LISTEN TO “magic” HERE
Today, Wrabel drops his latest song “magic,” kicking off his kaleidoscopic next musical era leading up to the release of his new EP one of those happy people (out Sept. 13 on Big Gay Records), a 10-date bi-coastal co-headlining tour with Billy Raffoul starting October 1, and his Austin City Limits debut on October 13.
Reflecting on the electrifying spark and a burgeoning chemistry with a new lover, “magic” boasts a joyful swagger that perfectly captures the essence of young love. The track (co-written and produced by Kid Harpoon) boasts lyrics that delve into the instant, undeniable emotional and physical attraction between two people (“I swear I knew you in another life, you love me so good I had to love you twice”), as well as Wrabel’s blissful higher vocal register, and his trusted piano that serves as the backbone of the song. “magic” fully backs up Billboard’s claim that “Wrabel is primed for a major breakthrough, and you ought to be on board for when he finally does.”
The six-song EP is a study of the balancing act between happiness and sadness; you can’t have one without the other. Of the EP, Wrabel says “that’s what love is, it’s happysad. Being ok with being happy and sad at the same time. I’m maybe the happiest I’ve ever been. But there’s a dark side to it as well of fear, doubt and insecurity.”
This is at the heart of the song “happy people” (co-written and produced by Jesse Shatkin), a personal self-reflection, peeling back Wrabel’s cheery external disposition to uncover the inner complexities of living in a world that sometimes can feel totally alien. But elsewhere on the EP, Wrabel flips the script, showcasing his musical diversity with “flying,” an amalgamation of a dancefloor bop and a smooth sultry R&B ode to love taking you sky-high, and “flickers” (co-written and produced by Stint) which is one of the most experimental songs he’s ever recorded, questioning the durability and longevity of love through a dreamlike sonic swirl of sparse piano and guitar and vocals that feel gravity-defying.
The EP also includes his previously released pop gems “love to love u,” an upbeat summery bop about leaning into love rather than running from it, and the starkly different “the real thing,” a slow-burning swelling confession of anxiety towards a new lover.
one of those happy people is the much-anticipated next chapter for Wrabel, who recently wrapped a 25-date string of appearances on the European leg of P!nk’s Beautiful Trauma World Tour where they performed their collaboration “90 Days” off the pop superstar’s recent Billboard 200 chart-topping album Hurts 2B Human.
Aside from his P!nk collaboration, Wrabel is the featured vocalist on the new Louis the Child single, “Too Close,” which he also co-wrote. He has also penned songs for and with the likes of Kesha (“Woman”), The Backstreet Boys (“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”), Marshmello (“Ritual”), Louis The Child (“Better Not”), Bishop Briggs (“Baby”) and more, was a 2018 GLAAD Media Awards nominee, and was named to Out Magazine’s Out100 in 2017. His past solo catalog also includes his heartbreakingly autobiographical “11 Blocks,” and “The Village” which he wrote in reaction to the news that federal protection for trans students was taken away in public schools.