Contemporary R&B Artist, Justine Tyrell, Reveals Frustrations with People Pleasing and Ignoring Intuition on Shadowy New Single, “Last”
Canadian R&B sensation Justine Tyrell has quickly become one of the country’s most promising talents. Her 2021 debut EP, While You Were Sleeping, made waves in the Canadian R&B scene, earning coveted features in Exclaim!, Strombo, CBC Music and Radio, Virgin Radio, and on SiriusXM Canada, garnering over half a million streams across platforms. Known for her smooth vocals, sonic creativity, and timeless R&B sound that echoes the style of early 2000’s icons like Aaliyah and Mya, Tyrell’s sound adds a modern twist inspired by contemporary R&B artists Summer Walker and SZA. The sought-after, Calgary based performer opened for Grammy-winning artist Ashanti last year and serves as the official anthem singer for the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders. Her music has also been featured on Hockey Night in Canada – the country’s longest running show. A proud member of both the Blackfoot and Jamaican communities, Tyrell participated in the National Music Centre’s Black Music Showcase as well as the SOCAN Foundation and Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Indigenous Song Camp, supported by Amazon Music. Following the success of her most recent single, “Ghost Town”, featuring Toronto R&B sensation K. Forest, Tyrell is sharing a brand new single about people pleasing and ignoring one’s intuition titled “Last”. The shadowy track is laced with haunting, layered vocal harmonies, and a message about following instincts. “Last” will be available on Friday, October 25 2024.
Written by Justine Tyrell and produced with longtime production collaborator, Matthew Zoeteman, Tyrell continues to challenge herself in the studio, serving as vocal co-producer on the track.
About “Last”:
Born from the frustration of putting others first and feeling taken advantage of, Justine Tyrell’s “Last” captures the feeling of unease and disconnect when ignoring one’s instincts. Drawing from Tyrell’s personal experiences of people pleasing and being underestimated, “Last” serves as both an acknowledgement and catalyst for change, inviting listeners to take charge of their own lives, especially women who often feel pressured to tone down their boldness. Sonically, “Last” blends eerie, haunting vocal elements with nostalgic R&B-pop harmonies, creating a tension that mirrors the internal self-talk of an unaligned personality and conscience. Marking Tyrell’s continued growth in the studio, the singer-songwriter included vocal elements influenced by Danny Elfman’s Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, carefully curating a spooky, unsettling aura, and used reverse reverb vocals to pay homage to Brandy’s “Angel in Disguise”. Recorded in analog, “Last” evokes the moody, Darkchild-esque vibe of early 2000s R&B, while maintaining the track’s modern edge. A cathartic anthem that fuses emotional depth with a haunting, melodic twist, “Last” is a call to reclaim one’s power by following one’s instincts, and allowing intuition to take the lead.
“This song was inspired by personal experiences of feeling like I’ve put myself last at times, and finding myself in scenarios where my kindness gets taken for a weakness. This song is an invitation to myself and anyone else who needs it to feel empowered to take hold of the steering wheel in their own lives.” – Justine Tyrell
Biography:
Canadian R&B Artist Justine Tyrell, has built a strong musical foundation making waves across Canada with her smooth vocals, earnest and raw lyrics and a noticeable early millennium influence. The Calgary, Alberta songstress grew up putting her feelings and experiences into song, having penned her first song at seven years old. Her debut EP ‘While You Were Sleeping’ (2021), written and released during the pandemic with support from FACTOR and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, features production from Canadian duo Matthew Zoeteman and Timothonius – and went on to garner attention from some of Canada’s largest media platforms including CBC Radio, Exclaim! (Emerging Canadian Artists You Need to Hear 2021), Virgin Radio, iHeartRadio, Sirius XM Radio – while also receiving Editorial Support from Spotify Canada, Amazon Music and Apple Music.
Justine has performed extensively in venues across North America over 400 times since 2018. Justine Tyrell also holds the spot as the CFL’s Official Canadian National Anthem Singer for the Calgary Stampeders, opening each home game at McMahon Stadium for 30,000 people. With half a million streams across platforms on her independently released debut project ‘While You Were Sleeping’ and her next EP Set to release in early 2025, Justine has only just begun bringing her sound to audiences across the globe.
Connect with Justine Tyrell:
Website / Instagram / Facebook / X / TikTok / YouTube / Spotify
