Diversity Rules Magazine

Diversity Rules Magazine| Aug 2023| 15 Tom Goss' ninth studio album, Remember What It Feels Like, is a clear-eyed look at where he has come from and where he finds himself today: a 42-year- old living in Los Angeles who has lived and loved and lost—and who cherishes all of his memories, both sweet and bi er, as essen al parts of his story and iden ty. The album is an expansive 15-track collec- on of fast, fun, summery pop songs punctuated by beau ful ballads and raucous rock. Featured ar sts include comedian and musician Deven Green, hip hop diva Maya La Maya, wry chanteuse Anne Re- burn, and Goss's long me collaborator de ROCHE. The album is available on iTunes, Spo fy, and all ma- jor digital pla orms, along with its new single, "En- emy of Good." "The truth is, most things in life happen for no rea- son at all, and are completely out of our control," says Goss from his LA home. "The only thing we can control is how we feel in the moment. There will be sweet mes and sad mes, highs and lows; I embrace them all. I want to remember what every experience felt like, even those that weren't pleasant, because ul mately, I am happy with who I am today. I've been shaped by every experience and so therefore, all of them have been good." Goss has been singing his truth for more than 15 years, crea ng a large and varied body of work (9 albums, 5 EPs, 39 music videos) that tracks his de- velopment both as a man and as an ar st. He has transformed the facts of his life—a troubled teen and college wrestler; a student studying to become a priest; touring the country as a gay singer-songwrit- er; falling in love and ge ng married; the heartbreak of infidelity and the challenges of an open marriage; being conned by a lover with a secret life—into songs of remarkable range, strength, and beauty. His songs have been featured on ABC, HBO, Disney+, and in several films. His music videos (including "Son of a Preacher Man," "Breath and Sound," and "Bears") have been viewed more than 18 million mes. In "Enemy of Good," Goss sings about perfec onism, a vice that o en masquerades as a virtue. "I'm very self-cri cal," he admits. "Even as a kid, I would get frustrated when I felt I fell short on a goal, and my mother would say, 'Tom, the perfect is the enemy of the good.' It struck me as powerful, and I con nue to no ce that my need to achieve perfec on does li le in the way of producing art, or happiness. Joy and crea vity flow when I allow myself to be flawed." The song is an upli ing pop track, as reflected in its music video. "The video's co- director, Catalin Stelian- Shanks, and I said right from the beginning that we didn't want to overthink the visuals. 'Enemy of Good' needed to exuberant and cheerful, like the song. Our goal was to make people smile, laugh, think, and bob their head along." The single and album are a departure from Goss's pre- vious work, the searingly honest Territories, whose drama c singles and music videos ("La Bufadora," "Berlin," "Amsterdam," and "Québec) captured his tumultuous few years dealing with infidelity, a newly open marriage, and falling in love with a charming Englishman who was not all who he appeared to be. With Remember What It Feels Like, Tom Goss says he is at a place of reconcilia on. "Forgiveness is easy," he reflects. "It's understanding the 'why?' that's hard. But I'm le ng it go and focusing on the present, be- cause the now is packed with goodness." Visit h p://tomgossmusic.com Remember What It Feels Like Tom Goss Reflects on Living, Loving and Losing in His Ninth Studio Album, With the First Single Release Being "Enemy of Good"

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