PXTN

Paxton Ingram is heading in a new musical direction with the upcoming release of his new project, PXTN (pronounced Pax-ton), and his debut single "L2LY" is premiering exclusively on Billboard today (Feb. 28).

The upbeat "L2LY" showcases PXTN's captivating voice and diverse range as an artist. Confidence shines through on the single, which serves as a taste of his upcoming full-length PXTN.

"This track was produced by Dan Whittemore and co-written by myself and Rollo Spreckley," Ingram tells Billboard. "When we first wrote the hook in the studio, we couldn’t stop singing it for days. I would literally wake up with it stuck in my head. "L2LY" is an unapologetic and in-your-face kind of a song."

In 2016, Ingram gained national recognition for his live performance of Tasha Cobbs' "Break Every Chain" during the finals round of NBC's The Voice; his rendition reached No. 1 on the Billboard's Christian Digital Song Sales chart. Following his whirlwind success on the reality show, the Miami native wanted to take his career to the next level, and decided to return to the studio under the new name PXTN.

“When I joined The Voice, I was required to have a last name, so I bit the bullet and scrapped PXTN for the sake of being on TV," Ingram says. "Now that it’s over, I want to take back what’s mine. PXTN is who I am, it is my identity, and I feel like I’m finally coming into my own." - Billboard

Coming down to earth after an all-judge standing ovation on NBC’s The Voice, Paxton Ingram sought out a sense of freedom amidst the suppressing withdrawals of his let-go from the show. The powerhouse elements of Ingram’s performances, however, play out even more charismatically as he settles into his newfound artistry on his latest track, “D.I.R.T.Y.”

Turning to songwriting, Ingram’s return home to Florida after The Voice didn’t last long. Instead of settling back into everyday life, Ingram opted for the life of an artist, jetting back off to LA to record.

His latest release, “D.I.R.T.Y.,” is a collaborative mashup of pop, R&B, and electronic elements. A pop-sensation in the making, Paxton Ingram draws close comparisons to the likes of Jason Derulo and Jay Sean. “D.I.R.T.Y.”’s rhythmic lyricism and corresponding dance backdrop make this track ultra club-worthy. Of the track’s creation, Ingram gives,

“I’m especially excited about ‘Dirty’ because it’s such an obvious smash when you hear it for the first time. Writing this record was so easy, effortless and such a fun experience. Me and my friend J Bach (who I co-wrote it with) finished the song in under an hour. We brought it in to Ben Maxwell and CROW and they took it to the next level. From that moment I knew that ‘Dirty’ was going to be the song to shape my sound as an artist. I love how big and explosive it is and how the melodies are so easy and sticky, and the vocal production is so ethereal. ‘Dirty’ lives in such a cool space sonically, I’m freaking hype to have this song out in the world and I hope it connects to people.” - Ones To Watch

Paxton Ingram is getting “D.I.R.T.Y”!

The 22-year-old The Voice alum is busting out with the music video for his latest single on Wednesday (June 20), premiering exclusively on Just Jared.

Following his run on Season 10 on The Voice as a Top 11 finalist, the rising star’s already earned over 2 million streams on Spotify and 10 million streams on YouTube.

“I’m so hyped to finally have a video! I finally get to dance! This took a lot of muscle to make happen, from hiring the dancers, late-night rehearsals, locations being cancelled on us, and so many other factors. But ultimately the entire team pulled together a dope visual that I’m proud of. I hope this gives fans clearer view into my world!” he says of the release. - Just Jared

Paxton Ingram may not have been the winner of The Voice Season 10, but as we've seen with past contestants on various singing competitions, you don't necessarily need to be the champion in order to forge a successful career in music.
Simply being a part of Blake Shelton's team and reaching the Top 8, Ingram's unique sound reached millions of music lovers, who learned more about his talents thanks to the NBC show.
"I created a new bond and experience and new mystery and new fans, who probably wouldn’t have been my fans or listen to me if I wasn’t on Team Blake," the pop-R&B singer shares. "If I went with the typical hip-hop guy, you know, it would have been, ‘Alright, I get it.’ But in trusting my gut, it led to new opportunities.”

Since being on The Voice, the 22-year-old Miami native hasn't slowed down his hustle: He released the critically acclaimed "Bad Luck" earlier this year and, more recently, "D.I.R.T.Y"
We had the chance to catch up with Ingram while he was in New York City for a performance at Pianos in the Lower East Side, where he opened up about life after the show, the new single, "D.I.R.T.Y," and why he'll always call Miami home.

On The Voice
“Yes, I am crazy, and being crazy led me to become a finalist. I think [The Voice] was just trusting my instincts, trusting my gut, going into the unknown and having faith in this blind path with Blake Shelton. I didn’t even know who he was before I came to the show. I was there for Pharrell. I really wanted Pharrell, but then there were things that didn’t add up. There was a reason I couldn’t say yes to Pharrell. That was so hard and trippy of a concept. I couldn’t believe [at the time time] that I was going to tell him, ‘No.'"


On Being More Than Just a Voice Contestant
“Before I got on the show, they weren’t producing any talent post-The Voice. When you’re on the show, it’s hot and everyone’s talking about you. But once it’s done, even the winner doesn’t have the chance to become a household name like American Idol did and other reality shows. So I guess [on] our season, since it’s the tenth season, we were all like, ‘Something’s not right here.’ We were all songwriters. We were all in each other’s rooms and writing songs. We did whatever we could do.
I wrote a song that’s still being shopped around to other artists. I wrote that in the hotel with another friend of mine [from the show]. Being on the show and continuing the write, I was like, ‘I have to keep this up.’ I did it before I got on the show, but now I have to go full-force. I wanted to release a single right after the show. Even when I was still on The Voice, I was already writing and figuring it out and trying to be heard. I definitely flexed that muscle during the show, writing with the other contestants.”

On New Single “D.I.R.T.Y"
“When I get a song, I usually hear the track first or we make up a cool little melody with the track. But I heard the track first with this one, and automatically it sounded so explosive and grimey. I thought, ‘This sounds dirty.’

So it’s a play on this idea of ‘dirty.’ And you know, when you think 'dirty,' it kind of turns into… well, that’s self-explanatory. It turns into things that are more mature. [Laughs] I wanted to explore a more mature context and sound as an artist, since being on The Voice is very family [oriented]. I’m in the process of becoming the artist and no longer the TV kid. I needed some mature context and break free.”


On Songwriting
“When it comes to creating, I used to be very one-sided. I wanted to be the only one writing my songs. I didn’t want other writers. I didn’t want delivered songs. But now, I’m a more mature artist. And when it comes to creating, it’s very much the bigger picture.

It’s really not about the artist. Once you release it, it’s no longer yours, it belongs to the world and the fans. So who am I to say this is not what the world deserves?...I can’t have that ego trip. The biggest songs are sometimes the ones the artists had nothing to do with. It’s about being a mix of both: knowing what it takes to craft a song and what that looks like and how to do it. It’s also about listening to other songwriters. Don’t afraid of it.”


On His View of the Music Industry Today
“We’re living in an age where the artist needs to be their own one-man team. We’ve got to be self-composed. The manager, the label, the PR, we have it because we have social media. So you can do it. Don’t just sit around and wait to find someone who can help you. No! You can literally do it yourself.” - PopCrush