Mowry opened up about his love for music and his passion for entertainment. “Usher was a major influence, and his album inspired me to do this professionally. I just waited years and years until the timing was right, and I feel that 2015 is the year for me to release my music. I am really excited since this is a new venture for me. I am used to acting, but I want people to hear my music because I am passionate about it,” he said.
For this particular project, Mowry listed the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson, Prince, Sam Sparro and Lenny Kravitz as four of his greatest musical idols. “I like all kinds of music, but for my specific sound these are my top influences,” he said.
Mowry writes all of his own songs with his production partner, Excel Beats. “That is my other half of my music brain. We really get each other really well. We build everything from scratch. We are best friends and that makes it easier. We work very well together and we have fun while we are doing it,” he said.
He categorized his genre of music as “future funk” due to its “electric nature” and new sound. “It is a mixture of old school and new school, so it is very funky, electronic and alternative, all at the same time,” he said.
His song “Dancing Alone” was a track that he released for free, with a funky, Prince vibe to it, which he described as “a sad, upbeat song” since it is fun and energetic. “I wanted to do something different,” he said. “It has that switch in the end, and it has a hook that is great, alternative and rock. It was a fun song to write.”
Mowry will be releasing his first official single “Flirt” on April 20 and his EP will be released at some point in the summer. “It is a very upbeat and funky track and how alcohol can make it sometimes easier for you to flirt. It helps you loosen up a little bit. I think people can relate to it and have a fun time with it,” he said.
He has an upcoming show at the Grammy Museum for their educational program and Mowry enjoys supporting music in schools. He is a philanthropist and works with numerous charitable organizations. “The Grammy Museum is a super-awesome organization that I have been working with,” he said. “It is really cool since kids can learn about music and see me perform and I get to talk to them. It is fun.”
Mowry listed Janet Jackson, Janelle Monae, Lorde and Sia as his dream female duet choices, and he defined success as happiness. “If you are happy with where you are in life that is what is important,” he concluded.
For more information on actor and singer Tahj Mowry, check out his official Facebook page.
