Cory Cooper is a contagiously joy-filled pop singer from Los Angeles, California.

He cites inspiration from artists like Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, and even Tina Turner. And his most recent single ‘Strong Forever’ was produced by Mikal Blue (Colbie Callait, OneRepublic, Jason Mraz).

In Cooper’s newest tune, we get hints of Ellie-Goulding-type beats paired with the pumping energy of the eighties, vocal timbres of the early 2000s, and a lush forest of synths.

‘Strong Forever’ begins with a melancholy navy-blue feeling and pulsating synths. But slowly, slowly…we shift to something brighter. A heart-beat-like four-on-the-floor bass drum enters, alongside a video of the artist. He puts things plainly as a woman in a red dress comes into view:

“Tired of the games, done with the shame”

At only 13 seconds in it’s apparent that this is a powerful dance-ballad with a heart-rending level of vulnerability. ‘Strong Forever’ has an undertone of triumph, despite the introductory lyrics. His rich clear tenor voice continues…

“Cuz I won’t be the one you need…to save you from what you’ve become”.

According to Cooper, “The song is a celebration of the inner strength that can be found after a traumatic experience like being in a toxic relationship.” Adjacent to this celebration is a slow and steady musical crescendo- Like a flower starting to bloom after finally being repotted into richer soil. The choreographed female dancer gets closer and closer to the dusty concrete, visually expressing her inability to sustain herself, thus languishing in her own suffering. And on the other hand, we feel the singer coming out of a shell, growing back into himself.

Next we make our way to a musically understated running-8th-section which is underlined with satisfying clicking percussion…this builds and builds with the help of sweeping longitudinal guitar lines (that flow seamlessly right back into the chorus):

“Yeah I’ll be strong forever
I couldn’t see back then
But now I’m so much better
And now I’m free again
And I’ll be strong forever”

The warm mellow synths blossom along with Cooper’s now-uninhibited voice; it is golden and wild. But just as us listeners begin to settle in again, Cory Cooper surprises us with a 4th (D) section in his song – which is compositionally one more section than a typical 3-part pop song. Somehow, this makes the final freeing lines hit even harder than before.

As a whole Cory Cooper is a self-reflective, positive artist in a world that is running dangerously low on upbeat music- both sonically, and emotionally.

The song is set to be released on 10/13, and Spotify and iTunes pre-saves are available now. Be sure to check out his other releases as well, including his most recent EP (Produced by Dr. Ford) as well songs like ‘Drove My Heart Away’ and ‘Stranger at the Table’.

“’With Strong Forever,’ I want to inspire people who are going through a rough patch to rediscover their inner strength and sense of self-worth. They are not alone.” -Cory Cooper

It’s a tough place out there! Where does this uninhibited joy and energy of yours come from?

The joy comes from my heart because making music and performing in front of people is all I’ve ever wanted to do. That desire has been in me for as long as I remember, and has never gone away. I just love to get out there and connect with people through my music as much as possible.

What music did you listen to growing up, and which artists most influenced ‘Strong Forever’?

Growing up, I never listened to just one genre of music but rather all kinds ranging from classical, pop, rock, country, opera, hip hop, even celtic music. As an artist, I feel it’s important to be familiar with different types of music in order to become well-rounded. Being familiar with various genres helped me develop a deeper understanding of music and become a better artist. If someone limits their musical knowledge to only one genre, I believe they are really cheating themself from broad musical knowledge.

We noticed that you seem to do a lot of cooking! Your food looks absolutely decadent. Where did you learn to cook?

Thank you so much! I was raised by my grandparents who entertained quite a bit, and learned how to cook from my grandmother. She was really creative and adventurous with food, which rubbed off on me. All of our family holidays were held at our house, so she took care of the food for all the gatherings. I would watch her when I was young, and as I got older she taught me how to become a home cook.

Do both music and cooking feel intertwined in any way for you?

I love doing both, but I would say not really because cooking is purely a hobby for me. That said, they do share some similarities. To become good at singing and cooking, you need practice, patience and awareness. You have to know when you haven’t added enough salt to a dish just like you have to know that you’re not hitting the right note during a song. The only way to develop that kind of situational awareness is through practice and work.

What do you draw on to emotionally connect with audiences?

A lesson I learned from one of my teachers is that you have to sing what you mean and mean what you sing. You have to believe what you are singing about, or else the audience will not buy what you are expressing. To connect with people, I like to draw from my own experiences or sometimes the experiences of close friends as inspiration. That’s how I access those emotions and share them with an audience.

Your single artwork looks powerful. Do visions for visual elements which accompany your song (such as the music video and cover art) come to you before the music is written, or after it is done?

Visual elements for me always come after a song is done, and I actually prefer it that way. I may have some musical ideas early on during the recording process, but as time goes on it evolves, things change, and things get moved around or removed. I’m never exactly sure how a song will turn out until it’s finished, so me and my team always build the visual elements off of that final version.

Cory Cooper Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / SoundCloud