long way since his Youtube days, now working with BROCKHAMPTON and releasing new single, "Bruise".

In 2011, at just 15 years old, Beatty rose to fame covering popular songs on his Youtube channel. His debut EP, Because of You, premiered on Radio Disney and was an instant #1 on the pop charts. He even toured with Australian singer Cody Simpson in 2013. Despite his teen pop success, Beatty stepped out of the spotlight a few years ago. He never released a full length album, his 2014 headline tour fell through, and on Twitter, he writes that he "retired from music 4 years ago". However recently, he's made quite the comeback.

If you're a fan of everyone's new favourite boyband, BROCKHAMPTON, you will definitely recognize Beatty's smooth vocals from the song "BLEACH", track seven on the group's 2017 album SATURATION III. He can also be seen working with the hip hop collective in their SATURATION documentary, and he even did some backup vocals for "QUEER", from SATURATION II. Beatty is not a member of BROCKHAMPTON, but has certainly made a notable contribution to the group's work.

After being on hiatus for a little while, in 2016, Beatty came out as gay. The singer shared on social media that it took him "20 years of suffocating in the closet", but now he's finally comfortable and happy. This proud new public identity has allowed Beatty to tell more personal stories through his music, as can be heard in "Bruise", his first new single since his break from music. Released on May 18, 2018, the song details an experience he had in high school where he went to a dance with his girlfriend, but he ended up falling for a boy. A heart-wrenching story of self discovery told through experimental sounds, raw vocals, and dream-like production, "Bruise" is a truly mesmerizing work.

Ryan Beatty has spent a long time working on his new sound, and he's set to finally release his debut album this year. Be sure to keep an eye on this rising artist.

Listen to "Bruise" below.

This feature was the first of roseplaylist's pride month celebration. All month long, I will be highlighting LGBT+ artists, and you can be a part of it! Submissions are open until Wednesday, June 20, so send me your favourite artist, or your own music. You can find my contact information by clicking here.

This artist was submitted by @hearteyesalice on Instagram.