Joshua Roberts shares his debut single and music video, ‘Stay, Stay, Stay!’ Widely known as the exuberant frontman of Florida band Magnolia Park, his solo debut depicts a softer side to Roberts. He trades in high-energy pop-punk hooks and spirited anthems for a more mellow sound, featuring saccharine synths woven throughout dreamy guitars and a rock-steady rhythm section.
Written in the middle of a rough breakup, pleading lyrics capture the heartache and anguish of attempting to convince someone you love to stay when you know they’re on their way out. Co-written and produced by Andrew Wade (Magnolia Park, A Day To Remember) alongside members of Magnolia Park, Joshua admits that writing this song was a pivotal part of his healing process.
“Everyone had a hand in this one and it really hit home because I know I’m not alone when it comes to going through breakups and heartbreak,” he explains. “It’s all a healing process and this was the first step of me mending that broken heart.”
Diving into this solo project, Joshua wanted to show the world a deeper vulnerability that was all his own. Not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, he says, “It opens me up to have my own identity in this world that we live in. It shows that we’re all still human and we’re all still going through things in life.”
Aside from his work with Magnolia Park, the vocalist and songwriter has been featured on tracks by everyone from 408 to labelmates poptropicaslutz! and plxntkid. Like many of the greats, Joshua Roberts grew up singing in church but seeing Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ for the first time was an awakening for him to find his own voice and pursue his calling. Inspired by a diverse mixture of genres and generations, his biggest influences are Justin Bieber, Labrinth, Billie Eilish, and Usher; artists who inform his new-age R&B/pop style with an alternative twist.
He sees this solo venture as a personal journey to push himself not only creatively but to grow as an individual as well. “It’s a whole side of me that I never talk about or share, so it’s a scary venture for sure but it’s something I feel I needed to take.”