Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees chatted about their new single “Ain’t The Same” with Canadian country star Brett Kissel, and other new music and projects.
‘Ain’t The Same’ single
Fans of country and pop music alike are in luck. Brett Kissel has released a new single “Ain’t The Same,” in collaboration with pop and R&B vocal group 98 Degrees, which is available on digital service providers by clicking here. “When Brett’s manager played me this song, I sent it to the guys, and we all agreed that it was the right song. We all got in the studio and we recorded it, and we shot a video. I am really happy how it’s performing and how it came about,” Timmons said.
“It was a joy to work with Brett Kissel. He is a super talented and a super humble guy. The song is reacting super well right now,” he added.
The upbeat tune tells the story of a male narrator professing his feelings to the love of his life, explaining that life “ain’t the same” without her. The track also features a clever chorus that parallels the narrator’s relationship and famous pairings that just aren’t quite right when not together.
Kissel felt inspired to write the song for his wife, Cecilia, alongside co-writers Karen Kosowski and Tim Nichols.
‘Where Do You Wanna Go’ 98 Degrees single
This past summer, 98 Degrees released their single and music video for “Where Do You Wanna Go,” which was hailed as “refreshing” by Digital Journal. “It was a good summer song and it broke the Top 40. We broke a record there with that one,” he admitted.
“It was a great experience for us to have a fresh hit that’s a little bit different. It reacted well and it gave us the inspiration to get back in the studio to record for this 25th anniversary of ours,” he added.
“Where Do You Wanna Go” is available on Apple Music and on Spotify.
‘LIT’ collaboration with Pompey
Timmons released his latest solo dance single “LIT,” where he collaborates with rapper and producer Pompey. “LIT is doing great. It broke the Top 40 in the UK and it should be debuting on the Billboard Indicator chart any week now. It’s a slow build but we are hoping this is going to be a summer hit as well,” he said.
“LIT” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Timmons said, “Rennaisance.” “Things are ever-changing for me,” he said. “It’s a different time for us. 98 Degrees had an uptempo summer single last year and now I have a dance club song that is reacting well. Also, doing this country collaboration with Brett Kissel is a change for us. This is our ‘Renaissance’ period.”
Louie Bello’s ‘Ain’t Tryna Be a Cowboy’
He also spoke about “Ain’t Tryna Be a Cowboy” by Louie Bello. “That is the jam. I think it’s going to be a summer song as well,” he said. “I feel very excited for Louie, and I really hope that this is the song that puts him over the top.”
Nicole Michelle
Timmons had great words about pop darling Nicole Michelle. “Nicole is great, I love her, she is an amazing talent. She is always in the studio and she is working with some really great guys, including the Naughty By Nature guys, and they are fantastic,” he said.
Faith Schueler
The same holds true about country singer-songwriter Faith Schueler. “I love Faith too, I have been a fan of hers for a couple of years now too,” he said. “I had the good fortune of writing a couple of songs with her, we did that over Zoom since the pandemic had shut everything down.”
25th anniversary in music
This summer, 98 Degrees will be celebrating their 25th anniversary in the music industry. “It feels great,” he exclaimed. “It is amazing to still be doing it after all of these years, we have great fans.”
If he were to have any superpower, he revealed that it would be “to predict the future.”
For the dedicated fans, Timmons concluded, “Thank you to the fans, as always, for being there for us. We are certainly grateful that they are embracing all of this new material. We appreciate them from the bottom of our hearts.”
To learn more about Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees, follow him on Instagram and Twitter.
