When it comes to relationships, alternative R&B artist R.LUM.R seems to know exactly what you want to say and how to say it. Throughout his new song, “Cold,” he repeats, “I guess we went cold/It’s nobody’s fault” and he continues on to express the conflicting nature of a dying relationship that has no apparent pitfall. From “Cold,” we come to realize when people drift apart in a relationship, there’s not always a reason and sometimes there can be nothing done to control or repair the situation. The inherent struggle and the desire to keep things together can be more detrimental and dividing to the individuals and the relationship. 

Throughout his career, R.LUM.R has used his life experiences as tools to mold himself into the artist he wants to be. Back in 2016, he became the artist to watch when he released “Frustrated,” which amassed nearly 20 million plays on Spotify and has gained nearly three million views on YouTube since its release. Since then, R.LUM.R has been hard at work creating new music, evolving and grasping inspiration from genres such as rock, rap and R&B. 

The Florida-raised artist has been through his fair share of heartbreak, which is expressed through his music. R.LUM.R not only hits you with his painfully relatable lyrics, but hypnotizes you with his killer falsetto and soulful vocals. 

The singer-songwriter just dropped his newest single, called “Cold,” this past week. “Cold” is one out of a few singles he’s released in the past year. Earlier in 2019, he released “I’m Alright” and “How This Feels,” and over the summer he released “Boys Should Never Cry.” These last couple releases give a taste of how the upcoming debut album will sound. We can infer that this album will be infused with the soulfulness of R&B and injected with a bright and upbeat electronic sound that will juxtapose the raw and veracious lyrics. The Observer chatted with R.LUM.R to talk more about the upcoming debut album, touring and the inspiration behind “Cold.” 

What inspired you to write “Cold”?

Growing apart is an issue that a lot of people can definitely relate to. A lot of people live in a gray area. There’s a lot of music that is very polar. The song talks about the highest you’ve been and the lowest you’ve ever been. I think and have observed 95% of people’s lives, people are like, “I don’t know how I feel? Did that person ghost me? Or, did I ghost them accidentally? Was it problematic what I did?” Writing about and observing these in-betweens is something that I really try to do, and “Cold” was that situation that happened to me, where two people grow apart. Nobody cheated, nobody lied, nothing dramatic happened. You kind of have to be woken up and realize that you are two different people. This song is the process of doing so.   

Who are your musical influences and who do you listen to on a daily basis? 

First song that comes into my head is “No Stress” by Tycho, Densel Curry’s “Automatic” and the recent James Blake record. As far as influences, it’s all over the place. Who really made me want to write and play guitar was Coheed and Cambria and Circa Survive, a lot of emo bands like that. I really got into a lot of art rock stuff like King Crimson, Yes, Pink Floyd. But my mother only let us listen to R&B and soul like Sade and Anita Baker. 

Are you going on tour anytime soon? Where are you now with the music? 

I will be touring, and information about that will be available as soon as possible. Right now, I’m really focusing on the music. You know you got to get things right, make sure everything is prepared in a way that I was ready to really express so I wouldn’t have to explain it all the time. I want people to be like, “I get this, I love this, I feel this.” When we meet on tour, which is happening, we all revel in how dope the music and the moment is, rather than wondering whether people get it. 

Any more exciting projects coming up? 

We have a full debut album that is coming very, very soon. The record is definitely coming in the fall. I’m very excited to get the record out, and I’ve been working on it for a long time. People are getting pieces and glimpses with the singles that have been released.  

How would you describe your musical journey? 

For me, it’s a quest for understanding of my own life, by which I hope to clarify things for other people as well. I’m sure you’ve had the experience, and I’ve had the experience of and everyone’s had the experience of listening to an artist who sort of codifies things and gives you the words for a situation you’re going through. And helps you make sense of things and have understanding. I’ve had that experience a lot with bands that I listened to growing up, such as Linkin Park. I think it’s our duty as musicians to give that back to our audience.