In this exclusive interview with Tony Kay, the seasoned artist shares his sentiments about returning to Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), expressing a fondness for the city’s unique charm and the unparalleled networking opportunities the event offers. Tony reflects on the diverse experiences ADE provides, from conferences to parties, making it a standout moment in his calendar alongside Miami Music Week. While discussing his new hit single ‘Dihya,’ which recently reached 2 million streams, Tony emphasizes the importance of creating music that resonates with his personal experiences and diverse cultural influences. Unfazed by the pressure to deliver another hit, Tony embraces the success of ‘Dihya’ and prioritizes staying true to his unique sound. As he prepares for international shows during ADE, Tony shares his ease in playing for a global audience and his commitment to evolving as an artist, drawing inspiration from advice received at the conference last year. Looking ahead, Tony hints at upcoming releases and a vision for spreading joy and unity through electronic music, emphasizing its universal and non-political nature.
Hey Tony, thanks for speaking with us! How does it feel to be back at ADE?
it’s nice. I do actually enjoy these, ADE and Miami Music Week are my absolute favorites.
Could you describe ADE for someone who has never been?
Yeah, I’ve experienced last year, the conference side of it and also a bit of the partying and this year it is different for me. I do have a couple of shows, a couple of interviews, a couple of more meetings. So there are two sides to it and it is definitely worth it. You do get a chance and opportunity to meet everyone from around the world and it’s just amazing. It’s a beautiful experience.
Away from ADE, do you have a favorite thing to do in Amsterdam?
Actually, yes, when the weather is good, I do like to walk around. The scenery here is beautiful. It’s something that I do get to enjoy.
So you just recently released your new song and it hit 2 million streams. Did that come as a surprise?
It is absolutely my biggest song and it did come as a big big surprise. I was never expecting it. Not a big fan of numbers to be honest. It’s not something that I work towards. So I’m actually more focused in making music that resonates with me first. And I’m highly influenced by my background, my roots, also my experiences, I’m very fortunate to get to live in different places around the world, get to meet different people, different cultures, different backgrounds, and that’s where I get my influences and I think that is also part of the reason of the success of ‘Dihya’ because it has sounds that people are very familiar with and they recognize it.
How important is to for you to make music that resonates with yourself?
Yeah, it is very important that I have to be happy with my productions. And then of course, that will then push me to go and test it out and see how people are reacting to it. And if I’m being honest, ‘Dihya’ is a project that I started a year and a half ago. At first it was more of an afro kind of vibe. Wasn’t really happy about it, tested it out. Just became another project. And then after Miami Music Week I went back to it. The reason for that was when I was there, I was walking around South Beach and I could hear people blasting out Reggaeton music, and I was like maybe I should give it a try. Three or four versions later and this is the final result.
Do you feel any like pressure to follow up your latest single with another hit?
Not as much because as as I told you before, like, yes, the numbers are fulfilling and you do really enjoy the success as well as it kind of pushes you to do better. But at the same time, I do have to stay true to myself. And now as well as I have this big opportunity where people are recognizing the Tony Kay sound that I’ve been working on the past few years. So I would say a little bit of pressure but not so much.
You’re playing a couple of shows this week, and with it being an international crowd, does that suit you better?
Yeah. It’s actually a good thing for me because I’m used to playing to an international crowd. And also the way I have my crates, and the way my music library is organized, allows me to kind of not really pre prepare that much. Yeah, that’s really cool to do. And also you get to test out new music, which is really, really nice to people from all around the world.
How important is it for you to evolve and to grow as an artist over time?
Last year, I did ask this question to one of the DJs here at the conference, and they gave me a good advice which is don’t be afraid of taking risks. You should stick to what you truly believe in so that will help you grow and evolve as an artist and that’s what I do every single day.
Looking towards the end of the year, do you have any plans or goals?
Yeah. Following up here with a new song which might be coming out next month, or December. We’ll see but that’s about all for this year and next year will also be a year full of music releases and more shows. Yeah, let’s all dance together. Let’s all be happy. Let’s all live in peace and at the end of the day, electronic music is, for me, one of the only genres that remains non racial, non political and most importantly, non violent so I’m very happy to be in this industry. As well as just pushing for safety and peace around the world.
Follow Tony Kay:
Instagram/ Soundcloud / Spotify
