ROMELL
Profile
Welcome 2 the vibez.
In Romell’s world, “the vibez” isn’t simply the raw and open-hearted emotion one derives from his genuine, vulnerable and hypnotic R&B/pop joint “Die Alone,” the introductory single from the Milwaukee-bred singer and songwriter’s forthcoming debut album.
No, it’s something much bigger: a soul-baring invitation to reflect, challenge preconceived notions and propel yourself to heights unencumbered by limitation. “It’s an uplifting thing,” notes Romell, the flagship artist of Anti Gravity, a new label venture between noted Canadian producer/ writer/mixer Justin Gray (Avril Lavigne, Mariah Carey, John Legend) L.A.-based veteran manager and music executive Brad Aarons and Warner Music Canada.
“When you welcome somebody into the vibe, you’re welcoming them into your lifestyle – a mix of who you are and how you feel as a person”. “You’re welcoming somebody in to get to know the real you. You’re empowering other people to allow them to know who you are, as you help them grow with you and you grow with them.”
Authenticity is the key, as Romell lives his philosophy in his music, as evidence by the profound lyrics of “Die Alone,” co-written and produced by Gray. The four-minute snapshot is literally a walk-through of Romell’s troubled past, chronicling the days where drinking and homelessness and depression almost got the better off him until he found the strength to conquer his vices and turn his life around. “’Die Alone’ is a breakthrough for me,” Romell admits. “Before this, I didn’t really know how to express myself. I was a hothead for a really long time and didn’t really know how to display my emotions. I didn’t know how to genuinely love a woman the right way because some things weren’t always going right for me.”
Part of the issue was, according to Romell, that he was creatively trying to keep up with the Joneses, instead of following his heart. “I learned that I don’t have to live this false life and try to keep up with everybody,” he explains. “It okay just to be you – even if you don’t have anything. “Once I became a little humbler and started listening to what people were saying around me, it helped me to become me.” The Romell story took a more serious twist in October 2017 when the singer bumped into Justin Gray’s wife Daphne.
“Me and my best friend Dexter walked kids around for Big Brother/Big Sister activities and Halloween trick or treat,” Romell explains. “The Grays’ daughter was there and I was just singing while we were having fun. Daphne just tapped me on the shoulder and asked, ‘Do you sing? You should meet my husband.’ “She walked me into the house and I met Justin, and since that day, we’ve just been in a creative partnership and I feel my life actually change and shifted to the right track.”
This sense of self and honesty is what resonates through Romell’s combustible R&B, whether it’s the ballad “Die Alone,” or “Pray For a Miracle,” the soulful end title number from the Bleecker Street-distributed film Brian Banks, an L.A. Festival Award-winner starring Aldis Hodges and Greg Kinnear that chronicles the injustice of a wrongly imprisoned Atlanta Falcons linebacker. It’s this quest for truth that made the movie the ideal project for Romell to align himself with musically, since it reflects his philosophy to only have the greater good in mind for anything that he initiates.
“I know if I can somehow capture that good, people will listen, I know I can help them aspire to become more human, to empower both people and communities to better themselves,” he vows. “I’m not trying to sell you anything or put on a show. I’m giving you, ‘me.’” So, get into Romell’s vibez: they’re the real deal.