Curtis Waters
Birth nameAbhinav Bastakoti
Born (1999-12-20) December 20, 1999
Kathmandu, Nepal
OriginCary, North Carolina, U.S.
GenresPop, indie pop, alt pop
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
LabelsBMG

Abhinav Bastakoti (born December 20, 1999),[1] known by his stage name Curtis Waters, is a Canadian-American musician and songwriter.[2][3] He is known for his self-produced 2020 debut single "Stunnin'".[4] He is the first Nepal-born musician to attain international success.[3]

Early life

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.

Career

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 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]

Artistry

His musical influences include Frank Ocean, Kanye West, Odd Future, Tyler the Creator, and Joy Division’s Ian Curtis.

Personal life

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.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details
Pity Party
Bad Son

Singles

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 — — — — — TBA
"Conceited"[24] — — — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
  • 2019: "Food Court Heart Break" (33 Life featuring Curtis Waters and Yung Star Ballout)[25]
  • 2020: "Quarantine Party" (Jay2thekim featuring Curtis Waters)[26]
  • 2020: "Sensual Healing" (Susanne Davis featuring Asher Porter and Curtis Waters)[27]
  • 2021: "SugarCrash!" (ElyOtto featuring Kim Petras and Curtis Waters)[28]

References

  1. ↑ Das Shrestha, Kashish (14 July 2020). "The rise of Curtis Waters". Nepali Times. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  2. 1 2 3 Pant, Shashwat (July 6, 2020). "In the spotlight: Curtis Waters' Stunnin'". Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Das Shrestha, Kashish (July 14, 2020). "The rise of Curtis Waters". Nepali Times. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Leight, Elias (June 23, 2020). "Curtis Waters' 'Stunnin' Is a TikTok Hit -- And a Threat to the Major Label System". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  5. ↑ Miao, Hannah (May 27, 2020). "Meet Curtis Waters, the Cary Musician Going Viral on TikTok with "Stunnin'"". Indy Week. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  6. ↑ Weg, Zachary (6 February 2023). "Curtis Waters is the triple-threat rising star to watch this year". Alternative Press Magazine. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  7. 1 2 3 Volmers, Eric (February 10, 2023). "Rising Waters: Calgary-raised pop sensation Curtis Waters returns home". Calgary Herald. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Segalov, Michael (July 19, 2020). "Curtis Waters, TikTok king: 'There are no gatekeepers to the industry anymore'". The Guardian. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fay, Seamus (July 16, 2020). "No One Believed in Curtis Waters, Until Everyone Did". Complex. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 Wang, Steffanee (September 23, 2020). "Curtis Waters On "Stunnin'" & Finding Success Beyond TikTok". Nylon. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Morris, Damien (2023-06-25). "Curtis Waters: Bad Son review – genre-busting second album from pop outsider". The Guardian. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  12. ↑ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100 Chart: Week of August 29, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Discography Curtis Waters". irish-charts.com. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. June 29, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-06-28. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  15. ↑ "CURTIS WATERS FT HARM FRANKLIN | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2021-04-25. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart: Week of August 1, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Brazilian certifications – Curtis Waters" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Canadian certifications – Curtis Waters". Music Canada. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  19. ↑ "American certifications – Curtis Waters". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  20. ↑ "System - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved August 10, 2020 – via Apple Music.
  21. ↑ "The feelings tend to stay the same - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Archived from the original on 2020-07-31. Retrieved August 10, 2020 – via Apple Music.
  22. ↑ "Freckles - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Archived from the original on 2020-09-06. Retrieved September 15, 2020 – via Apple Music.
  23. ↑ "Doodoodoo - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 28, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  24. ↑ "Conceited - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 28, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  25. ↑ "Food Court Heart Break (feat. Curtis Waters & Yung Star Ballout) - Single by 33 Life on Apple Music". Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved November 20, 2020 – via Apple Music.
  26. ↑ "Quarantine Party (feat. Curtis Waters) - Single by Jay2thekim on Apple Music". Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved November 20, 2020 – via Apple Music.
  27. ↑ "Sensual Healing (feat. Asher Porter & Curtis Waters) - Single by Susanne Davis on Apple Music". Retrieved November 20, 2020 – via Apple Music.
  28. ↑ "SugarCrash! (feat. Kim Petras & Curtis Waters) - Single by ElyOtto on Apple Music". Archived from the original on 2021-04-23. Retrieved May 8, 2021 – via Apple Music.
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