Kwaku

The singable hook to Kwaku’s “Stuck” conjures an image familiar to anyone with a smartphone. “You love posting all your pictures when you’re down and feel alone,” he sings over a bright acoustic guitar sample. “And I think sometimes you hate yourself cause you’re stuck to your phone/ I miss when all of your thoughts were your own.”

From the sibling who scrolls through TikTok over dinner to the friend who presents an idyllic life online but is secretly depressed: we all know someone with an unhealthy addiction to social media. “Stuck” could easily be addressed to one of them. But Kwaku says that, in fact, he wrote the song about himself.

The cover of Kwaku's album "Stuck." (Courtesy)
The cover of Kwaku's album "Stuck." (Courtesy)
It all started when the 26-year-old started using TikTok during quarantine. His manager had been bugging him to try the video-sharing app for years, but it was the boredom of pandemic life that propelled him to the platform. He quickly discovered a knack for it. Soon, he had more followers on TikTok than anywhere else. (The latest count: 58,800 and growing.)

But the newfound success had its downsides.

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“I started to feel this pressure and anxiety that every video had to blow up, and if it didn’t blow up, I’m not a good artist or content creator and people don’t like me, and I should just give up,” Kwaku says.

One of his friends noticed the toll it was taking on him. “She was like, 'You didn’t get on TikTok to be a TikToker,'” he says. “And I was like, 'You’re right. I got on here to do music.'”

So, he decided to put his experience into a song. With the help of his friend Spenser Edmund, a producer in LA, he transformed a mostly acoustic creation by Zbeatz into the foundation of “Stuck,” a shimmery, downtempo vibe that sits in the sweet spot between euphoric and yearning.

The way Kwaku tells it, he has always had a knack for writing songs that stick in your head. The Massachusetts musician credits his mother with this discovery. “Originally, I was just a dancer,” he says. “And then, I think it was like halfway through high school, my mother pointed out to me, she was like, ‘You know, although you love dancing, one of the strongest things that you're good at in school is creative writing assignments. … Maybe you would possibly be good at songwriting.’”

The focus on writing has stayed with him. He thinks deeply about how his songs will be received. “Stuck” emerged from the realization that his personal experience with TikTok could easily translate to a much more universal feeling of alienation among young social media users. All he had to do was change “I” to “you,” and suddenly, the song seemed to be speaking directly to its audience.

The gambit paid off. Weeks before the song’s official release date, teasers for “Stuck” garnered millions of views on TikTok. The irony is not lost on Kwaku. He knows it’s a little strange to find success on social media with a song about the problems with social media. But that’s precisely why it works. No one knows better than a TikTok addict how much its users long for authentic human connection — on the app, or off. - WBUR

Boston Artist Kwaku releases a delightful new single called "Stuck," spreading his message of self-love.



Being his first track of 2021, Kwaku serenades through a song that preaches self-love and begs us to remove the fear of being unloved through powerful lyrics. The intense songwriting cleverly stresses the importance of being free in our own skin and being in the moment. The poetic lyrics, such as "No one really knows you because you're hiding from your throne and I think sometimes you hate yourself cause you're stuck to your phone" leaves a lasting impression on those who are too invested in their phones instead of taking a while to live freely in real life. "Stuck" features mesmerizing sounds, vibrant as we hear the tugging of guitar strings add a beautiful layer and a soothing touch that perfectly blends with Kwaku's sweet voice, reaching all of our hearts. The catchy chorus, "I miss when all your thoughts were your own" coupled with his delivery is undeniably impactful. Press play if you want to be inspired to live a little more outside of your phone. - Earmilk

Kwaku is an R&B/pop artist from Boston, Massachusetts with an undeniable ability for storytelling. His captivating new single "03" flawlessly blends heartfelt lyrics with a melodic guitar arrangement that leaves us in a dreamlike state.

Captured by Rowin' The Ocean, the accompanying video for "03" is down to earth with a retro home video feel. Kwaku takes us on an emotional rollercoaster, as he spills his raw emotions as he goes on a vulnerable ride through the Boston rooftops. Doing so with a sweet voice coupled with illuminated images, this artist is able to use his gravitating energy to captivate. Turn this track on and you may even find yourself going back to thinking of that special someone, praying that the love will be saved. - Earmilk

Kwaku is back ya'll and he's better than ever! He's bringing a completely different sound to his latest release '03,' and this extreme energy and depth, we were astonished! He confesses he's made a terrible mistake doing his girl wrong and he's attempting to correct things and turn back the clock trying to mend what's damaged.



We love the dimension Kwaku delivered in this hit by adding an array of vocal harmonies we didn't even know existed and a rap aspect as well! Kwaku will take you back to a time you're trying to rewind in your life and make things feel transformed in '03'!



Lyrics That Stick:



"Had to grow up, no more wasting your minutes." - Logan Reynolds

If you're in the mood for that late time pizza crave, don't hit up Kwaku because he's not anyone's 'Dominos!' He has a girl that's wanting him to be at her availability, open whenever she chooses and that's just not going to work with Kwaku! We love the symbolism and clever aspect in this song that makes you stop and grin at the originality.



Other than this bop being a complete banger it has such a fun chorus that we can see everyone vibing to and the beat contains that confident, lively sound everybody needs in their life! Kwaku is making himself immensely clear in this single, he's not down to be anyone's 'Dominos,' Papa Johns or Little Caesars so don't even try!



Lyrics That Stick:



"Cheesin when you call, got to keep you off my plate." - Logan Reynolds

Hailing from Boston, emerging artist Kwaku delivers a melodic record entitled “Fake” with relatable lyrics and a mad catchy hook that you should definitely check out. The record itself is a smooth, radio hit with a catchy hook and lyrics that a lot of people can definitely relate too in their own lives. The song, produced by DJ Shaw-t and American Antagon1st, has a pop feel to it, with the various elements in the beat allowing Kwaku to deliver a strong hook. The verses are rapped over melodically and slowly, with emphasis on the words and experiences he’s singing about. The hook is definitely the part of the track that makes it lovable, and I think it and Kwaku have the potential to do big things. Check it out below! - Jordan

After featuring on Spotify’s Fresh Finds, Boston based R&B singer-songwriter Kwaku returns with his masterful single ‘24/7’ March 8th, featuring Late Boomers Club.

Born in Newton, Massachusetts, Kwaku spent the majority of his childhood moving from town to town. Growing up, he was inspired by R&B legend Michael Jackson and eventually, his undying passion for music led him to teach himself how to sing, dance, and write. With encouragement from friends and family, his popularity began to rise in the local music scene.

Kwaku’s journey began in 2015 with the release of his debut single ‘That’s the Way’ and he’s since been unstoppable. His previous single ‘Fake’ received support from Spotify, being featured on playlists ‘Fresh Finds’ and ‘Fresh Finds: The Wave’. With the help of Late Boomers Club, ‘24/7’ is Kwaku’s strongest release to date, so we can only expect to see a lot more of him this year.

Fusing his unique sound with his creativity, originality, and strong songwriting ability, Kwaku is taken from an upcoming project to drop later in the year.

‘24/7’ will be released March 8th via Tunecore. - Jammerzine

Wow. We had to listen to this next one a few times to process everything correctly. Its a touching record that takes influence from R&B and dance music. "She Said" has an incredible vibe. Its pure, its genuine, and we wouldn't expect anything else for a tribute to the artists own mother. The track stands out and you can't help but smile every time it comes on. The Boston rapper has a handful of records on their Soundcloud you can check out and if you like what you hear, don't forget to connect with the artist to stay up to date on future releases! Enjoy - Gems & Secrets

Throughout “Medicine,” Boston lyricist/emcee Kwaku tells a story of his past actions in a story about the difficulties of starting a serious relationship with a girl who’s playing games with him – just as he used to do, giving him a taste of his own medicine. The track was produced by Shadowkey, Spenser Edmund, and American Antagon1st, and has a heavy EDM/dance influence while staying true to Kwaku’s signature Hip Hop/R&B sound. After working on it for nearly a year, it’s been unleashed to the public.

We’ve all been there; we’ve all had relationships in the past we wish we could re-do. Maybe it was the one who got away, maybe it’s just a fault you had during that time that you’d like to fix. Regardless, since we can’t, we move forward with the lessons learned and try not to make the same mistake(s) twice. Well, what happens when the tables are turned and those same difficulties come back to bite you when starting a new romance? - Matt Whitlock

Dating, rejection and all the feels that they come with can be a hard pill to swallow. Especially if what you did in a previous relationship comes back to bite you.

In his latest song, Boston-based artist Kwaku tells a story of his new love interest that plays games with him and toys with his feelings, similarly to how he’s behaved in the past. Hence, he gets a taste of his own medicine.

Though the lyrics allude to pain and heartbreak, they’re contrasted by the bouncy electronic beat, demonstrating that rejection doesn’t always have to be as miserable as we often make it out to be. The track, produced by Shadowkey, Spenser Edmund, and American Antagonist, features a mixture of singing and rapping by Kwaku. It’s heavily influenced by EDM, but manages to carve its own little niche in the genre with its hip hop influences.

Over the summer, Kwaku released the music video for his song, “OMW,” so we’re hoping he drops a video for “Medicine” in the near future. - Cara Difabio

“Blame,” the newest single off of Boston-based hip hop artist Kwaku’s upcoming debut album, is a catchy combination of bass-heavy undertones and smooth vocals. Following the release of his popular single “Fake” earlier this year that has reached to over 70k streams on Spotify, Kwaku uses “Blame” to tell the story of a girl that wants to reconcile a relationship after doing him wrong. Produced by Lucky Genius, “Blame” is set to be yet another defining factor in Kwaku’s rise to prominence. - La On Lock

Featured on Spotify’s Fresh Find Playlist

Meet Kwaku Sarpong J. Adu-Gyamfi, better known by his stagename Kwaku, a buzzzworth new sensation on the horizon with a string of hot new tracks surfacing on trendy streaming playlists right now. Capitalizing on the the early success, the New York-by-way-of-Massachusetts newcomer transitions his latest audio into visual with the release of the new music video, “Medicine”.

Directed by Josh Bliss Lighten and Kwaku himself, “Medicine” is a sexy hostage situation as the rising star is abducted by two beautiful female assailants (played by models Josephine Marie and Keri Smith). What appears to be a crime of passion with Kwaku being a possible cheater or other, through various scenery changes, the story unfolds as Kwaku narrates with a smooth upbeat melody. The production is high-octane and infectious with the three-headed monster of Shadowkey, Spenser Edmund and American Antagon 1st behind the boards. “Medicine” is a great gateway for newfound fans to discover the awesome new vibe that is Kwaku.

“Medicine” will have you moving to the hypnotizing grooves the moment the beat drops. It’s electric, impactful, exciting, and passionate. A great way to introduce the new wave of breakout sounds leading into the end of the year. Kwaku is set to take off like a rocket in t-minus.

Along with “Medicine”, Kwaku also has another hot single trailblazing in “Fake”. Both tracks are currently on the popular Spotify’s Fresh Find playlists. Checkout “Medicine” above and follow Kwaku on Instagram for daily updates on new music and shows near you. - Bryson Paul

“Medicine” is a pop infused EDM song with flavours extracted from hip hop. The record is by Ghanaian-American artist Kwaku. Besides singing and writing songs, he is also a record producer and dancer. This new song acts as the lead single off his forthcoming album, Incomplete. We share the video to the song…

“This video is about how past actions can come back to bite you. Throughout the visual, I tell a story about the difficulties of starting a serious relationship because of past actions while the worst case scenario is on going.” – Kwaku

Kwaku has gained over 50,000 combines plays across platforms. Listen to the new song below. - Aipate

Anchored by a heavy EDM/Pop backbone steeped in R&B/Hip-Hop, “Medicine”, Kwaku’s lead single off his up coming album “incomplete”, is the quintessential dance song for the nightclub. After over 50,000 combined streams and features in Soulbounce, Artistic Manifesto, and Allston Pudding to name a few, the Ghanaian-American singer, rapper, songwriter, producer, and dancer from Boston links with rising director and producer Josh Bliss Lighten for the anticipated affair.

“This video is about how past actions can come back to bite you. Throughout the visual, I tell a story about the difficulties of starting a serious relationship because of past actions while the worst case scenario is on going. I really wanted it feel fun & exciting because although its a song about heartache, its also a song about learning from heartache & finding the positives from it.” – Kwaku - Omar Serrano

Though you don't have to do it all to be successful, being a jack of all trades definitely helps. Just ask Ghanaian-American artist Kwaku. The Newton, Massachusetts native and multi-hyphenate up-and-comer considers himself a singer, rapper, record producer and dancer and is a man on a mission to become a household name. To that effect, he's honed his skills on all fronts, using his idol Michael Jackson as a blueprint, and released a few singles of his own, the latest being his dance-pop confection "Medicine," which SoulBounce is happy to premiere for you today."Medicine" rides on the EDM wave that's swept through music in recent years, mixing pop production with electronic grooves for a danceable, almost tropical feeling sound. However, Kwaku and co-producer American Antagonist balance it out with an R&B edge that gives the affair a bit more bite than the shallower offerings found in the mainstream. To add even more to it, Kwaku delivers an intriguing story with the song's lyrics. He plays the role of a man pining for an unobtainable love interest. Try as he might, he can't seem to get a shot with the object of his affections. Rather than be upset, he finds irony in the fact that he's being shot down in the same way he's rejected the affections of others. Though Kwaku's realization might be a bitter pill to swallow, "Medicine" is anything but. - Soulbounce

Kwaku’s devilish flow kills pretenders with high precision in his new single “Ties.” The Boston-based rapper is ruthless in his calling out of opportunists and lukewarm supporters, blasting them to smithereens with street probity and a booming low end. Kwaku rides the beat with style, not needing speed to break necks and blow minds, his words penetrate his targets like flaming daggers. “Ties” is the second single released by the hip-hop artist in two months, showing his intent to stay busy through the summer and get some truths out in the process. Kwaku recently showcased his style at O’Brien’s Pub and now looks poised to excite with new material at his next gig. Check out “Ties” for your daily dose of reality. - Rene Cobar