Soul singer-songwriter Tiwayo returns with “Up For Soul,” a hard-grooving, uptempo new single and the second release from his forthcoming album Outsider, due April 10, 2026 via Record Kicks. Produced by Grammy Award winner Adrian Quesada of Black Pumas, the track arrives alongside a live performance video filmed at Quesada’s Electric Deluxe studio, capturing the raw, communal energy behind the recording.
Nicknamed “The Young Old” for his timeless, weathered voice, Paris-born Tiwayo delivers “Up For Soul” as both a celebration and a reckoning. Built from a day-long immersion in the music of Sly Stone and Johnny Guitar Watson, the song pulses with urgency and joy, locking into a tight, propulsive groove that reflects the realities of life as a working musician. As Tiwayo explains, the lyrics play with the highs and lows of his everyday existence—creative exhilaration, self-doubt, and the fragile balance required to keep going.
The recording brings together a formidable lineup anchored by musicians closely associated with the Black Pumas orbit. Jay Mumford’s drums drive the track forward, while Terin Moswen Ector’s bass, backing vocals, and congas deepen the rhythmic pocket. Joshy Soul adds rich keyboard textures and harmonies, Quesada’s guitar cuts through with swagger and restraint, and a lush string arrangement elevates the song into full-bodied soul territory. The final result is a track that grooves relentlessly while retaining emotional weight and nuance.
Threaded through the song are subtle jungle-like sounds that trace back to Tiwayo’s original demo. Rather than smoothing them away, he and Quesada chose to lean into the imagery. For Tiwayo, the jungle became a metaphor for the artistic life itself: a space that is beautiful, chaotic, unforgiving, and alive, where survival depends on instinct as much as craft. That sense of tension and movement animates “Up For Soul,” giving it both grit and cinematic flair.
The single sets the tone for Outsider, an album that positions Tiwayo as one of the most distinctive voices in modern soul. A bohemian traveler shaped by blues, gospel, and R&B traditions across continents, Tiwayo approaches soul music as something borderless and lived-in rather than retro or revivalist. Outsider captures the paradox at the heart of his identity: a Frenchman recording in Texas, a soul singer with a bluesman’s heart, always slightly outside wherever he lands.
That outsider perspective has long resonated with peers and tastemakers alike. Tiwayo has earned praise from artists such as Norah Jones, Marcus Miller, Tony Visconti, and Don Was, and has shared stages with Curtis Harding, Cody Chesnutt, and Marcus Miller. After releasing two acclaimed albums—Desert Dream and The Gypsy Soul of Tiwayo—he nearly disappeared from view, until Adrian Quesada discovered his demos and invited him to Austin. That meeting reignited the spark, leading directly to Outsider, a record defined by rawness, heart, and unfiltered soul.
In an era of polished nostalgia and carefully curated revivals, Tiwayo stands apart. “Up For Soul” makes it clear that his music isn’t about chasing trends, but about telling the truth of a life lived in motion—messy, resilient, and deeply human.
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