Destin Conrad On Taking The Fast Lane With ‘ROADRUNNER’

Destin Conrad Takes A New Route

For Conrad, the creative process begins with a feeling. Following his 2025 album LOVE ON DIGITAL, he found himself drawn to music that felt less meditative and more instinctive. “Honestly, I just feel like creating music that makes me dance,” he says. “I feel like R&B can get very introspective.”

Dancehall offered a natural outlet for that instinct. Rooted in his Jamaican heritage, the genre allowed Conrad to explore a different side of his artistry, creating music that invites movement while reconnecting with the sounds that shaped him.

That openness carries into how he approaches genre. Conrad has never been interested in confining himself to a singular sound. “I feel like I’m a little all over the place, which isn’t a good or bad thing,” he says. “But I don’t think I have one specific sound per se.”

Rather than settling into one lane, Conrad allows his interests to evolve alongside him. It’s a creative approach that leaves room for experimentation, drawing from different sounds and influences without feeling bound to any one of them.

Drawing From The Sounds Of His Heritage

One of the project’s standout moments finds Conrad revisiting Kevin Lyttle’s “Turn Me On,” a Caribbean classic whose familiar pulse finds new life in his musical world. With a deep well of iconic songs to pull from, Conrad wanted to choose one that already resonated with listeners. “I really wanted to do a cover of a song that was just iconic,” he says.

The choice reflects the project’s larger spirit: paying homage to the sounds that shaped him while leaving room for his own interpretation.

That same sense of intention carries into the collaborations. Featuring Amanda Reifer on “DANGER,” the project keeps its guest list close-knit, with Conrad turning to artists who were already part of his orbit.

“I just worked with my friends, people I knew, and people in my circle,” he says. “Everyone that is on the album I had a relatively close relationship with before.”

Destin Conrad On Letting The Music Lead

That collaborative spirit carries into Conrad’s songwriting, where the process is as fluid as the music itself. Credited as a writer across much of his catalog, he moves between building songs from scratch, creating alongside collaborators in the studio and exploring demos brought to him by other writers.

For Conrad, there’s no fixed formula—just a commitment to following whatever best serves the song. Whether collaborating with Stalk Ashley on “SKIN OUT” or working through ideas in the studio, he approaches the process with an openness to wherever the music takes him. “I like collaborating, I like writing,” he says. “Whatever makes the best song—that’s my thing. I want to make the best song possible.”

That openness in the studio extends to Conrad’s ambitions beyond it. Grammy moments, Billboard recognition as a rising R&B star, a BET Best New Artist nomination and time on the road have all shaped his career, motivating him to reach for more. “I think it’s made me more ambitious,” he says of his success. “It’s inspired me to be in the conversation.”

Growing As An Artist, Staying True To The Kid Within

Conrad’s relationship with the past extends beyond music. Having first built an audience during the Vine era, he understands the pull of nostalgia, particularly as audiences revisit the cultural touchstones that shaped their childhoods.

For him, that connection often comes through music. “Listening to songs that I liked when I was a kid, that’s something that I do to bring me back,” he says. Rather than trying to recreate who he once was, Conrad sees his younger self as an ongoing part of his evolution. “I feel like I’m just who I was as a kid, just evolved.”

That spirit of reinvention carries into fashion, too. Conrad pulls inspiration from Pinterest and Google while working closely with his stylist, Internet X, and close friend Sophia. His influences range from A$AP Rocky and Colman Domingo to designers Bottega Veneta and JW Anderson, reflecting a style that, much like his music, draws from multiple worlds.

Becoming Himself Beyond The Applause

For all the creative exploration and career milestones, Conrad’s definition of success remains deeply personal.

When asked how his growing career has allowed him to show up for his mother, who raised him and his sister as a single parent and whom he frequently celebrates publicly, including at major moments like the Grammys, Conrad points to something more meaningful than any single financial milestone: “Just being there, being present and consistent in her life.” He adds, “I think the more important things are just the ways that I try to show up for her, and assist in her dreams, whatever that looks like.”

That commitment to the people closest to him extends to his friendships, too. Conrad recalls meeting Sasha and Malia Obama at a party a few years ago, and the connection was immediate. “We just clicked,” he says. “Those are my girls.” Their friendship caught public attention last year when a photo of Conrad with the sisters went viral during a listening party celebrating the release of LOVE ON DIGITAL—a glimpse into the personal relationships that ground him beyond the spotlight.

That same openness carries into ROADRUNNER. While the project leans into dancehall rhythms and a more movement-driven sound, songs like “NEED YOU” reveal a more vulnerable side of Conrad, allowing space for intimacy alongside the energy. Together, those contrasts offer a fuller picture of an artist continuing to evolve without losing touch with where he came from.

Destin Conrad may not be interested in defining one particular sound, but he knows what he wants to hold onto: the freedom to explore, the people who ground him and the ambition to keep becoming.