Keshi (singer)
Casey Luong (born November 4, 1994)[1], known mononymously by his stage name Keshi (stylized as "keshi"), is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Known for his distant falsetto vocals and textural instrumentals, he has accumulated over 40 million streams as an independent artist with songs such as "over u", which have been noted as a part of a distinct and particularly new subset of gentle R&B music.[2]
Keshi | |
---|---|
Birth name | Casey Luong |
Born | Houston, Texas, U.S. | November 4, 1994
Genres |
|
Occupation(s) |
|
Years active | 2017–present |
Labels | Island Records |
Website | keshimusic |
Early life
Keshi was born Casey Luong in Houston, Texas to Vietnamese parents. Despite living in an ethnically diverse community with a large Asian population, he recalls that he often felt out of place and disconnected with his heritage while growing up, as others around him were mostly ethnically Chinese.[3] When he was 13, he began learning the guitar after picking it up from his grandfather. He began teaching himself the instrument while using his grandfather's Vietnamese music book. From there he developed a profound passion for music, citing John Mayer, Frank Ocean, The 1975, Drake, and Bryson Tiller as some of his greatest influences.[2]
Career
With his parents discouraging him from pursuing music, he instead attended college and became a registered nurse. It was in college where his moniker "Keshi" was created, and he began to share music via his SoundCloud page. Initially, he was in doubt of his abilities and musical direction, but slowly his distinct style garnered more attention and popularity.[3] His lo-fi productions offered him a sense of newfound musical freedom and excitement, and it wasn't long before his music took on a more solid shape. In 2017, he quit his job as a nurse and flew to New York City to sign with Island Records. His decision to quit nursing and the pursuit of music was ultimately made due to his realization that the fear of missed opportunities exceeded his fear of failure.[4] From there, his first singles attracted millions of listeners upon release.[1]
Discography
Extended plays
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Track listings | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | ||||
Heat[5] | Album Sales[6] | |||
THE REAPER[7] |
|
— | — |
Track listing
|
skeletons[8] |
|
5 | 50 |
Track listing
|
bandaids[9] |
|
— | 72 |
Track listing
|
Single albums
Title | Details | Track listings |
---|---|---|
if you're not the one for me who is |
|
Track listing
|
good days |
|
Track listing
|
bandaids (live sessions) |
|
Track listing
|
Singles
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album/EP | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | ||||
As lead artist[10] | ||||
"over u" | 2017 | — | Non-album single | |
"if you're not the one for me who is" | if you're not the one for me who is | |||
"as long as it takes you" | — | Non-album singles | ||
"magnolia" | — | |||
"just friends" | — | |||
"good days" | 2018 | — | ||
"onoffonoff" | — | |||
"2 soon" | — | THE REAPER | ||
"right here" | 2019 | — | bandaids | |
"blue" | — | |||
"more" | 2020 | — | Non-album singles | |
"always" | — | |||
References
- "Keshi | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- "Keshi". Island Records. January 14, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- Liotta, Edoardo (October 8, 2019). "From Nursing To Lo-Fi Music: Keshi's Unusual Rise To Fame". Vice. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- Zi, Tan Mei. "Keshi's lo-fi EP 'bandaids' is laid-back soundtrack we all need during lockdown (VIDEO) | Malay Mail". www.malaymail.com. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- "keshi". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- "keshi". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- "bandaids". YouTube. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- "keshi - Singles & EPs". Apple Music. 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.