SHIFTER’s Yannick Mutombo talks to Xav, also known as Xavier Trudeau, son of former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, about new music, musical influences, and more.
Do you remember falling in love as a teenager? The heebie-jeebies. The butterflies. The yes, this will last forever, and no, we are not too young. A grand gesture (read: promposal). Or, releasing a somber, ambient r&b song—inspired by the likes of Drake and Don Tolliver—to prove to her you are not like the other guys. All’s fair in love and war, and at 17 or 18 years old, it’s every man for himself.
“…for the first song we wanted something that would really set the tone for my future drops.”
Xav released his first single, “Til The Nights Done” on February 21 through Pathway Music Group, an emerging record label based in Ottawa, Canada. He described the creative process behind his debut single, emphasizing the use of collaboration and intentionality.
“Myself and Duava (Vishal “Duava” Daluwatte), my producer, for the first song we wanted something that would really set the tone for my future drops. We were messing around with a ton of different songs, we recorded a few, and [Til The Nights Done] worked out. Once we had a rough mix done, we took hours to master it. I love the process,” he said.
Artistry can be a creative gamble—there is no guarantee your art will resonate and build an audience. But if music is a labor of love, could there be a better medium than R&B? Some listeners were surprised by the single, its production, and songwriting. But for Xav, it was the perfect fit.
“I’ve learned that I love music enough that no amount of hate or criticism will ever put me down.
“I always had a passion for music. I always thought I was pretty good at it, whether it was my singing or songwriting. I guess it was the type of music I listened to—R&B, rap, ballads—and the way my voice sounds. One day I was like, I want to create something. I want to try it on my own,” he said.
Xav cited Drake and Don Tolliver as musical inspirations. Though, his goal was to incorporate elements from their artistry into his music while staying true to himself. The “Til The Nights Done” music video is reminiscent of PartyNextDoor’s “Come and See Me”, Drake’s “Marvin’s Room”, albeit, from the perspective of a 17 year-old entering the musical landscape for the very first time.
“I was looking at music videos, vibes that I liked. We wanted something that would fit the song—moody, mysterious, darker, romantic. The production and direction was done by Duava. The creative process behind it was a lot of work, but it was a lot of fun,” he said.
Unsurprisingly, “Til The Nights Done” has received both positive and negative feedback. However, Xav is prepared to stay the course, citing his love for music as a primary source of motivation.
“I’ve learned that I love music enough that no amount of hate or criticism will ever put me down. It only motivates me to prove them wrong. I know my fans are there for what I put out, and that’s what’s important to me,” he said.
“I always had a passion for music…One day I was like, I want to create something. I want to try it on my own.”
We ended our interview after talking about what’s next for Xav. Needless to say, the budding artist and nascent record label are only at the beginning of their journey.
“[Pathway Music Group] is doing really well”, he noted. “We’re talking about working on an album in the near future. We have a single coming out in the next few weeks, which is exciting. So people should definitely expect some stuff from me in the future”.
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