Diversity Rules Magazine

10 Diversity Rules Magazine June 2019 Billy Winn's Dreamland II picks up where Dreamland I le off. Thema cally, at least. Soni- cally, its debut single, "Another Broken Heart," releasing May 24, turns up the drama with a heavy-octane dance num- ber. "I love going back to EDM, where it all started for me," Winn explains. "High energy dance is always a great place to get things started." Both EPs tell stories from the perspec ve of a queer kid of color who has had his heart broken. "It's the only posi on that I can write from and it's one that I can't recall ever hearing in pop music," Winn con nues. "My hope is that regardless of where you come from, who you are now, or who you are becom- ing; you're able to find some- thing in these songs that res- onates and makes you want to play them over and over again." "Another Broken Heart" was inspired by a series of circumstances in Winn's life, including the death of his father. "He and I weren't close but at the end of his life, I was asked to return home to take care of him and my family. It was an extremely emo onal situa on, and definitely some- thing that I'm s ll healing from." He didn't intend on making "Another Broken Heart" a dance record. Its original chorus was midtem- po. The idea to speed up the melody and make it a dance record came from his produc on team, Johnie & Elliot. "Johnie turned the song into some- thing rare," Winn reflects. "It's a dance track with a strong, relatable message about something we've all been through at least once. I think it's the perfect summer song." Billy Winn is a Billboard-char ng singer, songwriter, recording ar st, and performer who regularly thrills audiences with his shows and music releases, rang- ing from high energy dance records to emo onally charged EDM. With Dreamland II, Winn notes his inspira ons as being a mix of 90s R&B and the EDM of the last decade. "I was listening to a lot of TLC and Janet Jackson while I was working on Dreamland II; specifically, Crazy, Sexy, Cool, Fanmail, and Janet's Velvet Rope album. At the same me, I was listening to ar sts like Flume, Owl City, Robyn, and Tove Lo; trying to find a place musically where all those influences could exist or become something com- pletely different altogether." Last year, Billy Winn released Dreamland I, an album that ex- plored life as a percep on of fan- tasy and guilty pleasures. Singles "Seal It with a Kiss", "If You Re- ally Cared", and "Crash" were all presented as chapters in a larger story. "Another Broken Heart" is the next chapter in Winn's Dream- land saga. "In 'Another Broken Heart' and all of the songs in Dreamland II, the idea is that it's all fun and games un l someone catches feelings," Winn says. Dreamland II is a bit angrier than the first EP with a li le more underlying pain because the perspec ve has changed. "I'm not only talking from one indi- vidual's thoughts or feelings anymore. In Dreamland II, I consider mul ple angles." It's been a year since Winn released Dreamland I and the acclaim from the album has allowed him to tour and expand his fan base. It has also taught him to not doubt or second guess himself. "I'm trust- ing my ins ncts a lot more these days and I have to admit I'm pre y confident in the road ahead." "Things will happen that are outside of my control, but I'm not le ng those forces control me." Billy Winn's Dreamland II is being distributed by Ferocious Music and OneRPM and is available on iTunes, Spo fy and all digital pla orms. For more informa on, visit BillyWinn.com or follow him on Facebook. Another Broken Heart Billy Winn Returns With Dreamland II

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