CON THE ARTIST
Following a cross-Canada tour with LØLØ and being named the iHeartRadio Future Star earlier this summer, alt-pop upstart CON THE ARTIST makes his full-length debut with THIS IS A BREAKUP ALBUM, a candid, colourful look at love coming undone and life carrying on. Out now via Wax Records and featuring focus track “So Cold,” the 15-track album captures the affection and frustration of a story CON was still living as he wrote it.
“It all started when I got my heart broken... and the life I thought I had planned changed without warning,” CON shares. “But instead of letting it defeat me, I chose to embrace it.”
That outlook leaves room for gratitude alongside the heartbreak. “This is an ode to the memories we share, the growth we experience, and all the questions we ask ourselves along the way,” he adds.
At the heart of that story is the question of who you become when so much of your identity has been tied to someone else. For CON, it followed him into rooms where people asked about his former partner before asking how he was doing, an experience that became “Where’s Your Girlfriend.”
That search for answers runs through focus track “So Cold,” where CON draws on the sweeping alternative-rock sounds of The Killers and Kings of Leon to capture the distance between two people who once imagined a future together. The result is nostalgic and emotionally charged, holding the memory of that closeness against the reality of how much has changed.
The memories he reflects on are embedded in the recordings themselves. For “Dirty Laundry,” CON returned to the piano he used to play for his former partner, positioning the microphone to capture how it sounded from her place on the couch.
Across the album, those production choices trace CON’s changing perspective. The distorted guitars, warped synths and strings of opener “Something Beautiful” reflect the uncertainty of a life suddenly rearranged. As the record unfolds, those unsettled textures make room for the clearer blend of acoustics and strings on closing track “Rest Of Your Life.”
“By this point, the story is no longer just about me, her, or the breakup… It’s about moving forward, and the beginning of something new,” CON explains.
The debut arrives amid a year of explosive growth for the South African-born, Toronto-based artist. With “Where’s Your Girlfriend” becoming a Top 15 radio hit, CON’s growing presence on the airwaves has been accompanied by an expanding audience online, where his videos have reached millions. That visibility also landed him as a feature artist in the Toronto edition of the TikTok x TD Live campaign.
His growing reach also extends to the stage and screen. CON has shared bills with artists including Shawn Desman, elijah woods and Gabriela Bee, while his work as a songwriter, producer and composer has earned film and television credits including The Order, Good Trouble and Story of a Girl, alongside a recent placement in Netflix’s My Life With the Walter Boys. This November, he brings the new album overseas, joining Jamie Fine for dates across the UK and Ireland.
ABOUT CON THE ARTIST:
CON THE ARTIST is turning heads by taking life’s messiest moments and making alt-pop that’s laced with sharp hooks and candid storytelling. Born in South Africa and based in Toronto, the songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist pairs big pop instincts with inventive production and a cinematic ear for detail, drawing freely from alternative rock and acoustic songwriting.
His debut album, THIS IS A BREAKUP ALBUM, brings that range into focus. Released via Wax Records, the 15-track collection follows love coming undone and life carrying on, exploring affection, frustration and the uncertainty of starting over. From the sweeping alternative-rock pull of “So Cold” to the anthemic chant of fan favourite “Where’s Your Girlfriend” and the intimate piano recordings of “Dirty Laundry,” CON builds songs around the details that stay with you.
That personal approach has connected with listeners across formats and borders. “Where’s Your Girlfriend” became a Top 15 radio hit, while his videos have reached millions across socials. Named an iHeartRadio Future Star, CON has toured Canada with LØLØ and shared bills with Shawn Desman, elijah woods and Gabriela Bee. Beyond his own releases, his work in scoring and song placements includes The Order, Good Trouble and My Life With the Walter Boys.
Website - www.contheartist.com