Los Angeles has always been a city where dreams become real, and for singer, songwriter, and producer TIM, that collision of expectation with reality has become the foundation for his music. His latest release, "Solo", which is off his mixtape Pink, isn't just another release, but a deeply personal exploration of coming of age, nostalgia, and ideating a sense of identity in a world that rarely gives us easy solutions.
TIM is utilizing “Solo” to be at once a storyteller or, as he says, a painter. He describes the song as a depiction of the past, present, and future, mixed with elements of his childhood and experiences familiar to every other kid in his culture, ultimately producing something that is uniquely his. He recalls being a kid and seeing Boy Meets World and recognizing that while Cory Matthews might wake up to Topanga, for him, life was more like liquor stores, rims, and other parts of being a kid in Los Angeles. And that opposition became part of his essence and what makes his art a fully raw but fanciful diary.
The track balances swagger with vulnerability. The lyricism of TIM invokes images of gold teeth, Sao Paulo daydreams, and the constant pull of money as a currency as well as a means of survival. Beneath that, “Solo" embodies fun and freedom, and creativity. TIM challenges listeners to do more than simply hear the song; he invites us to embrace a childlike sense of wonder and curiosity, and to enjoy the music as more than a song, as if it’s a new language or sport.
What really makes TIM the most interesting is that he is independent. As a true solo artist, he writes, records, and produces each song independently. He can finish every song as organically as he is authentic. "Solo" is an example of that independence: unfiltered, unassuming, and unapologetically TIM. TIM is just now starting to show us his own lens. If "Solo" is any indication, his story is worth the journey, even with the grittiness of Los Angeles.