In case you watched 54 Extremely’s music video for “Upside Down” and got here away considering it was a relic from Eighties music packages like “Stable Gold” or “Evening Tracks” — you’d be forgiven for making the idea.
Other than the 25-year-old’s classic wardrobe, coiffure, and ‘stache that harks to that decade, the tune itself — a silky, boppy ballad that channels the vitality of teams just like the Chi-Lites or solo acts like Johnnie Taylor — sounds and feels ripped from the period in a fashion that’s onerous to faithfully re-create today.
That old-school vibe isn’t precisely how 54 Extremely began off when he started placing out solo music three years in the past, nevertheless it’s what he’s settled into these days. The artist, whose actual title is JohnAnthony Rodríguez (and sure, his title is purported to be written collectively), hails from New Jersey and is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent.
The title he settled on, 54 Extremely, got here by means of uniting Frank Ocean’s 2011 album “Nostalgia, Extremely” and the historic nightclub Studio 54. It was someday between 2019 and 2020 that he interned at a number of completely different recording studios, songwriting in his spare time with the intention of writing and producing music for others.
“I keep in mind I used to be looking for a solution to make a dwelling out of music and introduce myself to different artists,” he says over the telephone, recalling all of the demos he had recorded and introduced to artists he’d cross paths with.
“Individuals could be like ‘Who’s singing this? Who demo’ed this?’ And I’d say ‘It was me.’ After which they’d say, ‘You retain it.’ After that [happened] a few occasions I spotted that I would as properly put it out on my own.”
His first solo singles, just like the high-energy “What Do I Know (Name Me Child)” and “Sierra,” have been firmly rooted within the indie rock household tree. It wasn’t till extra just lately, first with “The place Are You” and later “Heaven Is aware of,” that Rodríguez started to discover a extra retro and soulful strategy.
The latter monitor made an look in a 2024 “rhythm and soul” playlist curated by Mistah Cee, an Australian DJ and music selector, who included the tune between Bobby Caldwell’s “My Flame” and Earth, Wind & Hearth’s “Devotion.” The segues between tracks are seamless, in no small half as a consequence of Rodríguez’s immaculate manufacturing and fealty to the tempo of the occasions. His was the one up to date monitor on the playlist, nevertheless it fooled many who finally caught on to the remainder of his work.
“On YouTube, I keep in mind that was a pleasant increase, as a result of folks would remark, ‘Who got here from Mistah Cee?’ Or, ‘Who thought this was an oldie?’ or whatnot,” he says.
So far, it’s not solely Mistah Cee’s most seen playlist by a large margin (5.6 million and counting) but additionally 54 Extremely’s most-streamed tune on Spotify with 27 million. “That was a really natural wave of issues occurring, and I’m very grateful for that additionally as a result of I didn’t count on [it] in any respect,” says Rodríguez.
Latin soul, of the type that remembers the doo-wop and boogaloo period of the Fifties and ‘60s, has seen a resurgence prior to now few years. Artists like Chicano Batman, Thee Sinseers, Los Yesterdays and the Altons, in addition to solo acts like Jason Joshua and Adrian Quesada, have made inroads with listeners and on the radio. Rodríguez is captivated with this chance to point out completely different aspects of Latin tradition and music by way of this style.
“I simply really feel like I’m grateful to be part of that household, or that concept that folks relate all of the music collectively and being part of that scene is fairly good,” he says.
Regardless of his Gen Z standing, he notably lacks the “smartphone face” that’s rampant amongst pop artists and celebrities — and is keen on dressing in an anachronistic means, which he pulls off with gusto. It is perhaps simple to imagine his common getup is a results of desirous to match the music, however Rodriguez insists he was already dressing that means a lot earlier than he ever thought-about dabbling in soul. There’s a type of freedom he associates with the wardrobe of that point.
“[The clothes] have been by no means a dressing up or a gimmick,” he says. “Whether or not I did music or not, I loved the way it matches as a result of that [period] simply has the perfect garments. I feel that was peak menswear. Nobody cared about any sort of gender task with clothes; all people wore what they wished, and all of the measurements have been the identical … it appeared like all people had enjoyable again then. They weren’t fearful a lot about what folks thought.”
“[The clothes] have been by no means a dressing up or a gimmick,” says 54 Extremely of his classic type.
(Max Tardio)
He shouts out Blood Orange, a.ok.a. artist-composer Dev Hynes, as a serious inspiration for him. “That’s my favourite man,” he says. However on the identical time, he affords an eclectic listing of artists whose music lights fires for his personal output; Brazilian musicians like Jorge Ben Jor, Lô Borges and Evinha have made his rotation, together with some moody ‘80s bands just like the Smiths, the Treatment and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
“And Prefab Sprout,” he provides excitedly. “That’s my jam. That stuff’s loopy.”
His popularity has grown this previous 12 months, placing him in rooms he by no means anticipated to be invited to. Earlier this 12 months he discovered himself producing the tune “All I Can Say” for Kali Uchis, off her 2025 album, “Sincerely,” and just lately opened for her throughout a live performance cease in San José.
Earlier this month, he kicked off a world tour selling his newest EP, “First Works,” that may take him from D.C. and Brooklyn to London and Paris. The schedule contains a number of stops in California, together with two in Los Angeles: Oct. 26 on the Roxy Theatre and Oct. 28 on the Echoplex.
For Rodríguez, a tour like that is the end result of all the pieces he’s labored towards in his admittedly nonetheless nascent however steadily rising profession. He confirms that he’s been chipping away at a debut LP, which can brandish a extra “quick and punchy” rock sound that recall his days taking part in basement reveals.
“Anytime anyone requested me what I wished to do, I might say: ‘I need to carry out anyplace I can and for anyone, wherever that could be.’ I’ve at all times wished issues to resonate, and I’ve at all times wished it to make sense.”
