Gavin Haley’s latest single ‘Tati’ featuring up-and-coming rapper Yung Pinch is bursting at the seams with youthful, charming summer vibes — enough to hold you over and keep you moving for the time being.

Haley’s cool-as-a-cucumber spirit is obvious from the get-go, and the powerful sharp guitar chords strumming in the background injects a soothing, refreshing dose of energy into the melody. Haley’s sound as established in his recent singles and collaborations position him as the next major male pop star waiting to take the reigns off the likes of Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber. 

Haley’s soft, smooth vocals complement the lovesickness and infatuation coming through in each and every word in the piece. There’s an aching intensity to his voice that may remind fans of early aughts’ era Justin Timberlake: the sexiness, the refinement, the elaborate R&B-infused production that elevates each melody to a chart-topping club hit. The inclusion of Yung Pinch’s rap verses do well to keep up the steady, captivating tempo of the tune. Both Yung Pinch and Haley have similar vocals, so as difficult as it may be to keep up with their parts, it makes for a seamless transition between the verses. 

The song details Haley’s seeming fascination with a girl named Tati. It is unknown whether Tati is a real girl or she’s just a mythical amalgamation of a number of girls that artists have encountered over the course of their lives. Regardless, the lyrics characterizing this girl are live-in, authentic, and just cryptic enough to keep us intrigued. It’s also worth noting that Yung Pinch’s delivery and vocals may resemble those of Chris Brown from early on in his career. And we all know that Chris Brown churned out some fantastic, upbeat love songs from back in the day, and so Haley and Pinch are on the right path with this ingenious collaboration. 

Just last year, Haley released his debut EP Long Game, which he followed up with an extensive North American Tour. Meanwhile Pinch’s latest album Back 2 The Beach featured amazing collaborations with other rappers including Wiz Khalifa, Pouya and more. When asked how the song came about, Haley said, “I remember the first time I heard the song I already knew what I wanted to do on it. It just came naturally because the song was already so good without me. Everyone has met a 'Tati' at least once in their life."

 R&B 

Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.