Keshi (singer)
Keshi | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Casey Luong |
| Also known as | keshi |
| Born | November 4, 1994 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Labels | Island |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | keshimusic |
Casey Luong (born November 4, 1994),[1] known mononymously by his stage name keshi (stylized in all lowercase), is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Known for his distant falsetto vocals and textural instrumentals, he has accumulated over 700 million streams with songs such as like i need u, 2 Soon and right here.[2]
Early life[]
Luong was born in Houston, Texas, to Vietnamese parents and grew up in nearby Sugar Land. Despite living in an ethnically diverse community with a large Asian population, he recalls that he often felt out of place and disconnected from his heritage while growing up, as others around him were mostly ethnically Chinese.[3] When he was 13, he began learning the guitar after picking it up from his grandfather. He began teaching himself the instrument while using his grandfather's Vietnamese music book. Another one of his motivations for learning guitar came from watching Drake Bell from the Nickelodeon TV show Drake & Josh attract girls through his guitar skills. In his early years playing guitar and writing music, he cites John Mayer and Ed Sheeran as his biggest influences.[4]
He graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in Sugar Land and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at Austin.[5] He then worked as an oncology nurse at the Texas Medical Center for two years.[6]
The name "Keshi" comes from the childhood name that his girlfriend's parents gave him. They have been childhood friends since 5th or 6th grade, and he would go over to her house every day. When he visited, her parents would call him "Keshi," which they still do to this day. [7]
Career[]
During college, he created his moniker "Keshi", and began to share music via his SoundCloud page. He credited watching YouTube tutorials for teaching himself writing, producing, performing and engineering his music.[5] Initially, he was in doubt of his abilities and musical direction, but slowly his distinct style, which relies on his dreamy vocals combined with lo-fi beats and guitar, garnered more attention and popularity.[3] In 2017, he quit his job as a nurse and flew to New York City to sign with Island Records. His decision to quit nursing and the pursuit of music was ultimately made due to his realization that the fear of missed opportunities exceeded his fear of failure.[8] From there, his first singles attracted millions of listeners upon release.[1]
He cites John Mayer, Frank Ocean, The 1975, Drake, and Bryson Tiller as some of his greatest musical influences.[2]
Discography[]
Extended plays[]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Track listings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | ||||
| Heat[9] | Album Sales[10] | |||
| The Reaper[11] |
|
— | — |
Track listing
|
| Skeletons[12] |
|
5 | 50 |
Track listing
|
| Bandaids[13] |
|
— | 72 |
Track listing
|
| Always |
|
— | — |
Track listing
|
Single albums[]
| Title | Details | Track listings |
|---|---|---|
| If You're Not the One for Me Who Is |
|
Track listing
|
| Good Days |
|
Track listing
|
| Bandaids (Live Sessions) |
|
Track listing
|
Singles[]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album/EP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Hot [14] | ||||
| As lead artist[15] | ||||
| "Over U" | 2017 | — | Non-album single | |
| "If You're Not the One for Me Who Is" | If You're Not the One for Me Who Is | |||
| "As Long as It Takes You" | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "Magnolia" | — | |||
| "Just Friends" | — | |||
| "Good Days" | 2018 | — | ||
| "Onoffonoff" | — | |||
| "2 Soon" | — | The Reaper | ||
| "Right Here" | 2019 | — | Bandaids | |
| "Blue" | — | |||
| "More" | 2020 | — | Always | |
| "Always" | — | |||
| "Drunk" | — | |||
| "Beside You" | 2021 | 7 | Non-album singles | |
| "SOMEBODY" | 24 | |||
| Collaborations | ||||
| "Pillows" (with eaJ) |
2020 | — | Non-album single | |
| "Sociopath" (with Jeremy Zucker) |
2021 | — | Crusher | |
Songwriting credits[]
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album | Credits | Written with |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "(What I Wish Just One Person Would Say to Me) aka Happy for You" | 2020 | LANY | Mama's Boy | Co-writer/guitarist | Casey Luong, Paul Jason Klein |
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b "Keshi | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ a b "Keshi". Island Records. January 14, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ a b Liotta, Edoardo (October 8, 2019). "From Nursing To Lo-Fi Music: Keshi's Unusual Rise To Fame". Vice. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "keshi". Genius. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Guerra, Joey (October 29, 2020). "The journey of Houston's Keshi from TMC nurse to pop star". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
- ^ Wetmore, Brendan; Silvan, Simone (September 3, 2019). "Keshi Is the Internet's Triple Threat". PAPER Magazine. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
- ^ Aben, Clarissa (October 12, 2018). "Interview: keshi". From the Intercom. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
- ^ Tan, Mei Zi. "Keshi's lo-fi EP 'bandaids' is laid-back soundtrack we all need during lockdown (VIDEO) | Malay Mail". Malay Mail. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "keshi". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "keshi". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "YouTube". Retrieved June 9, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ "YouTube". Retrieved June 9, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ "bandaids". YouTube. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ "keshi - Singles & EPs". Apple Music. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
External links[]
- 1994 births
- American rhythm and blues singers
- People from Houston
- Vietnamese-American culture in Texas
- Living people
- Keshi
- Lo-fi musicians
- American musicians of Vietnamese descent