Toulouse

Emerging late in 2016, the elusive New York-based singer and producer Toulouse, born in Nigeria, stepped into the pop arena via the electronically layered, soul-infused track “So You Know I Care,” which quickly earned acclaim from reviewers. His next release reworked the upbeat 1963 Peggy March classic “I Will Follow Him” into a somber, understated rendition retitled “I Will Follow You”; the song accompanied a campaign for Apple’s iPhone 7 and quickly amassed millions of streams as a breakout success. In February 2017 the additional cut “No Running from Me” appeared on the star-studded Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, extending Toulouse’s compact yet potent run of achievements. Although the artist has shared scant personal details, available background notes indicate that his family relocated from Nigeria to the United States in 2004; after completing studies at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music he created instrumental material for commercial use prior to signing with the publishing division of Downtown Records. Further 2017 offerings comprise “It Is Well” and “Reach Out.”