Last month LA-based producer/singer-songwriter, guccihighwaters, unveiled plans for his third studio album ‘DEATH BY DESIRE’, due out May 30th via Epitaph Records. With unflinching honesty, he weaves a sonic tapestry of R&B and alt-pop with lyrics that chronicle an artist’s descent into darkness. Following the brooding lead single ‘DESIRE’, now he shares the music video to the suggestive closing track ‘IF LOOKS COULD KILL‘ featuring vocals from alternative artist/DJ TOOPOOR.
Guccihighwaters’ sultry cadence and TOOPOOR‘s sweetly sinister undertones collide over a hypnotic beat and pulsing synths, delivering a tantalizing-yet-toxic tale of lust and desire.
Check out the music video by –director’s name– below:
‘IF LOOKS COULD KILL’
WATCH | LISTEN
Explaining how he brought ‘IF LOOKS COULD KILL’ to life behind the production board, guccihighwaters adds, “I drew inspiration from the synth-heavy sounds of Gesaffelstein and Mike Dean, then blended those elements with the iconic 80’s vibe I love. But it was Layla’s [TOOPOOR] electronic edge that really brought the track to life – her influence pushed me to merge our styles and create something entirely new.”
Wanting to dive deeper than ever before, guccihighwaters embraces a raw and honest style that leaves no emotional stone unturned. “DEATH BY DESIRE is about the dark side of things that are seen as bad or sinful—lust, greed, jealousy,” he says. “I wanted to showcase what the dark side of being an artist can be. In the past, I hadn’t really dipped into that aspect of myself too much, but for this record I wanted to get everything out there —even the bad feelings.”
His third album marks a sonic evolution for the artist who emerged from the SoundCloud emo-rap scene of 2016-2017. By blending iridescent pop elements with his signature dark R&B style, he reveals a matured sound marked by creative and personal growth on DEATH BY DESIRE. With full creative control, aside from a few trusted collaborators, guccihighwaters assumed the roles of songwriter, producer, and vocalist to deliver his most daring and adventurous work to date.
In the years following his sophomore record ‘joke’s on you’ (2021), the multi-talented artist found himself at a total standstill. After bouncing between sessions with various producers and songwriters, he felt increasingly disconnected from his own work. Knowing it was time for a major change, he retreated to his studio to self-produce the luxurious alternative pop sound that would become DEATH BY DESIRE. Pouring every element of his musical acumen into these 12 songs, guccihighwaters displays just how far he’s come in his artistic abilities.
“I wanted to fully trust myself and my ideas, and that progression ultimately resulted in my expressing the honesty of who I am as a creator,” he muses. “This is the rawest form of my art.”
DEATH BY DESIRE Tracklisting
- DESIRE
- NOBODY ELSE
- BLIND OR HEARTLESS
- SIREN
- HIGH
- DON’T TALK ABOUT LOVE
- HABIT
- IN HER EYES
- ABOVE YOU
- NO ANGEL
- CLOSE ENOUGH
- IF LOOKS COULD KILL (FEAT. TOOPOOR)
For more information on guccihighwaters, visit:
