โIโm talking about someone else – where does little obsession go – but I did just write a whole fucking song about itโ.
Hailing from sleepy Darkinjung Country, BOY SODA has awakened R&B with his fresh sound and personal storytelling. But the “BIG” performer is more than a singer, songwriter, and producer. Every detail, from the songwriting to the visuals, has his fingerprint.
His latest track,ย Lil’ Obsession, brings old-school to new-school, placing him firmly at the forefront of next-gen R&B. With its candid lyrics and lush live instrumentation, BOY SODA unveils his matured sonic identity – one that sets the tone for his upcoming debut album. Today, riding the wave of Lilโ Obsession, BOY SODA is all smiles – open, thoughtful, and ready to unpack what this moment means and more.
โMaking music makes the unknowns known to me,โ BOY SODA shares. His personal growth fuels his music and his music fuels his growth, bringing greater clarity as he moves through life.
From the time BOY SODA could feel music, he was swept up by the vocal mastery of R&B. โNothing speaks better than a run,โ he explains. While writing across pop, country, and hyperpop – โit makes me a better writerโ – R&B remains key to his sound. But itโs not just the vocal flair that draws him in – the genreโs emotional depth allows him to dive into his truest self. โThatโs the only way I know how to speak honestlyโ.ย
Long before he put it in words like that, I got to see how far this little R&B obsession went. Before BOY SODA was BOY SODA, we both grew up on Darkinjung Country – the Central Coast. We went to neighbouring high schools and one day his music class performed at mine. โOh, no,โ he cringes, laughing at the memory. No surprise – he sang a new R&B classic:ย Sure Thingย by Miguel.ย
With his hands to his face, I continue. I remember watching him on my school stage and thinking, he knows what heโs going for. Even almost ten years ago (yikes), his artistic vision felt clear. โBeing in the blue-collared school shirt, Iโm sure I didn’t have it completely figured out,โ he laughs. โI think I knew what I wanted to go for. I was just early in the process of embodying itโ.
Thereโs no real space for aspiring R&B artists to grow on the Coast. BOY SODA was surrounded by lovers of music – but โR&B, Soul wasnโt in their vocabulary,” he reflects. โI really struggled to find people that I felt seen byโ. As any artist will tell you, building a creative identity without community is almost impossible.
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BOY SODA moved to Eora Nation (Sydney), where he finally found the community heโd been missing back on the Coast. He connected with people who shared his love for R&B. The cherry on top – many of these friends were classically or jazz-trained musicians, some from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
While figuring out his sound with electronic instrumentation (โTime For Thatโ, โLOVEU2BITSโ), BOY SODAโs friends drew him to live instrumentation. Live horns, drums, keys, and electric bass guitar spoke to his artistic soul, gradually phasing out the electronic beats in his earlier songs.
At the same time, BOY SODA became struck by music that embraced dynamics and space. He admired Victoria Monรฉtโs Jaguar for โallowing there to be bars of musicโ and paid close attention to artists like Destin Conrad, Sasha Keable, Ambrรฉ, and Lucky Daye – R&B artists who prioritise musicality as the industry favoured โpopular music over good musicโ. For BOY SODA, live instrumentation and rich musicality quickly became non-negotiables.
Following this new path, last year BOY SODA retreated to a studio tucked away in Colomatta Country (the Blue Mountains) – phone off – for two uninterrupted weeks. Surrounded by his community of talented musician friends, he brought along the structural bones and โmelodic gibberishโ of what would become Lilโ Obsession – the first single from his upcoming project, released late January 2025.
The crisp air and lush valleys of Colomatta Country encouraged unfiltered creativity, evolving the melodic gibberish into lyrics like โYou treat love like itโs just a nounโ. โA place like that brings you closer to yourself and the music that comes out of that is more honest,โ BOY SODA reflects. Live instrumentation with โthe vibrato, the intonationโ of backing vocalists A.GIRL, Jasmine Khan, and Charbel, hit the lyrics home, transforming them into a poignant narrative of a tumultuous break up and the emotional rollercoaster that followed.
With these elements, Lilโ Obsession became BOY SODAโs most cherished release to date. โItโs been a few years of figuring out the musicโฆ [but now] everythingโs aligning and connecting,โ he says with a smile. Now, with the support he once lacked, heโs closer than ever to becoming the kind of artist that kid I saw on my school stage wanted to be.
At the time of this interview, Lilโ Obsession reached 600 000 streams. โItโs the first time seeing numbers move like that from my own music,โ BOY SODA says with gratitude. โItโs really nice to see so many people listening to it at the same timeโ. For a time, it seemed music โmade for reasons other than musicalityโ was taking over. But now, โitโs come back full circleโฆ people want things they can feel and touchโ. And Lilโ Obsession is proof of his commitment to delivering that.
To keep the momentum going, BOY SODA has been constantly promoting Lilโ Obsession on social media, even sharing a live version of the song on his Youtube channel. As a result, he finds himself constantly revisiting his past relationship. โI thought I didnโt have the mental space for that but now itโs in my day, everyday,โ he reflects. Whilst performing the song repeatedly can sometimes feel like โscratching the wound,โ BOY SODA sees the beauty in it. It confirms heโs fully processed the relationship – the highs, the lows, and everything in between. And for him, that can only be a positive thing.
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Multiple songs were recorded in that Colomatta studio. Playing it close to the vest, BOY SODA teases that โLilโ Obsessionย is the tip of the icebergโ. Expect his debut album to marry the live sound he now โcanโt live withoutโ and his known โunknownsโ.
โThe time I spent on the Coast was really formative,โ BOY SODA reflects, acknowledging how it started his musical journey. Heโs found much affection for the Coast since finding community in Eora. Where it once made the R&B artist โclaustrophobicโ itโs now where he can breathe, returning frequently to connect with family and recharge.ย
While music is at the heart of his creative expression, there’s an equally interesting side to BOY SODAโs artistry: his hands-on approach to creating the visuals that accompany his music.ย Over the years, his engaging music videos, visualisers, and SODA SESSIONS have felt as natural as his music. The imagery for a music video is often โthe first idea that comes while making the music,โ he says.
BOY SODA admires artists like Frank Ocean, who effortlessly merge music and visual storytelling to create cinematic experiences. He appreciates film, scrolling through cinematography pages on Instagram, and citing The Secret Life of Walter Mitty for the โvisual correlations between Walterโs inner mind and his work mind,โ which the score compliments.ย
Looking back, BOY SODA admits, โI used to be trusting of people shooting me, which was fun,โ but now he feels compelled to bring his own visions to life. He prefers working with a monitor, carefully crafting details like lighting to align with his story. This transition isn’t about control but ensuring each frame reflects his artistic message.ย Where his skills fall short, BOY SODA willingly relies on fellow artists to carry his vision forward. โI love attention to detail and I love working with people to make that happen,โ he says, valuing the input of gifted artists to bring his inner world to the outside world.ย
With statements like, โIโll be doing a treatment for a visual of a song and I canโt believe this is my life,โ itโs no surprise that BOY SODA is drawn to directing. โIโd love to be someone who could create visuals for other people and direct them,โ he shares. Though, heโs in no rush, trusting that this creative journey will unfold in its own time.ย โThese will all come to fruition when the stars align and when itโs time for those things to happen for me,โ he says, assured that his current work will pave the way for this next chapter. โIโm sure itโs in the pipelineโ.ย
We wrap up the interview with a smile and a send-off. โLetโs get to a million streams,โ I say. โA million on the streams and a million in the bank account,โ he fires back. โAyyyee!โ I laugh.ย Words are funny things. On the very day I planned to post this story, the DRAFT. Team got the news –ย Lilโ Obsessionย had officially crossed the one-million-stream mark. One goal down. If his track record with manifestations holds up, the next milestone is on its way.
