Isaiah Falls is giving fans an all-inclusive experience at LVRS PARADISE, a sonic utopia serving as his two-part debut album. It’s a romantic destination he envisioned before introducing himself with his 2023 EP The Private Room.
“I’ve had this idea for the title of this project for four, maybe five years,” Falls tells Rated R&B over a video call. “I knew I was going to make it ever since I created the brand Lvrs Only. It was just the right timing.”
In two years, the Orlando native picked up a new skill that gave him more space to be even more hands-on in creating music: producing. “When I made The Private Room, I was just a songwriter,” he points out. “I didn’t know how to produce.” Falls started getting more involved behind the boards with his second EP, Drugs n’ Lullabies, which spawned his viral hit “Florida Baby.”
“From The Private Room to Drugs n’ Lullabies, I taught myself how to produce,” he continues. “Songwriting is one half of the language, and production is another half. You need both to really create what you want to create.”
That personal touch is possibly why LVRS PARADISE (SIDE A), released May 2 via Lvrs Only, feels intimate, like a guided tour from Falls himself. “This is for all my lovers. Whether you’re good at it, really bad at it, or trying to figure it out, you have something on this project to relate to,” he assures.
The nine-track set, which runs 21 minutes, is enough to acclimate listeners to the awe-inspiring environment without overwhelming them. The opener, “For Lvrs Only,” feels like that first step off the plane, where the salt-scented air and gleaming sun heighten one’s senses. The production is as subtle as a warm greeting upon arrival at a resort. “This right here for lovers baby / Sweet sweet love,” Falls sings.
LVRS PARADISE (SIDE A) offers a mood to match any time of day. “Take a Hit” and “Trick Daddy” carry a melodic knock likely to attract a party-ready crowd under the moonlight. The syrupy “Desires,” featuring Ambré, and the Joyce Wrice-assisted “Butterflies” luxuriate in a romantic mood — one set in the bedroom, the other at a dimly lit dinner date.
In Rated R&B’s interview with Isaiah Falls, the future R&B star recounts his artistic evolution, discusses LVRS PARADISE (SIDE A), teases SIDE B, explains why he’s here to stay and talks upcoming tour.
How would you describe your musical upbringing?
My upbringing was kind of unique because, being in church, you typically have a strict household. My grandparents on both sides are pastors. My parents were in church, but they weren’t pastors or anything like that. So, the music in the house was kind of all over the place. My pops would play all different types of music. He loved rap, R&B, everything. The first song I remember trying to learn how to sing was [Michael Jackson’s] “Rock with You.”
You’ve stated that when you’re working on new music, you don’t record to drums. Is there a particular reason why?
I typically don’t record to drums because they’re in places that I want to sing, and they kind of distract me. I like to use my voice as a drum, whether I’m rapping or singing something smooth. I like to have free range. I don’t even like things in the high-end frequency of music. That’s why a lot of my music sounds so low, [like] a late-night drive, because I don’t like things that sit where my voice sits sonically.
I read that you listen to rap more than R&B. What is it about R&B that inspires you to create?
As of late, I’ve been listening to everything. I went to a Cleo Sol concert, so I’ve been running back Cleo constantly. But I think [with] R&B, there’s something about the smooth melodies over what I like to consider rap drums because “Gold On My Teeth,” I’m singing like let’s just fall in love, but the 808s are like Kodak [Black] 808s. It’s the duality that I like to fine-tune when I make music. It is making sure it can still knock because, being from Florida, you’ve got to shake the car a little bit when you make music. But I also like to sing. I make my music for the ladies. I love the smoothness of the music, so that’s kind of why I sing R&B, but I love the knock of rap.
How would you say you’ve evolved from The Private Room to where you are now with your new album LVRS PARADISE?
When I made The Private Room, I was just a songwriter. From The Private Room to Drugs n’ Lullabies, I taught myself how to produce. Going into this album, I fully produced it with my team. Songwriting is one half of the language, and production is another half. You need both to really create what you want to create. For me, it was learning that aspect that has made the evolution of LVRS PARADISE beautiful because I’m now more involved.
What led to your decision to split your debut album into two parts?
That was me being a businessman. My fans yell at me all the time for not dropping music. So I was like, “OK, let me fix that. I’m going to drop the first half of the album at the beginning of the year, then I’m going to drop the second half of the album, probably August.” Realistically, that’s a tentative date. We don’t know yet. But yeah, I wanted to make sure that I was giving music throughout the entire year.
You’ve mentioned that a lot of your music sounds like an interlude at first. What do you mean by that?
I think most of my songs are going to feel like an interlude at first because I record no drums. A lot of my favorite interludes don’t have drums on them. Typically, I like to make [songs] short and sweet. I do have the itch sometimes to build out a song that has chord changes, bridges, outros, skits and all that. But I don’t think I have cultivated the fan base that is able to indulge all of that yet. I’m in the phase where I need to give people as much music as possible. Giving something short and sweet allows me to really feed the people. Later down the line, we’ll do the crazy albums.
When do you know that a song is complete?
It’s more when I’ve given it what I wanted to give it for that day. I like to finish my songs in one day. I have songs that are four or five minutes long, but I haven’t dropped them yet. Sometimes the song calls for that amount of creation. But some days I make a song, and two minutes into the song, I feel good. I don’t have anything else to say, necessarily. I let it be what it is.
What message did you want to send with LVRS PARADISE?
Some of my favorite albums are actual worlds that I felt like I was engulfed in. A big checkmark for me when I’m creating a project is that it has to feel like I brought you into what I am creating. For LVRS PARADISE, and the same for Drugs n’ Lullabies, we got to reinforce that love is cool. With this album, I was like, “This is for all my lovers. Whether you’re good at it or trying to figure it out, you have something on this project to relate to.”
“Desires” with Ambré is one of the standouts on the album, for sure. What’s the story behind that record?
Originally, I wrote that song over a different sample. All the music behind it was different. I wrote part of the song, loved the lyrics and how I sang it, but the music wasn’t giving me the feeling I was looking for. I brought it to my guys, and was like, “Hey, let’s redo this beat.” We brought up some inspirations that I had. It was a lot of ‘70s records. We created the bass and got everything together.
When it came to the second verse, I didn’t want to write a second verse. I’m all over the project. I was like, “I want to start bringing people in.” Me and Ambré probably followed each other a couple of weeks before that. I’ve always been a fan of her. She has a unique style and approach to music — her spacing, lyrics, tone — everything about it is dope to me. I was like, “Yo, would you be down to try this?” We sent it, and she killed it.
“Trick Daddy” is a bop as well. What inspired it?
Being from Florida, Trick [Daddy’s] music was always around. When I made the song, the name was the last part of it. I thought it was hilarious because I don’t say “Trick Daddy” once in the song, but it’s just talking about tricking: “F—k it. I’m a new Trick Daddy.” I’ll name it that. People talk s–t so much about tricking in the world, but if you’re doing it for the right person, it ain’t tricking. That’s just love in your own way. I wrote it to no drums and played it for my boys. They were like, “We got to make this shit knock.” When you hear that 808 come in, that s—t shakes the car. It’s an R&B song that knocks.
How important is it to keep your home state, Florida, and its culture in your music?
It is very important. Florida raised me. Florida made me the man I am today. We got people like Doechii, Sailorr, and Destin Conrad [who are] really dope people from Florida. It is beautiful to see we’re having our moment. For me, I got to wear it on my sleeve. It made me who I am.
Getting back to the album, how did “Take A Hit” come about?
For that one, we set up all our instruments, I had the mic and freestyled the song, and we pieced it together. That song was heavily influenced by OutKast, just the way the 808s hit, the inflections I was using with my tone, and trying to push my vocals a little differently. We were having fun.
“Butterflies,” your collaboration with Joyce Wrice, has been taking off. What does that mean for you?
“Butterflies” was that second hit for me that showed the industry, “Hey, I’m here to stay. I’m here to do it again.” I hold that song very close to me. That song popped off on its own. The fans — everyone on TikTok — made it what it is. I made the song the night before I posted it. It was a demo, and it still went viral. So I asked all my fans, “Who y’all hear on this?” Joyce [Wrice] got tagged a ton of times. I sent it to her and was like, “Would you be down to get on this? They’re asking for you, so you let me know.” What she sent me back was amazing.
While I was on tour, the song wasn’t finished. Me and my boys were in an Airbnb in LA and had a setup in the kitchen with speakers, and were finishing it while on tour. We put it out a couple of weeks later. It was just a beautiful experience to see that song flourish from me in my room, making a demo to posting it, and it going crazy. I’m super grateful for that song.
“Florida Baby” was the record that put your name on the map. Did you feel like you had something to prove, personally, after achieving success?
People say your first million’s easy, your second million is harder to make. So it is always that second song to show you could do it again. Once you do it again. It’s like, “OK, he’s here to stay. He’s not playing.” “Florida Baby” was a big song for me. It got me through the door. Me and my team knew we were through the door, but the door ain’t off the hinges yet. We understood, “Yo, let’s put the foot on the gas. Let’s let these people know we’re here to stay because we work hard for what we do.” I’ve been making music for 14 years — since I was 14. I got to show I’m here to stay because it was plan A. I ain’t have no plan B. Either I do it and I give it my all, or I don’t.
The closing track, “Heaven2Me,” has some gospel influences sonically. Even “Get Ya Money,” you sing, “God is good all the time.” Did those elements come naturally as you were making the songs?
I think whether or not it’s the forefront of the song, a lot of church shows through my music. It’s my melodies, tone or chords I gravitate towards. I know He is the reason I am where I am. He gave me everything and every opportunity — this talent. “Heaven2Me” isn’t even necessarily about God. It’s really about your lover being your peace, escape and serenity. It has so much soul. It connects in a way that nothing else on my project does. That is like its own baby. So I was like, “Let’s put it as the outro. Let’s put some beauty into it.”
With this being your debut album, what did you take away from the process and what would you like listeners to walk away with?
I was able to express myself and my versatility as an artist. I got to play around with my vocal tones and push the limits on this album. For my fans, it’s just an experience. I want you guys to be able to escape from reality for a moment when you listen to the album and be able to just breathe, cry, laugh, whatever you got to do, and just enjoy the music.
What can fans expect from LVRS PARADISE (SIDE B)?
SIDE B is a lot more grown and a lot more sexy. I would compare it to a glass of red wine, if I’m being honest. It is very playa, very smooth and very South.
Now that the first installment of your debut album is out, what’s next for you?
There are two sides, so expect two tours. Expect a fun experience. When you come to my tour, there’s going to be a Lvrs Paradise tour and we’re going to have a lot of fun on it. I want people dancing, vibing, laughing. I want it all, man. So yeah, just expect to have a good time.
Stream Isaiah Falls’ LVRS PARADISE (SIDE A) below.
