Video: Young Lungs – Highschool

As a contemporary genre-fluid artist, Toronto’s Young Lungs is creating a lane for himself built on a foundation of emotive lyricism and an unwavering desire to keep pushing forward, weaving his experiences into whimsical, melodic and oft trap-laden soundscapes. Today, he releases the first video of a three-part series of story connecting visuals for his new song, “Highschool”, which you can give a below.

“’Highschool,’ is a reflection on the past and a push towards the future,” says Young Lungs. “I overcame a lot of emotions during that period of my life and this is my reminder to keep moving forward and never look back.”

The three-part series, entitled Suburbs Under Streetlights, is an ode just to that and a look at youth culture as it exists in everyday towns, directed by Philip Engle.

Born Sebastian Schallenberg, Young Lungs, the Waterloo, Canada native, is an embodiment of a mercurial creative, inspired by the vast landscape of underground hip-hop and the cinematic nature of music that personifies passion. He first gravitated toward exploring his talents as a singer, rapper, and songwriter at the age of 14, citing the dedication of his musically inclined next-door neighbor and older brother as encouragement to begin his own journey as a self-taught recording artist. Finding solace and early inspiration in burgeoning online rap communities, Young Lungs sought out to develop his innate talents, retreating to the basement of his family’s home with a world of resources and fodder at his disposal. Along with his childhood best friend, Cian Patterson, Young Lungs set out to capture varying moods with an eager, adaptive, and introspective approach, drawing from a range of influences that includes the likes of Mac Miller, Brockhampton, Frank Ocean, and Curren$y, among others. Together, they formed a strong working relationship as a tight knit producer-rapper duo dedicated to elevating their own individual talents, with Cian P. consistently producing the bulk of his vibrant catalog today.

In 2016, Young Lungs released his debut EP, Contradiction, a well-received first formal offering that explored the idea of humans being walking contradictions by nature. With a penchant for resonating with audiences and a devotion to being as transparent as possible in his artistry, Young Lungs released what would become a breakout single in 2017 with the expressive single “Demons“. Growing up in the outskirts of Waterloo provided a duality between getting lost in nature and navigating a bustling city, allowing his creativity to thrive in ways that remain authentic to his experiences as someone with a vision that extends far beyond his hometown surroundings. His humble desire to reach an international audience became realized in 2017 when Young Lungs teamed up with Polish rapper Quebonafide on the track “Między Słowami“, a collaboration that marked his first step toward establishing a global reach and soon thereafter, he celebrated with his debut festival performance overseas. Later that same year, Young Lungs released a mixtape, This Time Last Winter, flexing his aptitude for creating tracks that are simultaneously reflective, nostalgic and unrestrained. In 2018, he dropped an EP titled Moving On, a project that speaks to his desire to let go of the past and welcome the next chapter of his emerging career with bright-eyed optimism and refined execution.

Through the release of loose singles, such as “If You Knew” featuring Toronto artist Verzache, “Spend My Life“, “Regular“, and “’97 Leo 2“, the dexterous vocalist is continually captivating a loyal fanbase across streaming platforms and on social media. Now 21, Young Lungs is greeting 2019 with a series of upcoming visually-accompanied singles, including “Highschool”. Each artful release captures a different facet of his pensive worldview, all while encouraging others to chase their dreams, be vulnerable, and discover their own passions. The driving force behind his creative output is kaleidoscopic, making it hard-earned that Young Lungs is excitedly being lauded as an artist destined to make an impact.

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