WaitingForPairing
New York’s WaitingForPairing makes one of a kind pop music. The 22-year-old singer/songwriter turns heads with his punk aesthetic, which has served him well over his tenure in the music industry. Since his debut in 2019, the artist continues to grow a devout fanbase; his latest project, Love Stories Never End Well, has received over 250k Spotify streams since its release. WaitingForPairing has always had an attachment to music, explaining that “[it] was always there for me no matter how I was feeling - happy, sad, angry...and I wanted to be able to do that for people too. I wanted to create music that made others feel like they’re not alone.” And that he has. With over 40k monthly Spotify listeners and more projects on the way, you can expect the up and comer to continue making his mark on the indie-pop circuit. We recently spoke with the WaitingForPairing about his musical beginnings, his unique aesthetic, and more!
You’ve got quite the duality as an artist. How do you balance your “trap metal” side with your softer, pop side?
Honestly, I don’t try to balance it out, I just let it flow. To me, there’s nothing that needs balancing, it’s a reflection of who I am. It depends on my mood and whatever I’m feeling. I create based on what I”m feeling at the moment. If I’m angry, I express it through trap metal. If I’m joyful, or happy, I feel more inspired to write a love song or something softer/lighter. Maybe in the future it’ll be something else.
Which side do you see more of yourself in?
It’s similar to what I said before. There’s no right or wrong. I see a lot of myself in both. I’m not two people, I’m the same person and I love both and I express myself through both -- again, depending on what I’m feeling. Growing up I listened to artists like Usher, Drake, Paramore, Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, 3 Doors Down, Slipknot, XXXtentacion.
Where does the name WaitingForPairing come from?
Oh man. On my 19th birthday, I confessed to my best friend my deepest secret -- which was my love for music and how I wanted to pursue it as a career. From that moment on, we would spend hours in his car, listening to beats on YouTube and he wouldn’t let me leave until we freestyle for hours. I used my phone to record my freestyles back then and those were my first “songs”. Now, his car was a really old 2001 Honda Civic, and in order to play audio from our phones, we had to connect via a bluetooth adapter, and every time we’d turn the car on it would announce “waiting for pairing” then “paired” when the signal from our phones connected. One day, we were playing back one of the freestyles that we had just recorded, and suddenly, the bluetooth adapter disconnected and reconnected and announced its “waiting for pairing” -- we looked at each other and we just knew. Because at that time I had been struggling to find a name for myself for months. I’m pretty sure I was Curly Trunks at one point, and even toyed with Player1 and Mozus. But after that adapter disconnect/reconnect incident, we both immediately knew that my name was WaitingForPairing.
What aesthetic do you go for as an artist?
I actually find it really funny because my most popular songs are my singing/soft pop songs, so people might expect to see a look that’s similar to what they’d find with similar artists in that genre, but I personally love the whole punk aesthetic. Mainly because the punk community is very accepting. There are no limitations, no judging, no exclusivity. I love the “outlaw” energy -- the non-conformist, free-to-be-me, presence.
How does this translate between the two genres in which you classify yourself?
I don't think there’s too much to it. I just love the punk aesthetic and I would like to look like an anime character in his final form haha.
Has your Egyptian heritage impacted your sound in any way? What about your being based in New York?
I’m not sure how my Egyptian heritage has influenced my sound but I grew up listening to a lot of Arabic music. Music is a very huge part of our culture - when we’re at events or weddings it's the one thing that brings everybody together. At a young age I saw how quickly music would bring people together and it was one of the biggest influences on me in making music in general. New York is such a diverse place with different types of cultures and genres constantly being expressed and displayed. Everyone here moves so quickly and the passion is intense. When an artist blows up in New York, the city embraces them so much that they become a part of who we are as New Yorkers.
What’s one skill you’d like to hone as an artist?
To utilize my vocal range and be able to sing at an elite level. I’ve always looked up to singers with beautiful voices like Frank Ocean and even Drake -- the range from high to low is insane. If I can manipulate my voice like that I really do believe I'd be unstoppable.
What do you believe has been most instrumental in your success?
Well I'm definitely not where i want to be. I’d love to be able to make enough money off of my music so i won't have to work a 9-5 and focus solely on creating music - living freely. But what helped me get to where I'm at now is my college experience. Learning that I, myself, am a business -- having to create marketing plans on my own and understanding the importance of business etiquette has helped me a lot on the business side of things but creatively it's just trial and error. Same with going to the gym, if i bench press multiple times a week and eat right, best believe my chest will be huge - it's the same with creating.
What can your fans keep an eye out for?
More music and consistent content for sure. I want to focus more on my brand and emphasize consistency within the next couple of months. Always posting photoshoots, behind the scenes content, rolling out new songs ever 3-4 weeks and just unloading everything. Hopefully something will stick.
