Travie McCoy on 'Brotherly-Sisterly Vibes' With Sia, New Album(s) and Hillary Clinton's Playlist
Travie McCoy knows a thing or two about collaborations.
The Gym Class Heroes frontman secured a successful solo career with help from a then little-known Bruno Mars back in 2010. The song was called "Billionaire," and it quickly went multi-platinum. Together with his band, McCoy has also released uber-successful radio hits featuring Ryan Tedder ("The Fighter") and Adam Levine ("Stereo Hearts"), among others.
Now, McCoy is setting his sights on Song of Summer status with his latest, "Golden," featuring Sia and produced by Diplo.
"It's like second nature working with [Sia]. We have this brotherly-sisterly vibe going on," McCoy tells ETonline. "Once I heard the hook, I kinda knew where I wanted to go lyrically and I wrote it in about 45 minutes... I think a lot of people can relate to having those tinglies in their stomach about that special somebody." (And yes, for the record, McCoy says he's definitely feeling those "tinglies" for a special lady right now.)
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As for Sia -- with whom McCoy goes "way back" -- the pair have written several songs together, but it may be a while before we get to hear them. In fact, it may be a while before we hear any new duets from the 33 year old singer.
"I'm trying to keep this album not as feature-heavy as some of the past albums have been," he says. "I'm trying to focus more on myself. If that sounds selfish, I'm sorry!"
Think less selfish, more personal with McCoy's as-yet untitled album, which aims to put the focus on his voice and his life -- not a star-studded roster.
"I like to look at albums as an amalgamation of how I feel at that particular moment," he muses. "I feel like each song has its own kind of vibe and the album itself is a collection of moments caught in time."
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McCoy says that the full-length is "finished," but no word yet on a release date. ("We're gonna let the single do what it does," he says.) But for fans itching for new music from Gym Class Heroes, McCoy does have a bit of good news.
"We're constantly working on Gym Class material," he says. "I think it's safe to say there'll be a new Gym Class album not long after this album."
The band's 2011 hit "The Fighter" has seen a bit of a comeback lately, with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton selecting the song as part of her official Spotify playlist.
"It's a trip," McCoy said of the mention. "You never know who's gonna react to things that you've been through or things that you're expressing, and the fact that Hillary Clinton is into my music -- I'm stoked! It's awesome and I'm super flattered."
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It's a very different reaction from Neil Young, who slammed Donald Trump for using "Rockin' in the Free World" without permission during the kickoff to his own presidential campaign.
"Here's the thing, I'm not really that political," McCoy says, "but if it was flipped and Donald Trump was using 'The Fighter,' I don't think I'd be as stoked."
Hey, not every collab can be a hit!