d4vd, Bryant Barnes

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Max Durante

A close-up of d4vd.

d4vd

Houston native d4vd, known for his moody, genre-blurring tracks like “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me,” is on the road with his debut album, Withered. Joining him is another rising R&B-pop blender, Bryant Barnes, whose viral singles such as “I’d Rather Pretend” quickly brought him onto festival stages and into millions of playlists worldwide.

media release:  Rising alternative R&B singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Bryant Barnes unveils a brand new single entitled “Two Sides Of Goodbye” out now via Mercury Records.   

  Bounding with emotion, “Two Sides Of Goodbye” embodies the hallmarks of his instantly identifiable signature tone. Notes pulled from softly pressed piano keys linger in the background, echoing through the silence and accenting the heartbreak in his delivery. On the refrain, he can’t let go of a doomed relationship, going on to ponder aloud, “How can you be so happy? Look at you living without me while I can’t let go.” It culminates on one last catharsis rife with raw feeling.   

He just picks up where he left off with the fan favorite “Why Can’t You” at the top of the year. The latter has already reeled in 12 million-plus streams and earned acclaim. CLASH raved, “The singer’s tender youth – a mere 19-years-old at the time of writing – belies his huge skill, melting together R&B, soul, gospel, and more.” Rated R&B applauded how, “In the melancholic ballad, Barnes contemplates reality of unrequited love and the glimmer of hope that his partner will stay to make it work.” Billboard touted it among “R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week,” proceeding to proclaim, “Bryant Barnes is proving unstoppable.” New Wave Magazine promised, “Bryant is making sure his presence is felt within the industry.”  

Earlier this year, he notably supported 070 Shake on The Petrichor Tour across North America, captivating audiences around the country. This summer, he’ll also be joining d4vd on select dates of the WITHERED Tour, bringing their Texas-rooted chemistry to stages nationwide.  

It’s just the beginning though…   

Be on the lookout for a whole lot more to come from Bryant Barnes soon.  

To close out last year, Bryant Barnes released  “Is This Love To You” and launched his first sold-out headline run in November with shows in Houston, New York, and Los Angeles. Within merely three minutes of going on sale, all of the tickets were grabbed by fans in a frenzy! Elsewhere Bryant took over online with numerous performances on acclaimed platforms including COLORS, On The Radar, VEVO, and From The Block.   

Recently named Vevo DSCVR 2025 Artist To Watch Bryant’s profile has exploded in the last year, attracting over 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify and exponentially expanding his online following too. He has quietly taken flight as one of the year’s boldest breakout artists. “I’d Rather Pretend” quickly became one of Bryant’s most popular songs with a tidal wave of viral engagement. Upon release it crashed the Top 10 of Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs Chart peaking at #7. Simultaneously it gained nearly over 211 million global streams as the debut EP VANITY peaked at #13 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart and #10 Apple Music R&B Albums Chart. The EP is impressively approaching 400 million global streams and counting.  

Building on this success, he teamed up with fellow Houston native and 19-year-old visionary artist d4vd for a new rendition of“I’d Rather Pretend.” Barnes has also graced coveted platforms like Genius, while PAPER Magazine praised him as the, “Texas-based alt-pop act has been dominating social media, attracting millions of followers on platforms like TikTok, where fans have organically found his music.”

By balancing cinematic ambition and intensely intimate emotion, Bryant Barnes conjures alternative R&B tailormade for the biggest stages worldwide. The Houston-born singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist has unassumingly blazed his own trail to the forefront of the culture, gathering hundreds of millions of streams, attracting 7 million total followers, selling out shows, and earning acclaim from PAPER, Genius, COLORS, OnesToWatch, and more. He has devoted his entire life to music, shining on various instruments as a kid before gaining traction with a series of viral piano covers. Since 2023, Bryant’s tireless grind has established him as a phenomenon further affirmed by 2024’s breakthrough VANITY EP. Beyond standouts like “Don’t Want A Love Song,” “Give Me A Sign,” and “Adore You,” the single “I’d Rather Pretend” eclipsed 211 million streams and attracted multiplatinum star d4vd for a powerhouse Official Remix. Given this success, he also sold out his debut headline shows in New York, Los Angeles, and Houston in less than three minutes. It’s no wonder VEVO hailed him as a DSCVR 2025 Artist To Watch and 070 Shake handpicked him to open up her Petrichor North American Tour. However, everything just set the stage for his full-length debut album in 2025 and much more to come.