Toronto-Based mostly Funk Brothers Descendant Nathan Ali Releases Empowered Anthem “Ahead” From New EP, Parallel
Nathan Ali doesn’t flinch from the wrestle—he turns it into gas. His new single “Ahead” closes out his deeply private EP Parallel (Slammin’ Media/Imagine) with an anthem for anybody who’s ever felt like giving up however selected to rise as a substitute. Pushed by haunting melodies and uncooked lyrics, it’s a rally cry disguised as a gradual jam.
“Typically in life / You’re feeling such as you’re breaking / Really feel you possibly can’t make it / Gotta transfer ahead,” Ali sings, regular and clear. And he means it. “I achieved been there on the backside / I’ve felt like there’s nothing / However after I stood up and I acquired it / I acquired every part I wished.” These strains hit tougher when you realize the place Nathan’s been.
Raised in foster properties and formed by poverty, Nathan discovered function by music. In his 20s, he found that his father and late uncle had been a part of Motown’s legendary Funk Brothers—the session musicians behind the largest soul data in historical past. That revelation modified every part. He started mixing the grooves of that legacy with up to date R&B, hip hop, and a voice constructed from ache and persistence.
Since rebranding in 2018, Ali’s music has pulled in over 1.15 million streams. His breakout 2021 album Jungle tallied greater than 456,000 of these performs and earned him a faithful following. However Parallel, his motorized device five-track providing, takes issues deeper. It’s a return to the roots, created with longtime collaborators Keylow Jules and BiggD, and formed by fatherhood, progress, and reflection.
“Parallel is about duality,” Ali says. “I’m an artist, and I’m a father of three. That steadiness, that pressure—it’s in every single place on this music.”
From the romantic introspection of “Driver’s Seat” to the streetwise honesty of “Life We Selected,” every monitor peels again one other layer. “Loyal” celebrates ride-or-die love. “One On One” captures late-night temptation. And “Ahead” ties all of it along with resilience.
The manufacturing all through Parallel stays tight and emotive. Melodic basslines, fashionable R&B textures, and hooks that linger lengthy after the tune ends. However the lyrics are what land hardest. On “Ahead,” Ali names the worry, the hustle, and the hope. “Ain’t nothing that would break me,” he declares. “I ain’t gonna let it take me.”
That readability connects. Nathan’s music resonates with followers of Brent Faiyaz, Khalid, Jeremih, and SZA—listeners who need beats that bump and lyrics that matter. His voice is easy however grounded, his storytelling sharp. He doesn’t simply paint photos—he builds bridges.
Nathan’s movies and singles have pulled in additional than 1.2 million YouTube views. His rising momentum is backed by Slammin’ Media and Imagine Distribution, with a marketing campaign concentrating on Spotify’s Temper Ring, high-rise, and Northern Bars playlists. And with “Ahead” because the emotional capstone, your complete undertaking feels purposeful and targeted.
Ali doesn’t sugarcoat the previous. On “Life We Selected,” he writes about poverty, violence, and making it out: “Popping out the grime / Dwelling within the ghetto / Momma attempting to inform us / Son, don’t you carry metallic.” These aren’t fictional bars—they’re scars. However Parallel gives greater than survival. It’s about therapeutic, love, and the trail forward.
“Ahead” is the type of monitor you placed on while you’re choosing your self again up. It doesn’t beg for sympathy. It strikes. With this single and the EP behind it, Nathan Ali proves he’s not caught in his story—he’s rewriting it.
Nathan Ali is already on the transfer. Ahead is the path.