Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 17-year-old son Xavier Trudeau marked his official launch into the world of music on Friday with the debut single of his R&B track Til The Nights Done.
“What you know about me, I ain’t like him,” young Trudeau sings. “We could roll sum, we could light one.”
“It’s hard to escape the shadow of a famous parent or sibling, and he acknowledges that head-on in the lyric, ‘What you know about me, I ain’t like him’,” music publicist Eric Alper told CBC News.
“That kind of self-awareness is key when stepping into the public eye.”
The song, which draws inspiration from fellow Canadian artists Drake, The Weeknd and Justin Bieber, was released at 12 a.m. ET across all major streaming platforms and features additional vocals from younger sister Ella-Grace Trudeau.
The music video is set to be released on Xav’s YouTube channel at 4:30 p.m. ET.
WATCH | Xavier Trudeau’s debut R&B single:
Til The Nights Done was produced by Vishal “Duava” Daluwatte and Joey “Tekika” Boyer, co-founders of Ottawa-based Pathway Music Group.
What is interesting is that he had the option to go the major-label route — Universal would have likely been an easy path —but he chose to stay independent, saying a lot about his artistic spirit, says Alper.
“He absolutely should trade on the name; it’ll get him in the door … the curiosity factor will open some opportunities, but from there, it’s on him to prove himself as a compelling artist beyond the last name. And I think he’s got the vibe and chops to do it,” Alper said.
Xav’s music release comes amid his father’s tumultuous political career, with the comments section on social media filled with a mix of praise for his music and dislike toward the outgoing prime minister.
“We let the music speak for itself and we just want Xav to do what Xav wants to do,” Daluwatte told CBC News.
Dark, moody and ambient
Til The Nights Done, which leans into that dark, moody R&B space that artists such as Don Toliver and Post Malone have mastered, was first teased on Instagram and YouTube in January, with mother Sophie Grégoire commenting, “Good work guys!”
The song is written like a love letter to somebody you know you have a connection with, reflecting a romance that can sometimes feel like a rollercoaster, knowing that despite good times or bad, the love always stays there, co-writer Daluwatte told CBC News.
“We could dim em all down or leave the lights on,” Xav croons. “Baby we could move in slow motion till the nights done.”
Xav will be releasing his next song within the next month, Daluwatte said, with a lot more music lined up for release, and plans for concerts and performances to follow.
“If he can back up the intrigue with strong songwriting and consistent releases, he has a real shot at carving out his own space in the industry,” Alper said.
Though the song alludes to smoking marijuana, Xav is technically too young to “roll sum” or “light one” as the legal age to use cannabis is 19 in Ontario and 21 in Quebec, after Trudeau’s Liberal government legalized the recreational use of the drug in 2018.
