ASTN Reflects On Heartbreak On His Latest EP, 'Where Do We Go From Here?'
Photo Credit: Rolexx
Today, breakout R&B singer, songwriter and producer ASTN releases his anticipated new EP, Where Do We Go From Here? Documenting the emotional fallout from a breakup, the 8-song set is jam-packed with exhilarating hooks, big beats, and mellow moods from the buzzy vocalist whose incisive lyricism nods to the R&B giants of yesteryear. A perfect example is new single "Element," which finds ASTN at his most soulful.
A feisty groove that enables the singer to truly let loose, showcasing his range and his formidable swagger, "Element" is a sultry banger. "When I lose balance you keep me stable," he croons. "You're my element, my periodic table." The romantic mood is reflected in the striking video, which finds ASTN emoting in his car and getting his groove on in the club.
“This record man… where to start? It has simultaneously caused me so much stress.. yet so much freedom.. so much angst.. yet so much peace. I often write from the heart, but this felt more like writing FOR the heart. Last year I was lost, and amidst that phase in my life, a clear-cut vision was born. I spent a lot of time with myself for the first time in my adult life. For the better part of two years, I felt that I was living two lives, ASTN & John Austin Sanders. A reborn young man ready to say yes to anything.. & the quiet, soft-spoken music kid from the south. That duality was a starting point for this vision. I was living with it every day and it is now part of me. I am happy.”
Other EP highlights include “How Soon,” a silky-smooth post-breakup anthem that navigates moving past hurt feelings, and “Be So Cruel” — a clever dance-floor ditty, which dropped at the end of last year. Other standouts that examine matters of the heart from very different angles are “What You Doin,” “On Schedule,” “Far Away,” “Tell Me,” and “Starlight.”
Where Do We Go From Here? follows ASTN's breakout 2022. Last year, the multi-hyphenate released his major-label debut EP, You’re Almost There, a stunning 5-track collection sequenced in chronological order of a breakup. The lead single and opening track “Gradually” finds ASTN wrestling with whether to walk away from a serious relationship, effortlessly showcasing his charismatic songwriting. With a cohesive collection of bangers, Where Do We Go From Here arrived right on schedule to heat up your summer playlist.