Reginald Hawkins goes all out in their new EP “Black Popstar”

On Aug. 27, Detroit singer-songwriter Reginald Hawkins released their first EP, “Black Popstar.”

“Black Popstar” is a pop album with a dash of house-inspired sounds, and plenty of soul. The edgy and fierce EP represents Hawkins’ outgoing and authentic personality as an artist.

“Creating this project I spent a lot of time with musicians and listening to so much music to learn the sound I wanted to make,” Hawkins said. “Then when we started working on this project, covid struck so a lot of our sessions working on the tracks were done over Zoom. Then after the track was something I loved and could just listen to by itself then I went in and channeled what was going on in my life at the time, what was on my mind or just things I had been thinking about but never said and wrote it down.”

Hawkins’ music relies heavily on their experiences, emotions, and the world around them.

“I have a lot of different inspirations but what I wanted to write about were my experiences with the people around me and just trying to be vulnerable and real with what I was saying,” Hawkins said. “I wanted to put the traumas of my life into something that I could celebrate and dance and instead of letting those things destroy me, turn them into something I could celebrate.”

As a Black and queer artist, Hawkins’ genre-bending music appeals to everyone, but also represents people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.

“I really just want young queer people of color to find this body of work and feel seen,” Hawkins said. “I want them to see a creative path as something that is attainable and to feel empowered, to feel love, and just to have fucking fun.”

On the same night of the EP release, Hawkins will perform “Black Popstar” for the first time at Ferndale’s The Loving Touch.

“This is a full production and I am really excited to hit the stage for the first time in so long!,” Hawkins said. “I want the crowd to feel the journey with me emotionally, I want them to dance of course and be close to the stage. I want them to really live this moment with me and walk away feeling like they saw something iconic.”

Throughout the process of this EP, Hawkins has used their voice to embrace their full self, as well as represent people like them to love themselves.

You can stream “Black Popstar” now and watch their music videos on YouTube.

Additional Credits:

Creative Direction: Reginald Hawkins, @notreginaldhawkins

Shot by: Zach Haggy, @zachhagy

Makeup: Kavondre Onazh, @makeupbykavondre

Barber: Crystal Combs, @dwolexposed

Custom Corset: Christiana Laine, @cb.laine

Styling: Reginald Hawkins, @notreginaldhawkins

Graphic Design: Conner Meager, @connermeager