GROOVY is primed to majorly impact the music industry with an eclectic style that’s all his own. Born and raised in Union, New Jersey, GROOVY blends the rhythmic sounds of Jersey Club, hip-hop, neo-pop, and R&B for a sound that makes listeners want to pull out their best dance moves.
At 24 years old, his grasp of music far exceeds his age as he sees himself as a part of the lineage of the great soul singers that came before him.
A self-proclaimed “experimental R&B act,” GROOVY’s infectious hooks and seductive lyrics have caught the attention of many as he continues to blaze his path.
Speaking with BET.com for expands the music, GROOVY spoke about growing up in the Garden State and his fascination with Jersey Club music as a child.
“I was always into Jersey club since I was a kid. Jersey club has been around since before I was born and I feel like when I was in my adolescence, it was hitting its stride,” GROOVY said. “There were DJs from all over like DJ Ty’s, DJ Slink, and DJ Lo, Man. I remember seeing them growing up.”
Created in Newark, NJ in the early aughts by pioneers such as DJ Tameil, Jersey Club is an off-shoot of Baltimore Club which is known for dance tracks at 140 RPMS. One of the progenitors of the genre and GROOVY’s biggest influence was his father, a well-known touring DJ who traveled all over the world and exposed him to the latest Jersey Club and House Music records that were playing at clubs.
“My dad was a DJ my entire childhood. He was touring and there were artists coming to the house all the time so I’m very familiar with the DJ lifestyle,” GROOVY recalled. You know, I was like, ‘Oh, Dad’s making music and doing shows. It was just my life and by the time I was 18, I was following in his footsteps.
When GROOVY began to take music seriously, his love of hip-hop, neo-pop, and R&B became a part of his music arsenal while always rooted in Jersey Club. Although his eclectic sound is fresh and unique, GROOVY says that his music expands the music he heard growing up in North New Jersey.
“I definitely make R&B and dance music that has some substance to it and has a message with some soul. I feel like I’m drawing from the music that I heard growing up. You know, house music always has a gospel sample or a very emotional female lead. That’s the music that I take my style from,” he said.
All this year, GROOVY has been dropping music that has been making waves and raising his profile as an up-and-coming artist to watch. On his latest single, “Badgurl,” he gives a stunning performance combining his sultry vocals over a pulsating track that will set ablaze to any dance floor. According to the song’s description, it is an “ode dedicated to all the ladies who are looking to set themselves free by embracing their wild side.”
Groovy sings, “She from Lagos/Her parents never let her out the house/She said she never got to be herself/She never got to the chance to figure who she is/I can help her
I can show her what it’s all about.”
Earlier this year, he dropped “Jersey Luv (Turn Me On),” which garnered over 1 Billion views on TikTok and Instagram. GROOVY explained the creative process behind “Jersey Luv,” his signature song.
“The song actually came together pretty quickly. I had the beat which was originally much slower. There was no speed-up or anything. I had recorded my part of the song and I then wanted to make something that was more dynamic,” GROOVY recalled.
“So we added this gun click speed-up section and the beat was kind of just open. Honestly, being from Jersey, I was kind of happy with the instrumental. It wasn’t until this girl told me that the drill rappers are really popular right now and I should try to get someone to do a drill verse at the end of it. That’s what brought me to be B Jack$ who’s from West Orange and introduced me to the whole world,” he added.
GROOVY’s friends captured behind-the-scenes footage of “Jersey Luv” because they wanted to mark the significant achievement of the singer/songwriter.
“My boys put that together. There were a lot of hands on deck. When we did that video, there were like 50 people working. The guys who shot my music video, don’t just do music videos,” GROOVY said. “They do all types of video production and they had the idea just to capture it. They wanted to show the process that went into making what ended up being my biggest song.”
With an ever-growing social media following and an untitled forthcoming EP, GROOVY is well-positioned to make a name for himself as an artist to watch.
“I think first and foremost, the reason you should tap in with me is I’m authentic. I’m from Jersey where the sound of the music comes from,” GROOVY said.”I’m pushing it and I’m bringing an element to Jersey club that I feel like has been missing since the 90s. It’s just real spill. You know, I’m the real deal. When it comes to this sound This is what I do.”
