OVO-signed, Canadian artist Roy Woods is at a phase in his career of complete creative liberation, sonically proven in his latest bite-sized EP, Rolling Stone.
The 20-minute project interweaves themes of lavish partying, stress-free situationships, and steamy rendezvous sessions with roaring trap-slapping beats and chords to match the debauchery. With thrilling and upbeat lyrics inspired by real-life experiences the Brampton native has faced, Woods describes the creation of the punchy EP as the most “free” he’s ever felt.
“Every song was literally about taking memories from fun times that I’ve been having throughout the year and just putting it on a project,” Woods said in an interview with Now Toronto.
Rolling Stone comes a little over one year after his 2023 album Mixed Emotions, taking a turn from the stories of romance, self-reflection and maturation that its predecessor brought to the table. Woods says while the context of his latest might be different, the essence of his artistry remains the same.
“Mixed Emotions is… I wouldn’t say pop, but in a sense, like a little bit more mainstream… But this was more about getting out of that world, leaving the heartbreak alone and going into my own world of just feeling me, feeling free, feeling unchained to anybody’s emotions, feeling no attachments,” he said.
“A lot of these songs are just me, just making music, really… I was really happy about being able to experiment with this new flavour and then also dip into my old bag.”
Of all the songs on the seven-track project, Woods says “Rockstar Baby” is his favourite, a melodic R&B hip-hop vibe with a flawless unanticipated beat drop, one he says was intentional to fuse the genres together in an unexpected way.
“I felt like it was so dope and so different for R&B, because that’s something you’d hear in rap, right? So, I felt like it was just a great record to kind of break barriers with ‘Rockstar Baby,” he said.
TORONTO PROUD
One thing Woods proudly wears on his sleeve is his Guyanese heritage, often incorporating Caribbean creole language into his songs. From previous hit songs like “Gwan Big Up Urself” to his most recent on Rolling Stone “She Don’t Care Bout My Name,” he says not only is there an importance in upholding his roots, but to showcase to the world that he’s from a diverse, one-of-a-kind city.
“This is Toronto. Ain’t no place like Toronto… I mean, there is none. So, I always want to let the world know this is Toronto,” he said.
“It’s in our roots. It’s in our blood, you know… it’s a responsibility of ours.”
Signed to OVO as a teenager, the 28-year-old has worked alongside local and international artists such as Drake, Majid Jordan, Coi Leray and Jada Kingdom. He says he’s hopeful to collaborate with Usher someday, the artist behind the first R&B album he had ever listened to.
INVEST IN YOURSELF
For emerging Toronto-based artists with dreams of breaking into the game, he shares some sound advice.
“Invest in yourself. Whether it’s money, your craft… invest in it,” he said.
“I always tell people, try to stand out as well… Don’t copy. Find that balance between having fun and getting sh*t done right. Learn the business and make sure you have fun with it, because it gets wild. Don’t get lost in the sauce. There’s so much, but always just make sure you invest in yourself and keep the right ones around you, and everything should flow.”
Rolling Stone could be seen as a sort-of calm before the storm, as Woods has full intentions of unleashing a new album in 2025 for the real heartbreak music lovers.
“If you want to hear Roy in pain and sad… that’s that album. That’s that one. If you have an ex that you want to send some songs to, to let them know how you feel, this is the album for that,” he laughed.
“If you liked Rolling Stone, I promise you’re going to fall in love with this album,” Woods added.
