It's TURN UP Tuesday #Yaters. Check out the "Pop All Day" playlist on Spotify, featuring my single "Sugar" with Robin Schulz. https://play.spotify.com/user/spotify_canada/playlist/7ndCD5pklOTcrTcv4DErmI
Can't wait to hang out at the #JUNOS Fan Fare on April 2nd! Starting Wednesday at 5:00 PM, you can sign up at: www.junofanfare.ca — with Lourdes Salma Cicconen.
Francesco Yates landed a global smash in late 2015 as the voice of Robin Schulz’s “Sugar.” A reworking ofBaby Bash and Frankie J’s classic 2003 hit “Suga Suga,” the catchy dance anthem went top 10 in 15 countries (and counting) and just debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 87. The Canadian singer/songwriter now delivers an acoustic version of the hit, which sounds just as good on a guitar.
Toronto singer Francesco Yates performs 'Better To Be Loved' in the Toronto Star studio as part of the Newsroom Concert Sessions. Yates will be heading out on tour in the new year with Carly Rae Jepsen and Hedley.
He’s only 20, but Toronto crooner Francesco Yates has an old soul.
“I just want to make really important music that can last, and is not stamped to one timeframe,” he said.
The singer, who visited the Star newsroom in December, has been called the next “huge pop star” by Pharrell Williams. Yates’s single “Sugar” was recently named the most viral single of the year by Spotify and he landed a spot on CBC Music’s Top 25 Under 25.
Yates is set to join Hedley and Carly Rae Jepsen on tour in 2016, but you can listen to a few of his songs here.
See all of Francesco’s acoustic performances here: http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/newsroom-concert-series/2015/12/14/francesco-yates-visits-the-star-for-acoustic-newsroom-session.html
Teen Vogue premieres an exclusive acoustic rendition of Francesco’s hit single “Sugar” originally recorded with Robin Schulz. The single that has been dominating the music charts for the latter part of the year was recently named the most viral single of 2015 according to Spotify.
CBC Music has released their list of the best young Canadian musicians (25 under the age of 25). Francesco ranks among his Canadian contemporaries Shawn Mendes, Alessia Cara and The Weeknd.
Francesco Yates will join Alessia Cara, Shawn Mendes and Gabi Wlison for the Coca-Cola live red carpet pre-show performance airing exclusively on Yahoo on November 22.
Francesco Yates will be joining Carly Rae Jepsen on Hedley’s cross Canada #HELLOWORLD tour in the spring of 2016. Over 28 dates from coast to coast, Francesco and his band will be performing his hit singles “Call” and “Better To Be Loved”.
Fan pre-sale tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 10:00AM (EST).
eTalk joins Francesco Yates exclusively on set of his brand new music video for “Change the Channel”. Find out how Pharrell Williams was involved and how he keeps that hair together, while rocking out on set all day.
Robin Schulz brand new hit single “Sugar” featuring Francesco Yates has officially gone viral online. The infectious dance track currently sits in the top 10 on Spotify’s global Top 50 charts, with no signs of slowing down before reaching the #1 spot.
Sugar has also reached the top spot in over 8 countries worldwide including, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland.
Continue to follow their journey with the success of Sugar as the two will be performing a number of shows before the end of 2015.
Francesco Yates Talks Working With Pharrell on 'Change the Channel': Exclusive Video Premiere
It’s been four years since Toronto’s Francesco Yates was signed to Atlantic Records, and in the interim he’s been searching for exactly what kind of artist he wants to be.
Luckily, Yates is close to figuring that quandary out with the release of his self-titled EP. Featuring a blend of styles, the highlight of the effort is the catchy track “Change the Channel,” produced by Pharrell Williams, and features a mix of rock with subtle retro hints of old-school R&B. Here, Francesco premieres the video for “Change the Channel” and talks about the catchy track, working with Williams, and the recent wave of Toronto-raised talent.
Watch “Change the Channel” here: http://www.much.com/music/musicvideo/706669/francesco-yates-change-the-channel/
This is your first EP, yet you’ve been signed to Atlantic since you were 16 and now you’re 20. So what took so long?
What took so long is the process to find myself. You kinda gotta figure out what your style is, know what I mean? You need to take time because when you’re signed at 16, some young artists can get thrust into the spotlight and don’t have time to sort out what they want to do musically. That can cause a lot of problems down the road. You can ether pay now or pay later. You gotta find a way to do your time, I guess.
Robin Schulz Announces World Tour, Premieres EDX's 'Sugar' Remix ft. Francesco Yates: Exclusive
That’s very smart, considering most people would just rush into it. How does it feel that you have an EP under your belt now?
It’s really good. A lot of stuff on there is stuff from when I was 18 years old. It’s crazy to see it all come together in this way. It’s good because we can use this EP as a sort of tester to see where we go next. There’s so many different styles on it and that’s its purpose. You let the public decide.
Tell me a little about writing “Change the Channel.” It’s a great song.
It’s a close one to me and one of my favorites. It’s the first one I ever wrote with Pharrell on the first day of working with Pharrell, so it was a very joyous moment. Since that was when we met, we talked about a lot of different things -- some totally unrelated to music. We talked about what I did for fun and he kind of read me up and down. The next day we sat there and he gave me an electric guitar and we ended up doing “Change the Channel.” The beauty of it is that it wasn’t overthought...we went with what we were feeling on that one. I’m happy because I think it sounds the most natural.
What’s it like working with Pharrell compared to some other random producer. I’m sure he brings a different vibe from anyone else. Is that distracting or inspiring?
You can sit with him one time to hear him talk and learn so much. He doesn’t know just about music, he knows about history and will quote things from the Bible. People don’t realize he knows a lot about a lot... way more than he would even entertain. With him, he actually knows how to arrange a song from start to finish and he knows how to place things. Most people see things as a beat, he sees it as a full composition. He approaches it from a very music-based standpoint instead of a beat or a loop. He’ll make a loop and then arrange it once it’s bounced into the track. He has great musical instincts, so it’s almost like talking to another musician. He has a producer’s edge and a musician's edge.
Drake Co-Signed Singer Alessia Cara on Her Rising Fame: 'It's the Coolest Fluke Ever'
It seems like there’s been this recent wave of superstars from the Toronto area from The Weeknd to Alessia Cara. Does being from Toronto inspire you in any way?
I think we as a city are getting our time in the world. Seemingly there’s a couple of us in this movement of an alternative scene; all of us are in our own way part of the establishment and totally separate from it. That’s the Toronto sound. It’s that color palate that people like The Weeknd to Alessia are embracing right now. I think it’s going to continue to be a good thing. It’s a collective and it’s almost as if one person didn’t start it. It’s the great force and we’re all just in it, and that’s a beautiful thing.
Last question. You rock a pretty impressive fro. How do you keep it tamed?
You don’t. You can’t. You just have to kind of go with it. A lot of it has to with how it dries in the morning. It’s a crazy thing that changes by the day. I’ve had it since I was 14. It grew it one day and I was like, “Ok, you’re staying here.”
Dropping the name Pharrell tends to catch the attention of any music lover.
When we heard that 20-year-old musician Francesco Yates has been working with Pharrell on his debut album, we were curious about the talents that the young Yates must possess. We invited Yates to do a First Play Live session with CBC Music, and let me tell you, the kid lives up to the hype. He has fantastic command of a dynamic soulful voice with a deadly falsetto. He's vicious on the rock guitar solos when it's time to let rip and he also plays piano.
But it doesn't stop there, he also has a great sense of humour and the charisma and confidence to match his musical skills.
But don't take it from us, see for yourself. And view photos from Yates's studio session in the gallery above.
turnnoffyourmind
blakekathryn
theartofmadeline
jacobvanloon
romaincrisis
izzy806
janainaart