Lead Music Video “Valet” – Out Now
(Nashville, Tenn.– Feb. 14, 2022) Manny Blu showcases his artistry and vocals in a new light through his stripped-down performance video series, Live & Unplugged. The first video in the series, “Valet,” is available to watch today, February 14, on YouTube here. The track will be available on streaming services worldwide starting February 18.
The Live & Unplugged series includes a mix of Blu originals, “Valet,” and “Might As Well Lead,” and a cover that is close to his heart, “Simple Things.” The videos for “Simple Things” and “Might As Well Lead” will be released on February 28, and the tracks will be available on DSPs on March 4.
Blu and his band added new instrumentation to breathe new life into the tracks in these renewed versions of the songs. In the first video installment of “Valet,” a piano and strings have been added to create a more ambient feel.
Blu elaborates on his choice to return to a stripped-down series, “The reason we chose to do another Live and Unplugged series was that I felt like we have songs that would lend themselves to a stripped version extremely well. I love alternate versions of songs and think that versatility is a skill. We added new instrumentation in this series that we haven’t used for any live performances yet and created something different from what most people expect. This series gave me the chance to pick two original songs, a cover I love, and show off my versatility as an artist.”
Blu first came up with the idea of releasing a Live & Unplugged performance series in 2020. After Live & Unplugged, he moved onto a new concept with a Live & Turned Up series, which amplified his rebellious, rocker side. He filmed two Live & Turned Up series, including performance combinations of his catalog and covers. Throughout 2021, his Live & Turned Up concert series helped add to his record number of 1M+ views on YouTube. Fans can view both series here.
Blu kicked off 2022 with the release of Country Punk EP and a “Prove Me Wrong” music video. The five-track project brings his vision for Country Punk full circle with hard-hitting instrumentation and lyrics that express raw emotions. Along with the release of his EP, Blu also announced that he would be joining Dallas Smith on his ‘Some Things Never Change’ tour in Canada starting May 24. Others on that tour include James Barker Band, Shawn Austin, Meghan Patrick, Kelly Prescott, and JoJo Mason.
2021 was a monumental year for Manny Blu as he established himself as a global artist with listeners in 128 countries. Blu’s social footprint on TikTok also grew to a record of 2.5M+. He released two EPs – Country Punk EP and DEViL. Blu gained momentum in the first half of the year with the release of his third EP, DEViL – a tracklist that uses his Country Punk attitude to express testaments of love and explain where he is at in his life right now. The EP featured hit songwriters Michael Hardy, Ryan Hurd, Craig Wiseman, Ryan Beaver, and more. Since its release, Blu has been described as “Aldean meets Eddie Van Halen” (Lyric Magazine), and his tracks have garnered massive attention. “Train” (HERE) reached 1M+ streams. The official music video for “Might As Well Lead” (HERE) was broadcast on CMT, Nashville Country TV, CMC Country, and more.
“Valet” received rave reviews as it showcased Blu’s falsetto and ended up on several playlists including, but not limited to the following: Apple’s New in Country, Country Risers, Canada’s Country; Tidal’s Country Waves, Now Playing Nashville, UpStar Music; and Spotify’s New Music Nashville. That single also made Blu the face of Apple Music’s Canada’s Country playlist the week of its release. “Circle Up,” featuring Blaine Holcomb, brought out more of Manny Blu’s rocker side, and lastly, “Rusty Things” debuted with the album and appeared as a special performance for Blu on his Live & Turned Up Series (HERE).
Blu introduced his sound first in his 2019 EP Leave It Like It Is and his follow-up EP release, New Ink, which involved major songwriters Josh Osborne, Ross Copperman, and Rhett Atkins. Despite the difficulties that all artists faced in 2020, it was also a landmark year for Manny Blu as he continued to make himself seen in the country music community. The promising artist expanded his team to an international level through added representation in the US and the UK. For more information on his upcoming tour and to stay up to date on news and announcements from Manny Blu, visit his website or follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
