But because of clearances and a couple of other things, we couldn’t make it happen. It was originally supposed to release last year.
Why’d you name the project A Different Christmas? I’m having a good time, you know? I think this year is going to be a very merry Christmas. Right now, I’m in the studio working on some of the deluxe songs for the Christmas project and they are a lot happier. The more and more things got better, I started to lean more towards songs like that. The thought of spending Christmas alone just sounded super scary to me - and I made the first song for the project. I was also going through a breakup and it was tough to deal with. I remember he played some chords, and it just brought me back to my childhood. I was actually finishing up my Anniversary album, and was in the studio with this named Camper and we started talking about Christmas. What inspired you to make a Christmas album? “ This year, I’m having those moments of clarity, being able to look in the mirror and realize who I am and what I’m capable of, and how blessed I am,” he says. Taking a break from recording to chat about the inspiration behind the project, the typically reserved Tiller also opened up about almost leaving music behind and the tragedy that pulled him out of a depressive period, teaching him to always believe in his capabilities. “I was with her for Halloween, and she was singing an Ariana Grande song, and she hit some note and I was like, ‘Yo, hold on,'” he says.Īt the time of his interview with Billboard, below, the 28-year-old singer and father of two is already working on the album’s deluxe version, which he says will include happier tracks, reflective of where he’s at today. The eight-year-old singer is featured on the most classic cut of the album, “Winter Wonderland.” When it comes to his daughter’s love for music, Tiller says it was always apparent, but recently, he realized just how promising Harley’s voice is.
The most noteworthy feature, however, is Halo - a.k.a. Tiller enlisted the help of tried and true R&B voices, like Justin Bieber and Kiana Ledé, but mixes it up with a few features who normally stay behind the scenes - hit-making songwriters Poo Bear (“Where Are Ü Now”) and Tayla Parx (“Thank U, Next”). The seven-track project features classic holiday tunes, intertwined with warm and fuzzy R&B cuts that can live on playlists year-round. Tiller, who ushered in a new sound from the moment he stepped into the spotlight with Trapsoul, was committed to creating something new and memorable with A Different Christmas, which came out last Friday (Nov. 2, collaborating with artists like Jhené Aiko and Ty Dolla $ign, and hanging out with his two daughters, Harley, 8, and Kelly Jade, 1. In the last year, he has kept busy, releasing his Halloween mixtape, Killer Instinct Vol. Over a year removed from the start of the pandemic, Tiller is having the time of his life. “Experiencing that loneliness and the thought of spending Christmas alone made me, okay, I think I could make a Christmas album - but I’m going to do it my way.” Earlier in his career, the timing didn’t feel right for the album, but thanks to a grueling breakup and a global pandemic, the Louisville-born singer finally made it happen.
“People were trying to pull me away from a lot, but this is something I’ve always wanted to do since I was 18 years old,” Tiller says.