PRAISE. INTERVIEW: There’s a special type of artist that instantly clicks, whose music is so genuinely easy on the ears it feels like you’ve known it forever. At just 21, praise. is that artist. Originally from New York and now based in Charlotte, he’s a singer-songwriter quietly building a devoted following with a sound that’s impossible to pin down—a buttery blend of Pop, neo-R&B, and Folk elements.
His path into music is a wild one: praise. first set out to be a filmmaker, and only began writing songs because he needed original music to score one of his short films. It was this necessity that sparked a creative breakthrough, ultimately leading to his biggest track, the emotionally raw single “you still wear my clothes.” That foundation in film shines through today; his visuals are strikingly cinematic, with the video for his standout track “pilot.” serving as a perfect introduction to his world. While he’s still on the rise, his sound is ready for the spotlight. We caught up with praise. to discuss his unexpected journey from behind the camera to the centre stage.
What five words define your sound?
Unique, cinematic, important, storytelling, and eloquent in a way that my writing paints a clear picture
Tell me something unique about your creative process
It’s very intimate. Rarely are a bunch of people at a praise. session.
Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?
I have no preference, they are all from my heart and it’s all heat [laughs]. If I had to choose it would be ‘calling out’, but they are all my babies so I have no favs.
What inspired you to make that song?
The first verse is about what I think would happen if I could talk to my uncle that passed away earlier this year. I felt like I needed to talk about that on this project cause after it happened, I was so cool with not thinking about music and just being there for family. The second verse is more “inspired” by a girl or girls that I was dealing with at the time.
What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/ making music?
I feel like every time I step into a studio, the goal is to be the most vulnerable and make the most gut-wrenching piece of art, so when I’m making music it has to have full vulnerability poured into it.
What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?
Best was the first show, that energy is amazing and it’s a good high to be on.
What is your favourite song to perform?
‘you still wear my clothes’.
Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?
Anything Noah Kahan does makes me want to drive to my nearest studio, I love him.
What’s the meaning behind your name?
It’s my actual name. Shoutout to my dad.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
Film. But I do that and do music, so if I wasn’t making music or film, I would be trying to find the next technological advancement.
What’s success to you?
I feel like me waking up in the morning was a success [laughs]. I don’t put how successful I am on streams or followers cause that wasn’t my goal. My goal was to be creative and do it without compromising my art, and I’ve been successful at that. It’s a consistency thing too, and I’m truly motivated by the fear of being average.
What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?
Not change direction, but change mindset for sure, is when I had to stop looking for a box to put myself in. When other people try to do it, I try my hardest to correct them because my mindset was, “it would be nice to be accepted by a group,” but fuck that — I can do any medium of art I want to, in any genre, and I should never look to do just one thing cause that’s not the arts.
Where can people keep in touch with you?
My Instagram is @ praisemcnealy and that’s on everything else too.
Photo by Alex Figs
