R&B-pop singer Ali Gatie today bears his soul on his new EP, ‘The Idea of Her’, which is out now. The 10-track set drops alongside a video for ‘Do You Believe’ with Marshmello & Ty Dolla $ign, which is one of two major collaborations on the project.
On ‘The Idea of Her’, Ali Gatie sounds both full of hope and as vulnerable as ever. Through moving stories and metaphors, he explores the endless rollercoaster of emotions that being in (and out of) love brings. “The opening song is as beautiful and joyful as can be, and then ‘Can’t Let You Go’ is as sad and hopeless as it gets,” he explains. “It’s about love as a whole – the type of love that takes a day to happen and the type of heartbreak that takes years to recover from.”
Throughout, Ali expands on his stripped-down sound, singing in his native Arabic for the first time on the heavy-hearted ballad ‘Can’t Let You Go’, duetting with rising singer-songwriter Tate McRae on ‘Lie to Me’, and spreading his wings with Marshmello and Ty Dolla $ign on the upbeat anthem ‘Do You Believe’.
“This song started as a ballad for me,” he says. “I loved the idea of a song about running away and choosing love over everything. After finishing it, I felt like a song about believing in the power of love should feel more anthemic and heroic. That’s why I decided to collaborate with Marshmello and Ty Dolla $ign.”
To celebrate the release, Gatie will be live-streaming an exclusive performance in partnership with premium digital live platform Moment House. The show commences at 7pm BST on April 9th, and tickets are available HERE.
Ali Gatie’s music is intimate in a way that almost feels private. His music is often vulnerable, wounded, and yearning. Listening is less like thumbing through his diary than stumbling upon the pages he’s ripped out and stuffed at the bottom of a drawer. ‘The Idea of Her’ is a natural step for an artist who has built his devoted fanbase via songs that hit hard, and hit home.
‘The Idea of Her’ follows Gatie scoring three nominations for Canada’s Juno Awards (Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for ‘YOU’, and the Fan Choice Award). It also adds to his growing list of lovelorn hits, including the double-Platinum breakout ‘It’s You’, ‘Running on My Mind’, ‘If I Fall in Love’ and ‘What If I Told You That I Love You’. In less than three years, he’s surpassed 3.5 billion global streams, while racking up over 19 million streams a week and 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Even with a sold-out world tour and Coachella slot put on hold, ‘The Idea of Her’ is proof that Gatie is still ready to make an impact on LISNERS everywhere.
The EP underscores his unguarded approach to songwriting while emphasizing that there are new worlds out there to explore. “I want my fans to know I’m still figuring this out,” he says of his next chapter, which will include a full-length studio album sooner than later. “I might not know for five or 10 years, but this is where I feel like I sit most comfortably. You can expect the unexpected.”
