Sound Advice: DESTIN CONRAD

Join DESTIN CONRAD on Sound Advice, the weekly interview series covering artists’ journeys and their creative process. In this episode, presented by Xfinity, we discuss the singer-songwriter’s rise from teenage internet sensation to launching his music career, live from the SoundCloud office in New York City.

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Welcome to Sound Advice, the series spotlighting artists’ creative process and their SoundCloud journey. We’ll get the inside knowledge straight from the source on how musicians, producers and creatives are leaning into everything SoundCloud offers to elevate their sound, get heard and catapult their careers. Sound Advice is now available in audio format on the SoundCloud Stories profile.

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On this special episode of Sound Advice, presented by Xfinity, we’re catching up with breakout alternative R&B artist DESTIN CONRAD, whose sultry songwriting, genre-fluid songs and unique swagger have made him an artist to watch. In this exclusive conversation, DESTIN tells us about his artistic journey: from his childhood in Tampa, Florida to turning into a social media sensation, becoming besties with Kehlani and hitting the studio around the world. 

We find out more about the making of DESTIN’s 2025 debut album, ‘LOVE ON DIGITAL,’ a love letter to ‘90s and early ‘00s R&B, and its surprise follow up ‘wHIMSY,’ an alluring jazz album crafted in just two weeks with a live band. DESTIN talks to us about his inspirations, live show, how he approaches collaboration and the importance of authenticity. We also find out how he uses SoundCloud to discover new artists and get his music out there.

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LISTEN TO THE AUDIO EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE FEATURING DESTIN CONRAD

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LISTEN TO ‘wHIMSY!’ BY DESTIN CONRAD ON SOUNDCLOUD

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Things We Talked About In This Episode of Sound Advice

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DESTIN CONRAD on the Making of R&B and Jazz Albums, ‘LOVE ON DIGITAL’ and ‘wHIMSY’

• We begin the conversation with DESTIN’s deluxe edition of his jazz album, ‘wHIMSY.’ Dropping only a few months after his debut R&B album, ‘LOVE ON DIGITAL,’ his release of ‘wHIMSY’ came as something of a surprise — not only in timing, but in sound, too. Across 17 tracks, the deluxe album showcases an alternative jazz sound, recorded with a live band. 
• Here, DESTIN talks about how he was inspired to create both albums through his mutual loves —  classic ‘90s and early ‘00s R&B and jazz — and how ‘wHIMSY’ is partly inspired by a jazz alter ego character of his, named Mr. E, citing being influenced by legendary jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker. 
• Getting deeper, DESTIN talks about his background in jazz music, and how the genre’s experimental and improvisational nature allowed him to work with a live band — including musicians like James Carr, Alex Goldblatt and Terrace Martin — to create ‘wHIMSY.’ As he explains, the experience was an interesting contrast to how he made  ‘LOVE ON DIGITAL’ — which, true to its name and theme, was made using digital production software.
• When DESTIN approached the making of his debut, what went through his mind as the most important elements to focus on, especially when you’re reaching out to new listeners? For ‘LOVE ON DIGITAL,’ DESTIN shares that he wanted to create a collection of songs that spoke to different moods and energies: from the sensual “KISSING IN PUBLIC” to the vulnerable “MAKE IT UP.” Here, he talks about the art of creating a tracklist with that emotional balance. 
• Check out DESTIN CONRAD in The Booth, SoundCloud’s live performance series, with an exclusive rendition of “KISSING IN PUBLIC,” presented by Xfinity.

DESTIN’s Musical Evolution with R&B and Reggae, and Sharing Music Online 

• Reflecting on his childhood, the Tampa, Florida native talks about how his sister’s love for R&B was a huge inspiration musically, introducing him to seminal artists like Aaliyah and Alicia Keys. 
• Alongside R&B, a big sound in DESTIN’s home was reggae, which came thanks to his Jamaican mother. Artists like Freddie McGregor, Bob Marley and Sister Nancy, and styles like Lovers Rock, allowed DESTIN to feel connected to his Caribbean roots and hear a blend of R&B and reggae that’s since become infused in his own work.

• When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, DESTIN got on SoundCloud and started uploading tracks. Having tapped into the platform since the late 2010s, to check out the latest music from his favorite acts, like SZA, DESTIN saw how the platform could be the ideal home for his original music. With time and space to create during lockdown, DESTIN started posting on SoundCloud and never looked back. 
• “One of my favorite things is going back on my SoundCloud, looking at the songs that I’ve liked and pulling inspiration from. That’s one of my favorite things,” he explains. “It’s a timestamp; I discovered so many artists. That was my way of listening to music, and still is. It’s really cool to see the growth of other artists that I’m a fan of.” 

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DESTIN CONRAD on Connecting With Kehlani and Using SoundCloud to Launch His Music Career

• One of the ways that using the internet to share his music changed DESTIN’s life was in how he met Kehlani. Over the years, DESTIN has worked closely with Kehlani as a songwriter, most prominently on her 2020 album, ‘It Was Good Until It Wasn’t.’ Here, DESTIN talks about how, after first hearing Kehlani’s music online, they ended up moving to LA around the same time and connected in her studio sessions, where she gave him invaluable insights into the songwriting and production process. 
• “I got to be a student — soaking up everything, being in rooms with other writers, seeing how collaborations happen,” he remembers. “I knew I could sing and I knew I wanted to learn how to write music, but I didn’t know that I wanted to do it myself, so a seed was planted.” 
• From that first exposure, DESTIN created and uploaded one of his earliest tracks, “CAUTIOUS,” on SoundCloud. “That was the moment that I was just like, ‘Okay, this is this is me. This is my entry into me discovering what my sound is’,” he says. Looking back, he talks about how being part of a young generation with broad access to the internet allowed him to develop not just his singing, but his ability to grow and connect with his audience in authentic ways. 
• “People come to our meet and greets now, and they’re like, ‘I've been following you since you were a kid,’” DESTIN says. “My fans and I kind of grew up together, which is really cool to me.” Here, DESTIN credits the internet as being a vital mechanism for launching his career, and that having that direct access to fans has allowed him to build the loyal, growing fanbase that he has today.

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DESTIN CONRAD on Developing an Artistic Persona Through Fashion, Dance and Live Performance 

• As DESTIN has evolved as an artist, he’s shifted between genres and looks, developing his sense of aesthetics. Here, he talks more about the role that fashion plays in his personal expression, changing over time depending on which genre or medium he’s working in and creating characters to suit different moods. 
• One of those genres is jazz — as heard on his 2025 album, ‘wHIMSY.’ Here, he goes into more detail about how he and his stylist worked together on the live tour of ‘wHIMSY’ to create an aesthetic that would best reflect his sense of self, the music and the presentation of the live band. 
• Drawing on his teenage years, from attending classes at the Debbie Allan School of Dance to singing in a jazz choir, DESTIN looks back at how these influences are folded into his performances today. “I’m still learning how to perform and it’s really vulnerable,” he says. “I really would love to, in a perfect world, nail it and have it down, but I feel like it’s all just learning. I’m not a prodigy — I’m figuring it out as I go.” 

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DESTIN CONRAD on Elevating His Songwriting, Music Discovery and Collaborative Process on SoundCloud 

• Across ‘LOVE IN DIGITAL’ and ‘wHIMSY,’ DESTIN presents his strongest songwriting to date, including through collaboration. So how does SoundCloud, his long-time platform for sharing and creating music, play a role in his process? Here, DESTIN talks about how the SoundCloud private tracks feature is his “first step in putting together an album” because of how it allows him to get private feedback on demos and track developments through the creative cycle. 
• “You can really see how songs exist with each other, if they fit in the same world,” he says. “It’s honestly the most convenient thing for artists: to be able to have all of their songs live somewhere. I love the private tracks feature.” 
• Another core element of SoundCloud that DESTIN appreciates is the ways in which he can directly engage with his fanbase and other artists. He goes into more detail about how he uses other users’ profiles — of listeners and artists alike — to dig through their liked tracks and discover new music for inspiration. 

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DESTIN’s Key Musical Inspirations, and What’s Next in 2026

• Some of the most inspirational artists in DESTIN’s life have been Aaliyah, Michael Jackson and Brandy — especially Brandy’s ‘Never Say Never,’ which is one of his “favorite R&B albums of all time,” he shares. Here, he talks more about what he’s taken from Brandy’s music as an artist. 
• Reflecting on the last year or so of his career — from the release of ‘LOVE ON DIGITAL’ and ‘wHIMSY’ to selling out a solo headline tour of North America — DESTIN discusses the connection that he’s able to grow with his fanbase. After starting out on the internet creating as a teenager, it’s now a full circle moment, performing live for thousands, and bringing that online fanbase into concert halls with him. You can find out more about DESTIN CONRAD’s upcoming tour dates here.

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Links and Extras

Follow DESTIN CONRAD’s journey on SoundCloud.
Press play on DESTIN CONRAD’s 2025 album, ‘LOVE ON DIGITAL.’
Check out DESTIN’s latest collaborative track with Kehlani, titled “BAD BITCHES.” 
Listen to DESTIN CONRAD’s 2025 alternative jazz album, ‘wHIMSY.’
Go back to where it all began with DESTIN’s first ever track, 2019’s “CAUTIOUS.”
Explore some of DESTIN’s wide-ranging influences, including Aaliyah, Brandy and Alicia Keys, to name a few. 
Listen to the A Jazz Thing playlist on SoundCloud.
Never miss an episode and follow the official Sound Advice playlist on SoundCloud.

Getting The Most Out of SoundCloud

Learn more about using DMs to connect with fellow artists and potential collaborators.
Learn more about how to make a custom playlist on SoundCloud.
Learn more about unlimited uploads, available with an Artist Pro subscription.
Learn more unlocking access to unlimited distribution, available with Artist Pro.
Learn more about getting heard with SoundCloud’s updated algorithm, available to Artist and Artist Pro subscribers.

To discover additional features a SoundCloud Artist or Artist Pro subscription offers, visit here. To catch up on past installments of Sound Advice and make sure you don’t miss out on future episodes, visit here.

_{CREDITS Host: Vivian Host; Executive Producer: Mike Spinella; Director, Post-Production Supervisor: Steve Muelz; Production Company (Editor, Colorist, BTS): House of Muelz; Creative Director, Set Design, Art Director, Editor: Rosie Fiore; DOP, Gaffer, Cam Op: Jose Alfonseca; 1st AC / PA: Tiffany “Hazel” Nolasco; Mixing & Mastering: Dom Martin at Mansion Studios NYC; Audio Engineer: David “DibS” Shackney; Producer: KC Orcutt; Project Manager, Account Lead: Katy Garcia; Editorial Associate: Lauren Martin; Coordinator: Trevor McGee}