The modern paradigm of being an entertainer in today’s climate requires a level of dynamism that is unprecedented. Lyndon Forte embodies this with the way he manoeuvres his skills as an actor and musician. In addition to his latest single Maury, Forte, now steps into the world of reality television as part of the cast of the OWN Series – Ready To Love.
Speaking to CARIB VOXX Forte noted, “Balancing the reality show with music and my personal life has been a bit difficult. When Ready To Love and OWN reached out to us I was apprehensive at first but I like new challenges so I thought why not? At the same time, the hours were very demanding. Some days I would have multiple locations and shoots, Other days would last maybe 12 to 14 hours. So I was finding my schedule hard to balance at times, especially trying to devote time to my music. But you know how the old saying goes, ‘when Oprah calls, you answer!'”
His latest musical release “Maury” is a reflection of the tumultuous emotions found in the birth of a new love story. The song offers an insightful look into a new relationship, demonstrating the struggle and desire for emotional security. Through his lyrics, “any problem I’ll sort it, I’d be the father on Maury,” Forte paints a picture of his intention to provide stability and support to this newfound love. His play on words demonstrates an obvious contrast to the popular American TV show, Maury, where support is often not the end result of the relationships showcased.
Forte detailed the inspiration for his new single explaining, “The actual idea for Maury came to me while I was writing the song. My songs usually just form themselves as I write. I was writing about a relationship with a girl who had difficulties in past relationships. The more I’ve learned about women the more I understand that a big thing they need in a relationship is reassurance. Once I wrote the line “Any problem I’ll sort it, I’ll be the father on Maury,” I thought to myself, ‘well, it doesn’t get more reassuring than that.’
The actual show Maury seems like a man’s worst nightmare. So me saying that I want to be the father on Maury should let a girl know that I’m in this thing for the long haul.”
Throughout his musical journey, Forte has experimented with many genres. However, it’s safe to say he has found his musical home with Afrobeats. Maury channels very strong influences from the Afrobeats and Amapiano genres. The layered vocal styling in the song, especially on the hook, is modern and supremely relatable. The percussions and syncopation in the track align perfectly with the melodic choices Forte makes on the top line.
“I’m loving the new Afro-music wave. I feel like the drum patterns are similar to Dancehall which is what I grew up listening to in Kingston, Jamaica. So once I dove a bit deeper and realized how musical the sound was, writing became easy for me,” Forte expounded. “Some songs take longer to finish. Other songs, like Maury, just come naturally. I put the beat on and it was done in a few hours.”
As far as inspirations go, Forte declared, “I’m a fan of all types of music. I had returned home from a trip to Nashville, Tennessee and it really opened my eyes to Country Music. Their ability to write songs and be so vulnerable really spoke to me. I wrote Maury a week later. As far as an Afro Beat artist that has inspired me, I would have to give it to Burna Boy. The pain in his voice and his melodies are unmatched right now.”
Playfully, we asked Forte if he thought the track could benefit from remixes and dotingly he responded by saying “Remixes to Maury!? Wow. I haven’t even thought that far yet. But I would love to get a Jamaican artist for sure. I think Konshens is one of the most versatile artists and I feel like he could bring a rougher edge to the song. Secondly, I love what Jada Kingdom is doing. She’s so talented and she knows how to step out of that Caribbean box and I feel I do too. Thirdly TeeJay, his melodies and songs are just crazy right now,” he concluded.
Check out Lyndon Forte’s latest single Maury and don’t forget to catch him on ‘Ready to Love’ now on OWN.
