Curtis Waters | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Abhinav Bastakoti |
| Born | December 20, 1999 Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Origin | Cary, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, indie pop, alt pop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, rapper, singer, songwriter |
| Labels | BMG |
Abhinav Bastakoti (born December 20, 1999), [1] known by his stage name Curtis Waters, is a Canadian-American musician, rapper, singer and songwriter. [2] [3] He is known for his 2020 debut single "Stunnin'". [4] He is the first Nepal-born musician to attain international success. [3]
Abhinav Bastakoti was born on December 20, 1999, in Kathmandu, Nepal. At a young age, he moved to India, before moving to Germany at the age of 4, then Calgary, Canada at the age of 10 [3] [5] At the age of 14, Bastakoti returned to Nepal for three months to receive his Bratabanda, a complex Hindu coming of age ceremony. [3] Around this time he downloaded FL Studio onto his laptop and started making beats. [2] Posting them online in 2017 as Frank Waters, before changing it to Curtis Waters, a homage to his two favourite artists Joy Divisions’s Ian Curtis and Frank Ocean. [6] As a teenager attending Sir Winston Churchill High School [7] he struggled with depression and used music and graphic design to overcome it. [8] He would often skip school to compete in beat battles. [7] At the age of 17, he moved to Cary, North Carolina, as a result of his parents' educational pursuits.
In April 2020, Waters posted a 15-second snippet of his hip hop/pop song, "Stunnin'" which became a "viral TikTok sensation." [9] [8] In one month, "Stunnin'" was viewed more than two million times on YouTube. [2] In June, "Stunnin'" was ranked #3 on Rolling Stone's Breakthrough 25 Chart. [3] By July 2020, "Stunnin'" had been streamed over 35 million times on Spotify. [8]
Waters was chased by numerous labels. [9] [3] He decided to stay independent, but did sign a licensing deal with BMG. [9] [8] [3] His former manager is A&R executive Chris Anokute, who helped launch Katy Perry and Rihanna. [3]
In June 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ran an article about Waters. [9] [4] In July 2020, "Stunnin'" was used in a Mercedes-Benz commercial. [9]
Water's second single was "System." [9] He recorded his album Pity Party in his dorm at UNC Greensboro. [3] After production, Pity Party was re-released in October 2020. [10] One reviewer of Pity Party noted, "The throughline in these 12 disparate tracks remains Waters’ distinct point of view, simultaneously self-deprecating, sincere, and disarmingly honest." [10] On June 23, 2023, he released his sophomore album, BAD SON. [11]
His musical influences include Frank Ocean, Kanye West, Odd Future, Tyler the Creator, and Joy Division’s Ian Curtis.[ citation needed ]
Bastakoti lives in Los Angeles, California. [7] He has been open about his experience with depression and bipolar disorder and has expressed his desire to be a mental health advocate in Nepal.[ citation needed ]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Pity Party |
|
| Bad Son |
|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [12] | IRE [13] | NZ Hot [14] | UK [15] | US Bub. [16] | |||||||||
| "Stunnin'" (featuring Harm Franklin) | 2020 | 36 | 27 | 21 | 69 | 11 | Pity Party | ||||||
| "System" [20] | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "The Feelings Tend to Stay the Same" [21] | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Freckles" [22] | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Doodoodoo" [23] | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||||||
| "Conceited" [24] | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Plastic World" [25] | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Manic Man" [26] | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | Bad Son | ||||||
| "Star Killer" [27] | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Riot" [28] (featuring Chlothegod) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Himbo" / "God's Lonely Man" [29] | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "Death Keeps Calling My Name" [30] (featuring Shrimp) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||