As amapiano continues to dominate the global music scene, Canadian R&B star Lonely Boy can’t help but praise the likes of Kabza de Small and Musa Keys for their stellar music composition skills.

He even went as far as dubbing them “musical geniuses”.

The international star, whose real name is Anthony Isaac Pierre, shared his sentiments on the two SA musicians during an interview with S Mag, where he revealed his desire to hopefully work with them one day.

“I think merging the R&B sound with amapiano beats made by Kabza and Musa would really result in a masterpiece track. Their execution when it comes to composing a song is truly admirable hence a song with them would truly be an honour,” he explains.

Lonely Boy is an emerging artist out of Ottawa, Canada, who effortlessly combines a unique, sultry and nostalgic R&B sound with a variation of soul and pop influences, carried with great energy.

“Growing up I always felt alone, I thought my blackness was misunderstood… I was always put in a box, which I believe I didn’t fit in to. I have been calling myself ‘Lonely Boy’ since 2016 because I couldn’t express myself boldly.

“In 2018, after getting out of my first relationship, I decided to pen down my heartbreak because I felt that there must be people feeling the same way that I am, to my surprise many people understood my pain,” he says.

Having a strong fascination with the African continent and the desire to go back to his roots, Lonely Boy explains that in hindsight, the pandemic was a blessing in disguise that helped his virtual shows get the recognition they deserved.

“I was supposed to be in SA in 2020 for a general trip with the family. We were going to tour Nigeria as well as South Africa but the pandemic happened hence I’ve never been down there. This was at a time I was starting to work on my music and become more serious about my career.

“Where I’m from, people are overlooked, so I feel really empowered that my music has reached the South African audience… it’s like I’m going back to my African roots. I remember watching Fela Kuti perform live when I was eight years old, I recall leaning over to my grandfather and telling him that whatever Fela was doing on stage and the energy he was exuding, I wanted to do the exact same thing,” the 29-year-old said.  

Although his sound sets the mood that adorns his listeners with his lush yet powerhouse vocals, Lonely Boy wants to explore and experience African culture that transcends North American shores.

With his hybrid linage stemming from Trinidad and Nigeria, the soulful singer has made it his mission to acknowledge his heritage and infuse it into who he is as an artist.   

“There’s this sense of confidence that Africans have which I gravitate towards. I love how Africans aren’t afraid to claim and take up space no matter what. Being able to share music and being able to perform at different places is what I believe it’s all about. I can’t wait for the day I perform my music in Africa.”