Sadb0y unveils his ‘Self-Made Heartbreak’ – and he does it for the misfits
12th April 2024
By Lorena Cristea
Sadb0y is going through a revolutionary path of his career – as the release of his latest mixtape, Self-Made Heartbreak, promises to mark a new beginning; a rebirth as a musician, baptised in an album which will be dedicated to the misfits, to those who are not afraid of being vulnerable in a dog-eat-dog world.
Describing himself as an amalgam of emotions and sounds, which could sometimes be happy, but at other times they might be sad, Sadb0y’s inspiration has always been in the realm of pop music. With a meticulous crafting process in his musical creations, a deep dedication to songwriting, and a baggage of dreams he aims to accomplish, the singer and songwriter wants his fanbase to thrive out of his music, not only to co-exist among the masses. Although his sound lies in inspirations from his favourite artists, his whole concept as a musician is solely based on originality and personal experiences, hence making his music a bit personal, but the outcome, however, is to bring together a community that can identify with his music.
Sadb0y has always been fascinated about what’s within, as from a young age, he was writing music and poetry. His willingness to create a safer space for those out there who are in a continuous struggle with their day-to-day issues is at the core of Sadb0y’s pavement to his musical world. Inspired by artists with the likes of Troye Sivan, Raye, or Lauv, Sadb0y brings a fresh, euphoric sound in the London music scene, reminiscing about the experiences he’s had in the metropolitan city. Stay is the first single on the mixtape which was released on the 22nd of March.
“Stay and the mixtape as a whole is an ode to being gay in London and navigating your 20’s through nightlife and the craziness that the city has to offer,” he said.
If you happen to go through a rough patch, in a city as big as London, finding yourself lost, roaming around the crammed streets, and feeling like you’re misunderstood by your peers – Sadb0y’s music is there for you to assure you that you’re not alone in this battle of thoughts. You can sense this particularly in the lyrics of Stay: “Don’t just let the loneliness for lonely/ I need you to console me, London is lonely.”
What makes Sadb0y relatable with the rest of us is that, as an up-and-coming artist, his mixtape was crafted entirely in his London flat. His mastered song-writing complements the explosive drum sounds and warming synths, which makes him one of a kind.
In his mixtape, Sadb0y also explores through the London nightlife – he does it through his own lens, expressing himself in an abundance of neatly-crafted sounds, layered by his words. In Stone Cold Sober, one of the tracks that will be featured on his upcoming mixtape, the London musician tales a modern love story – in a crowded room with plenty of foreign faces, only one is standing up above the crowd, but he fears that when the midnight’s over, so will be the narrative: “When the party’s over and we’re stone cold sober, will you feel the same?/ When I wake up tomorrow, will you pull me closer or just turn away?” This story of fatal attraction and uncertainty, mixed with a hint of alcohol and foggy nights that were lost, makes Sadb0y, both lyrically and production-wise, a modern storyteller.
The 20s are a pivotal stage in our lives; it’s when we’re one step ahead to blossoming into adulthood, and when the nightlife tastes like tonic gin. The bittersweetness of this era is strongly conveyed in 2am in Soho, where Sadb0y gets his emotions undressed: “When the man took my hand made me feel fine/ That’ll do for tonight.” Craving the tenderness sensation, he is also trying to be self-aware of the twisted, whirlwind scenarios a possible relationship might bring to the table. So, as many of us, the narrator finds coping mechanisms in things that bring pleasure for a short period of time. In an Instagram post Sadb0y shared recently with his fans, 2am in Soho is an ode to “those who are in their 10th mid 20s crisis, lost their flat keys, spent too much money, and blacked out again”.
And with a generation that’s always on a journey towards self-discovery, Sadb0y’s music is really embracing the idea that it is okay to make mistakes from time to time, to get lost between nights that feel like an eternity, to be wild and fall in love with strangers. The artist, who is now in his mid 20’s, shared that Self-Made Heartbreak is just the beginning of his commitment to create a safe space, where the eccentrics are certainly more than welcomed to join.
In Friends, he dives into heartbreak and the sorrow that comes with it after your special someone has vanished. The slow hyper-pop sound which reminisces an early 2016 Troye Sivan vibe, along with Sadb0y’s brilliant songwriting and the melancholic guitar riffs in the background, this track will get you into the intensity of the message conveyed: “Don’t say that we’re friends/ We will never be friends.”
After a 10-year hiatus, where his lack of inspiration has spoken for himself, Self-Made Heartbreak was born out of a desire to create a beautiful, messed up imagery reflecting his own persona. The mixtape is Sadb0y’s first release as a producer, while he ‘poured his brains into his computer.’ Talking about his work, he stated the following:
“My first work as a producer, my first time putting something out into the universe that’s not super polished and crisp but it’s messy and glitchy and exactly how I was feeling. Doing this independent[ly] with literally no money is so hard but I really really really love it.”
The full release will be released on the 12th of April and can be found on streaming music services, such as Spotify, Deezer, or Apple Music. Until then, this was Sadb0y and his journey, and we’re excited to see more of him.