In Kenyth Mogan's new song, "Real Me", the young artist with newly died purple and blue locks, reveals himself to his lover. That is, he reveals his emotions. What were you thinking?
Produced by Wild and featured in Del Shore’s upcoming film, A Very Sordid Wedding, "Real Me" is a return to the bubblegum, pop sound fans loved in Mogan's breakout hit from 2015, “Unlock Your Heart”. Mogan describes the song as Katy Perry meets Mika.
“It is fun, but also introspective," he says from his LA home. “I have a hard time showing people my true self. I have to trust a person implicitly before I let them into my personal space. I’m one of those people who either trusts immediately or not at all.”
Kenyth Mogan grew up in the northeastern corner of Montana in a little town called Glasgow. Though his parents divorced when he was young, his family was tight-knit and he was always surrounded by cousins and grandparents. He was especially close with his grandmothers who both encouraged his pop star dreams.
“Some of my earliest memories are of dancing around to Tiffany’s "I Think We’re Alone Now" on my little Rainbow Brite record player,” he recalls. “I would play it over and over and over again ad nauseam.”
Mogan came out to his family in a handwritten letter at 15-years old. His father embraced the news right away. “He was more upset with how I told him than with what I told him. I was afraid to tell him in person.”
His mother took a bit longer to accept that her son was gay, but eventually, she came around. “We all have a wonderful relationship today.”
Today, Mogan hopes to be an example to young gay children. “I’ve always been fueled by the desire to be that person that others can look up to. If I can show one little gay kid that life does in fact get better, than I will feel like I’ve accomplished something.”
He's not afraid to take risks with his music. “Real Me” is a complete 180 from Mogan’s last EP, Love, an acoustic record. “I don’t want to be ‘the next’ anyone. I want to be the first me,” he explains.
He's not afraid to take risks with his look either. As far as his purple and blue hair: “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now. It’s a piece of the real me, for right now, anyway. I’m always changing, always evolving. Why shouldn’t my hair do the same?”
Kenyth Mogan’s “Real Me” is available on iTunes. Follow Kenyth on Facebook.