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Gio Vaun
Tommy Richman
Rb Hip Hop
Tommy Richman Broke Out With 'Million Dollar Baby,' But He's Still Building
The Virginia native caught up with Billboard Canada at Osheaga festival in Montreal to discuss playing his first-ever headline tour and festivals and revealed some news about his upcoming new EP.
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Tommy Richman is playing his biggest shows to date.
The Virginia singer-rapper scored a viral hit with "Million Dollar Baby" last year, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Hot 100 in the U.S., propelling him to a new echelon of success.
Backstage at Osheaga Festival in Montreal at the beginning of August, he's facing the aftermath of his viral rise.
Earlier this year, he embarked on his first-ever headline tour in North America and Europe in support of his debut album Coyote, a record that he says he truly stands behind.
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“I'm glad that people resonated with it, singing all the words, the deep cuts off of it," he says. "It's always good to listen to other people, but whatever your vision is in your head, you gotta stick with it."
Osheaga is only Richman's third festival performance, but he’s already found his footing when it comes to playing for crowds of people who haven't paid specifically to see you.
"I think it's good to go more upbeat rather than some of your deep cuts,” he says. “A lot of the times it's their first time seeing me, so I'm gonna hit you with some upbeat s--t. Let's jump and have fun. I like people going crazy."
Richman kicked off his set with the glitzy "Miami," his groovy new single full of flashy, vintage synths. He shared with Billboard Canada that it's the first taste of his forthcoming EP titled Worlds Apart.
"I just want to put out a project that's fun for people, on some dance, sweaty s--t, early '90s Miami vibes. I want to build a Miami world for people because I made a lot of these songs in Miami," he explains. "I'm super proud of it. It's something fun before we really go conceptual with this next one."
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He wants to put out his next studio album in 2026, the final installment in a trilogy that already includes 2022's Alligator and 2024's Coyote. With each of his releases, he aims to build an immersive world that captivates the listener from the moment they press play.
"I'm still young; I'm 25, trying to build my artistry, but I'm working on it every day," he says. "I'm trying to make sure that this next album is this crazy wonderland."
During his Osheaga set, the crowd sang along to "Devil Is A Lie" while bopping along to its bouncy West Coast drums and warm organ keys, before Richman dialled up the intensity with "Fever." This is when he announced that he wasn't just giving an R&B show, but also a punk set. He revealed that it's one of his favourites to perform due to the unexpected shift it imposes.
"It's kind of shocking to the crowd," he says. "'Oh, we're moshing?' and it's like, 'Yeah, we're f--ing moshing!' I like doing both. I like the band side — smooth shit, jazziness. We can turn up too. I try to do both."
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He also brought out mynameisntjmack, a fellow Virginia rapper and one of his tour openers, which added a trap flair and darker energy to the set.
And suddenly, Gracie Abrams fans, waiting for her set to start on the stage next to his, found themselves joining in on the unexpected chaos. Richman fed off the energy, later performing "Million Dollar Baby" from within the crowd and dashing over to the other stage to engage with the other half of the audience. The song's warm, infectious beat carried over perfectly live, receiving enthusiastic reactions all the way to the back.
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After the big hit, Richman is still building his world. He wants to keep the momentum going.
"I wanna keep building it, man. I feel like it's just the beginning," he says. "I wanna play bigger stages, bigger everything. But this s--t takes time. This s--t takes time, but I'm thankful for it."
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