An emerging R&B-pop talent from Sydney, IRFXXN (pronounced IRFAAN) has had a meteoric rise since sharing the demo version of his debut song ('Latest Song') to TikTok earlier this year.
A blend of soulful pop, gospel-tinted R&B and a touch of swing reminiscent of modern dancehall, 'Latest Song' (which is a collaboration with producer BeatswithSheph) bounces with a swag fans of Khalid, French Montana, and J. Cole will get down too.A celebration of staying true to your values and communicating with honesty, 'Latest Song' isn't just a dance-floor banger, as IRFXXN sings with a passionate vulnerability that evokes heartfelt empathy.
"The song is about someone who is conflicted about what he should do. He's someone who knows his worth but is unwilling to let go of the potential he sees in the relationship he's trying to create," IRFXXN says.
Although this is IRFXXN's debut release, he's already amassed an army of supporters thanks to becoming a TikTok sensation earlier this year when a snippet of 'Latest Song' was viewed more than one million times on the social media platform.
While no one can predict who'll become the next TikTok viral star, IRFXXN knew sharing a video bringing fans into the studio with him had the capability to attract an audience.
"My team and I came up with a new video idea for TikTok. We wanted to showcase how a song is actually made and the steps we took to make the record.
"From idea to creation; it was quite funny because we didn't actually post the proper record on that video, it was just the demo of the song!
"I woke up the following day and just saw the numbers on that video rise and rise, it completely blew up out of nowhere and it was so exciting and overwhelming.
"All the people commenting and engaging with the video wanted the song released at that moment and I thought okay let's get to work."
@beatswithsheph You can’t deny good f*%king music. BeatsWithSheph x @Irfaan Mohammed ? #fyp #beatchallenge #musicproduction #singer #audioengineering ♬ original sound - beatswithsheph
Recently signed to Sydney recording label Sheph Division, this is only the beginning of IRFXXN.
"As an artist, social media is the home base for being able to receive feedback, engage with your listeners, create content that can show a deeper side of you and a bit more insight into why you make the songs or even how they're being made which is always so important.
"For me, I utilise social media as a feedback loop. Social media platforms are where my audience lives and so I want to be able to ask them what they want to hear from me."
So what did he learn from the experience? "Stay prepared. Mentally, physically, spiritually.
"Both opportunity or downfall can strike at any moment so being able to navigate through the social side of it and the personal side of it is a very important aspect in keeping everything running smoothly.
"It is so possible to reach a global audience as long as you're providing the masses with good quality content, but that means you'll have to double down on your mentals and stay focused on the positives as the heat will come in stacks."
@irfxxn.m Behind the scenes with @beatswithsheph #cooking #foryou ♬ original sound - IRFXXN
Would he do anything differently? "Maybe see what it would have been like if we didn't release the song now and stuck to the original idea of around the end of this year, the start of next year to release our first song hahah.
"However, my audience fast-tracked that process by demanding it to come out earlier. I'm glad to do it the way it's done and I wouldn't change it if I was given the chance.
"Next release 'round I'll definitely be ten steps ahead in order to deliver the track at a time that suits their seasonal needs."
