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Anthony Brown: Don’t Stop Believin’


Anthony Brown in front of studio microphone

via: Anthony Brown

Anthony Brown, an up-and-coming R&B singer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, speaks candidly about his personal life and his career.

Faze had the pleasure of speaking with this young artist in a recent interview. His candour and joy for life were impressive and infectious. Not only is he an all-around performer—singer, dancer, actor—but he also enjoys homey hobbies and spiritual pursuits. Our interview was like a lazy summertime journey on a deep and gentle, winding river: delightful at every turn.

The Man: Early Days, Influencers, Inspiration, Family

Anthony Brown grew up in Markham, Ontario. His mother’s heritage is Italian and his father’s is Jamaican. He is a middle child with an older brother named Ricardo and a younger sister named Jessica. Often middle children take on the role of mediator, and although we didn’t discuss this aspect, Anthony, as he likes to be called, made it clear that one of his main purposes in life is to make people happy, something that he tries to do for everyone he meets.

Anthony, has performed all his life—whether it was dancing and acting with his siblings for his parents and guests at home or dancing with his cousin, Nicolette Evans, at family functions.

At the age of ten years, he tried his hand at professional acting as a possible avenue for his growing desire to perform professionally.

“I actually went to a casting agency and was involved in a couple of commercials. The first commercial I ever shot was for Corus Entertainment. It was a promotional commercial where we interacted with viewers to get them engaged with the company. There were many celebrities in the commercial, unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet them because they prerecorded their parts. The other commercial, an environmentally friendly commercial,  was for Earth Rangers. That was about promoting the well-being of animals and being mindful of our environment, and to see how we can contribute to restoring endangered species.”

Anthony Brown stepping through a white lacy mirror frame, words Mirror on The Wall

via: Anthony Brown

Were the commercials and the entertainment in the home your only acting credits?

“I did perform at a lot of talent shows and plays in my elementary school years. When I got to high school, I was in the biggest production I’ve ever been in, which was High School Musical. That we did when I was 16 turning 17 in grade 11.  I actually starred as Troy Bolton, in the musical.”

Singing

The passion to sing came at the age of 12 when Anthony joined his school choir, and with them, performed for the first time on-stage, singing Journey’s inspiring iconic song “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

Anthony’s family has been his primary influencer and inspiration. He said, “I loved to act when I was younger, and I was dabbling a lot in dancing, but I never gave singing a shot. And when I tried it, I just instantly fell in love with the feeling. So ever since, I’ve been making music and aspiring to be a full-time professional singing artist.” He continued, saying it was funny because the Journey song speaks to having a dream and going after what you love. That passion for singing has not dulled since, and we are all luckier for it.

Anthony credited his brother, as being a co-conspirator in his early career. “Always when we were together we would entertain each other with some form of artistic expression. So we would either dance, sing, make videos, or create music. As the years progressed when we would do a lot of our family functions or family activities, my brother Ricardo gravitated towards the camera and said, ‘You should do this and I’ll film it.’ So naturally my brother ended up in film. As I got older, he became my video director as well as editor, and he handles a lot of my social media and content.”

His social media links are conveniently listed at Tappy.tech. Or you can go to any of the individual platforms and find him by using @AnthonyBrownNow.

Anthony Brown wears gold crown and holds glass slipper, Cinderella written in large caps

via: Anthony Brown

Getting Started

After that first stage performance, Anthony took control of his future. He made goals and systematically worked towards his dreams. He began to write lyrics and music, took dance lessons, made music videos, and promoted himself.

What do you do to stay focused and keep a clear mind?

“For myself, I create a goal chart. It essentially has a list of goals that I aspire to achieve.  I wouldn’t say that I put timelines on them, but it gives me a sense of direction. Another thing I love to do to make sure I’m clear headed is meditate. I’m very big on meditation. So many times in life, individuals with busy schedules and meetings are on the go and lose mindfulness, or are not conscientious of how thinking processes can make us feel. So sometimes when people go through the experiences of their day, maybe there was something that was unsettling for them, rather than observing the situation for what it is and be neutral, moving forward, sometimes it sits on their mind and festers then turns into negative energy. So I try to be very conscientious of that.”

What are some of your hobbies?

“I have so many things I love to do.

“I love to cook. Cooking has become a very big passion and hobby of mine. Learning and creating new seafood and meat dishes, learning a lot of good sides to make with meat entrés. And with the part-time job I have right now as a restaurant host, I’m constantly around food all the time, and I’m looking at different recipes and ingredients to make things more tasteful. So I am constantly thinking about food and its preparation.

“When I was younger I used to be very big into soccer. I used to play a lot of competitive sports such as hockey, basketball, tennis (never in a league), throw footballs with friends, when at the park. I would always be into a lot of physical fitness and personal growth, so I would often go to the gym with my older brother and we would coordinate different workouts throughout the days to try and get different muscle groups moving. In elementary school, I played volleyball and was into track and field, where I was a high- and long-jumper and sprint racer.”

Anthony continued on this subject by saying he still makes physical fitness a priority.

At this point we both felt somewhat saddened by the fact that current world events have restricted competitive sports. But Anthony looked on the bright side and said, “There’s going to be something else in their lifetime that they will excel at, and that they will see as memorable experiences.”

Anthony Brown wears formal white jacket and stands in front of gothic red door

via: Anthony Brown

The Performer: Past, Present and Future

Anthony Brown is an artist who knows where he came from, where he is, and where he wants to be. His knowledge of what he wants and of how to go about getting it is a true inspiration for anyone.

How did you decide that R&B was for you, as opposed to another genre of music? Who were your musical inspirations?

Anthony joked that in his family it was believed his mother premeditated his music choices, “When I was in my mother’s womb, she used to listen to a lot of R&B music. Around the house when she would be cooking, cleaning or doing any activities, she specifically listened to Usher and Beyonce. So naturally, I just gravitated to that type of sound. I always loved Ne-Yo’s earlier R&B records, and I think that’s how I found myself getting into that genre of music. Today, artists that inspire me are Usher, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Jason Derulo, and Ne-Yo.”

When did you start dancing? Where did you take your dance training?

“I started hip hop at the age of 12 years old. With the family that I am in, I have a lot of artistic influences because I have a cousin who was always a dancer, and so anytime we’d go to a family function, we would always come up with some cool dance moves to perform at the end. We’d do a little show, or something like that, which was fun. I think from there I was inspired to get involved with dancing, and naturally, as I continued with music I learned ways of how I could incorporate it.

“At first, I was learning free style moves at home, by myself. And then eventually I started working with my cousin, Nicolette Evans, who was involved with a lot of dance studios and competitions. I started formal training when I was in grade 10, at Elite Danceworx, in Markham. I did one year of a recreational hip hop program, learning technique, timing, and rhythm—to try to move my body in a way that conveys a certain type of expression . She is now a professional choreographer, and does a lot of the dancing for my music videos.”

What musical career do you aspire to have?

“The musical career that I aspire to have would be in R&B and Pop music, as an international touring act. I’d love to travel the world and meet as many people as I can. I would love to perform at award shows one day.”

What is the focus of your lyrics?

I write a lot about love. I create positive songs as well as some that dive into the deeper aspects of life, where we go through highs and lows; basically reassuring individuals that change is inevitable, and it’s about how we move forward in a positive way that will always be beneficial. Songs that show the best way to do things in challenging times. Or maybe how to steer yourself away from negativity. And topics that show how to be happy, full of life, and just enjoy yourself.”

Who would you love to work with one day?

Anthony stated he hoped to work with three individuals whose music was at the top of his list:  Usher, Ne-Yo, and Bruno Mars.

What legacy do you want to leave behind with your music?

What I want to be remembered for would be as an inspiration to others to be positive and happy, to do what they love,  and spread their energy around. I feel that I would want my music to be what people listen to when they want to feel happy, when they needed advice, or when they just want to have fun.”

Do you have a manager? A promotor?

Anthony doesn’t currently have a manager. He has, however, signed with The AMG Corp., an independent label that markets, promotes and distributes his music.

Anthony’s releases, “Gentleman,” “Cinderella,” and “Mirror on The Wall,” are available on all the regular streaming platforms. Take the time to listen, you won’t be disappointed.

Anthony Brown wears sunglasses and looks over shoulder at Toronto skyline in the sunset

via: Anthony Brown

UNESCO – MGEIP

Anthony was a bonus performer for the UNESCO – MGEIP Youth Conference . Although he wasn’t included in the original concert, he will be in the launch of the social media promotion.

The last of Anthony’s releases, “Mirror on The Wall,” will be formally released on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, and will be available then on a special YouTube link. The song’s  virtual performance was produced in collaboration with Faze and UNESCO – MGEIP.

Conclusion

Anthony’s star is rising. He is not letting anything, like the Covid-19 lockdowns, get the better of him. He is spending his 20th year connecting virtually with peers or family members; creating music, which is available through his online media accounts; performing and recording. His music is up-beat and fun to listen too. We at Faze look forward to see where he lands.

Anthony Brown in jeans, t-shirt and jacket reclining on floor

via: Anthony Brown

Anthony Brown’s Spotify Bio:

Anthony Brown is a 20 year old R&B singer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Anthony, at a young age, displayed an exceptional ability to sing, dance, and act through his enormous passion for the arts. After singing on stage for the first time in an elementary school talent show, Anthony realized that singing, dancing, and performing were what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

He began making music at the age of 12 years old, working really hard to master the craft of music and his ability to sing, dance, and act. In 2017, Anthony released a mix-tape titled “Legacy” and a single titled “First Time” which were released on the streaming platform SoundCloud for people to be able to listen to his music. In April of 2019, Anthony released his biggest single yet “Cinderella” which was streamed over 100,000 times on Spotify! Anthony also released an upbeat summer song titled “Gentleman” in July of 2019, along with a music video with an outstanding performance from the superstar!

Anthony loves to make R&B music, while establishing a pop influence in his music that appeals to all demographics. Artists that have inspired him in his young age to pursue his passion of music were Usher, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, and Jason Derulo. Anthony now looks to make his mark in the music industry with the release of his new single “Mirror on the Wall,” which is available on all streaming platforms and landed number 4 on the ITunes Pop Top 40 Chart in the United States on a compilation titled “The Lightshow.” Be a part of his journey as he takes the world by storm with his extraordinary abilities and talents in the arts!


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