Out right now is the new single from TJ Stafford, titled “The World’s Gonna Love Me” which has been released alongside an unforgettable music video that is certainly one to watch. It follows up his 2021 album “The Death of Zossima”.
TJ Stafford, real name Tony Lee Stafford Jr., is a Kansas-born but Los Angeles-based rock singer-songwriter who has done a lot in his career so far from collaborative band efforts to film and TV placements. He is the co-founder of Saint Rogue inc. which boasts an array of artists on its label along with top TV placements including AMC’s Walking Dead, HBO’s True Blood, Parenthood, and Riverdale, and top producing credits including Giorgio Moroder’s “Déjà Vu” and Bebe Rexha’s “American Citizen”. As a solo artist, TJ Stafford has released two studio albums, with his third on its way, titled “Nipple Whisk”, in which “The World’s Gonna Love Me” acts as the first single drop from the LP, and he has sold out venues such as The Troubadour, The Roxy, and The El Rey Theater.
Written by Tony Lee Stafford Jr. with Dusty Moon acting as Producer, “The World’s Gonna Love Me” is a self-reflection track that personifies the entire concept of wanting to be loved, when really it boils down to learning to love yourself – the lyric towards the end of the song “Maybe I’ll love me before I die” creates an incredible impact on the listener as we understand where this entire song is coming from. Add this theme to the electronic guitar chords that start off slowly before building into a crescendo which becomes a slap-in-the-face sound that is sure to make you re-listen on the off-chance you’ve missed something, and we’ve got one incredible rock track playing through our speakers, to say the least. “The World’s Gonna Love Me” is one of those songs we can all relate to, rock out to, and sing along to – as that catchy chorus is set to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
Stream “The World’s Gonna Love Me” by TJ Stafford on Spotify here:
Accompanying the release of the new single is a brilliant conceptual music video, directed by Tony Woo Joun with Justin May acting as Director of Photography. We watch as a woman (played by Ella Collier) struts up to the bar to get a drink, while TJ Stafford is already there, and they make eye contact before she mouths “please” as if to say that she’s way out of his league. The barman hands him a drink, and TJ Stafford starts to sing his song. We meet various characters, from an old woman (played by Bunny Gibson) to a black gay young man (played by Malik Wilson) to a woman who is clearly feeling down (played by Simonne Sacco), who all lip-sync to the track, showcasing how we can all feel similar and also feel so alone, even in the exact same bar. As the end of the music video comes near, TJ Stafford gets off his bar stool and interacts with the room before everyone gets involved in a full-on dance routine, choreographed by Joelle Martinec. The music finishes and we realise it’s all been a daydream, and everyone is all still feeling the same, drinking their drinks, in the bar, alone – even if they’re not really alone mentally.
Watch the music video for “The World’s Gonna Love Me” here:
“The World’s Gonna Love Me”, by TJ Stafford, is available to download and stream across all platforms, right now, via Saint Rogue Records. Expect his third studio album, “Nipple Whisk”, to be released soon.