Alternative Pop from TYYE

Kansas City-based artist TYYE has rapidly established himself as one of the most exciting young voices to rise from the Midwest in recent memory. Over the past year, he’s making a significant impression in the alternative pop and R&B spheres, marked by a sound that is equal parts slick, emotive and cutting edge modern.

Making his official artistic entrance in May last year, he unveiled his original sonic vision with the debut single “troubled heart.” Followed up by a string of well-received singles, he kicked off 2025 with his first full-length record, MAKING MOVES, firmly establishing himself as a must watch artist on the rise while clocking hundreds of thousands of streams online. Taking cues from acts like Glass Animals, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, TYYE has built a sound that sits comfortably at the crossroads of modern pop and emotional storytelling.

Having first explored an R&B-inflected sound, he’s more recently leaned into a pop aesthetic with that transition now fully crystallising with his brand new single titled “whole thing.” Linking up with Braxton Medellin to produce the track with final mastering handled by Jackson Maddox, “whole thing” is the product of an intimate studio process that allowed every element to be carefully captured.

Recorded in Medellin’s Kansas City home studio, the track layers intricate instrumentation and emotive melodies to create a soundscape that draws you in and keeps you hooked throughout. Thematically, the track taps into TYYE’s ongoing exploration of relationships, distilling his own experience of unrequited love into a moving and instantly catchy sound that’s at once poignant and engaging.

Set up by the shuffle of tapped percussive shots, the pulse of wobbly synths ushers in his alluring vocals to form a smooth groove wrapped in a smokey vibe which expands as the chorus lands with soulful vocal leads and mellow rhythmic punch. Showcasing TYYE’s versatility and ability to explore new musical worlds while retaining all the sonic charm that first put him on the radar of countless fans, “whole thing” serve up a dazzling pop sounds that’s truly impossible not to love.

The release of “whole thing” also signals the beginning of a new chapter for TYYE, with an upcoming EP set to arrive later this year, the single acts as a bridge between the experimentation of his debut record and the fully-formed pop identity he’s stepping into now. For an artist who only stepped onto the scene just over a year ago, TYYE has wasted no time in making his mark and with exciting plans lined up, TYYE is set to move from a regional breakthrough to a wider-reaching pop presence.

Listen to whole thing below

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