TOLLIVER'S NEW SINGLE 'EMMANUEL' IS  ABOUT HAVING SEX WITH STRANGERS

Chicago-born Tolliver has proven to be the most unique Urban act to come out of 2018. Having previously released the vocally stunning “I Gotchu,” the ghostly, Gospel-esque singer and songwriter has recently released his follow-up single “Emmanuel” which has thrown Rough Online even more so than its’ predecessor for so many positive reasons, one of them involving the artist’s haunting vocal performance in the song’s finale which when reaching his higher register above a filtered synth slowly being released to its’ climatic ending, instantly makes you feel a chill flowing through your body…but trust us…just embrace it…it’s all part of the “Tolliver experience.”

Musically reminiscent of the “True” era of Solange’s career, Tolliver has made it more clear on this track (if he didn’t do via his first single), that he has no aspiration of delivering your traditional, standard, ready-for-radio, R&B Pop song. Instead, Tolliver wants to take you on an unusual journey, which on this occasion consists of a 3 by 4 time signature where harmonising backing vocals and squashy, space-like keyboard sounds are the tools he uses to keep tempo without the use of a drum kit, an overall music production which blows your mind and sends you straight out into the galaxy from Planet Earth. Even Emmanuel’s music video grabs your attention with wonder, while you watch Tolliver in a dimly-lit room, wearing a “geek-sheek” ensemble, either holding a knife, gazing into a mirror at his reflection or making sexual dance movements similar to twerking up against a wall. It is basically everything you would expect from a Tolliver visual…intriguing…and although it is simple, he still has the perfect skill of making it ridiculously surreal. This is Tolliver’s world we are talking about, after all, which fuses reality with fantasy, and Rough Online are in awe of his approach to art.

To all new listeners of Tolliver, when his voice drops during “Emmanuel,” just close your eyes, lay back and enjoy his smooth, pitch-perfect, sensual tone, which Rough Online fell in love with the moment we listened to his previous single “I Gotchu.” It is fair to say that there is no other music artist like Tolliver on the Indie scene currently, and his originality deserves critical acclaim from all music critics. Tolliver’s debut E.P “Rites” drops very soon.