There’s more than a few powerful nayhoos behind Josh Dean. The singer-songwriter has a vibrancy about him that instantaneously puts anyone that is touched by him in a good mood. It’s what pulled Janelle Monae’s Wondaland orbit and a spot on Hitco’s roster. It’s also what makes his latest single, “Funny Valentine” so lovable.
The visuals for “Funny Valentine” are just as nostalgic as his interplotation (Sixpence None The Richer). Shot in black and white, Dean is all alone as he sings about the wonders of a cautious love. It’s almost insane to think Dean’s strong vocals weren’t heard until he accidentally left his vocals on an early recording of Jidenna’s “Classic Man.”
Dean, who was interning for Monae’s Wonderland as a graphic designer, was given a slot on the label’s roster as well as an opportunity to record his debut EP Dear BlackSheepe. Some might call it fate or mere coincidence but for Dean, this feels like destiny.
“When I first got to Wondaland as an intern, I was having a conversation with Mikael [Janelle’s manager] he was like, ‘People change once they get fame or famous.’” he tells VIBE. “I never want to change. I do want to be smarter, more of a seasoned singer, I want my connection with people to be stronger now than it is. In terms of who I am and the things that have shaped me, my foundation, I don’t want those things to change. I’m happy to be where I’m from, I’m happy to have been raised on a farm, I don’t think I would be the same person without it. I don’t want to step into this next phase of my life and feel like I couldn’t be myself.”
The Alabama native is a clear student of music. Thanks to his grandmother, Dean started at an early age. He was taught the importance of melodies in the church and continued to explore music in school. But shortly after his mother’s death, Dean moved to Florida with his father where he enjoyed the thrills of graphic design. That passion would lead him to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta to study Marketing and Computer Science. The power of graphic design also led him to an internship at Doppler Studios for Grammy-Award winning producer and songwriter, Bryan Michael Cox.
Click here to read the full VIBE interview with Josh Dean.