Leo XIV releases new single “Feel”

Chicago-based newcomer Leo XIV is an exciting new artist set to make an impact in the alternative pop and indie R&B spheres. The musical moniker of singer-songwriter and producer Dylan Leo Azadi, the project serves as a vehicle for the exploration of spirit, pain and rebirth. Built on a blend of hypnotic grooves and ethereal ambience, Leo XIV’s sound is at once intimate and cinematic, a modern reflection of the sacred and the self.

Coming out of Chicago’s ever-shifting underground scene, Leo XIV has been quick to establish himself as a must watch creative figure, offering music that takes the listener into a space where emotion and strength exist side by side. With his work, he channels an emotional context that’s profoundly human, distilling moments of darkness that yield flashes of brightness and melodies that hang somewhere between heaven and the wreckage below.

That artistic juxtaposition runs throughout Leo XIV’s sonic identity, his compositions feel minimal and meditative, yet adventurously experimental while informed by the cosmos, sacred geometry and the fragmented reflections of past lives marked by trauma, identity crises and spiritual awakening. In June, Leo XIV made his official artistic entrance with the debut single “Midas,” laying out the blueprint for his mission to create music that dares to confront pain and turn it into light.

Now, with his sophomore single titled “Feel,” Leo expands the scope of that emotional context, delivering a track that shakes with energy while retaining his reflective touch. “Feel” arrives as a spiritual follow up to “Midas,” but where its predecessor shimmered with melancholy, this new track moves like a runaway train; rhythmic, relentless and thoroughly alive. Built around a minimalist, motif-driven structure, it captures the mesmeric heart of Leo XIV’s style where a recurring acid bass line rings like a mantra, looping through the track with persistence, while warm synth textures and vocal harmonies glide around it.

It’s an intoxicating mix of dark energy and luminous release, presenting an enthralling a journey through shadow toward hope. Thematically, “Feel” is a chronicle of self-destruction and renewal, with the artist channelling years of emotional excavation into a song that’s both uplifting and meaningful. Opened by the rattle of the beat, the pulse of bass and the sweeping buzz of synths set up a dance-focused scene that flows with invigorating energy as Leo’s soulful vocal leads roll in to spin instantly catchy hooks above.

Brimming with infectious melodic songwriting and exhilarating alternative pop aesthetic, “Feel” delivers a thrilling musical experience that puts his creativity and performance flair on full display. With his highly anticipated upcoming full-length debut called Cold Open set to land early next year, Leo XIV is sure to go from strength to strength as a compelling new artist on the rise.

Commenting on the release, he shares, “This song is particularly significant to me as it was the one that effectively ended a decade-long moratorium on creativity and confidence — some of the darkest ages of my life and marred by depression, anxiety, and addiction. When the idea first came to me, I was so compelled that I got into a flow state almost immediately and felt inspired for the first time in a long time. It was a stark reminder of why I believe I arrived on this planet in the first place — to create and consume art as a conduit to others through difficult times.”

Listen to Feel below

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