Los Angeles, CA — KENTON, one of the pop industry’s rising stars, has released his debut album, Sweetmouth, a sonic exploration of his childhood experiences and present realities as a queer Asian American in California. The record will also feature music videos for each song; the first four are available on YouTube now. The 15-track collection is now available to stream on all digital music platforms.
Sweetmouth takes its inspiration from KENTON’s 2022 visit to Taiwan to see his family for Thanksgiving, marking the first time they saw one another in nearly six years. KENTON describes Sweetmouth as his way of processing the shame, guilt, grief, and anger (he’s) harbored over the years, of honoring the heritage of (his) ancestors, and of learning the art of forgiveness so that (he), as an adult, can choose love. The album navigates tension surrounding religion, queer identity, and self-love, all while paying tribute to familial love. While part of his impetus for making the record was finding a way to forgive his parents for not accepting him as he is, KENTON also wanted to honor them with his music.
The record opens with the lead single, “I’m Breaking My Father’s Heart,” a gorgeous, wrenching ballad that showcases both KENTON’s nimble, emotive voice and his raw, frank songwriting. “Did what I had to do, or I wouldn’t make it through / Still I think there are things I regret, I died a million deaths so I could live,” he sings, in a powerful depiction of trying to assimilate as both an immigrant and a once-closeted queer person raised by a minister. On the second track, “Vaporize Me,” KENTON adapts an old Hakka folk tune he learned from his father into a club banger about dissipating into the air. Next comes “Gift of Loneliness,” a gritty pop track that opens with a dark ‘80s synth line, recounting the artist’s relationship with loneliness and his self-isolationist tendencies, a skill he developed to protect himself from vulnerability. The accompanying music video features the artist tossing and turning in a cinematic bedroom, describing the “gift of loneliness,” and how he’s “[gotten] used to the feeling.” The second single from the record, “Wannabe American,” pairs deceptively jaunty production with wry lyrics, like the opening line, “Took a Tai Chi class from a white guy / Threw my back out while he philosophized / How our Western hustle culture / Turned us into anxious vultures. / Now I think I need acupuncture.”
The well-rounded collection of songs features both dancefloor anthems, such as “3 AM in Taipei” and “Dirty Laundry,” emotional ballads like “Let Light In” and “Without You,” co-written with Wrabel, and three interludes. “Dirty Laundry” drives home the album’s overall theme, with KENTON warning “I’m bringing shame upon the family (probably) / I’m calling out the truth as I see (my b).” Between his cousin in rehab and his questionable aunt, KENTON ponders why he is seen as the black sheep of the family simply because he’s open about his sexuality.
To bring Sweetmouth to life, KENTON enlisted a powerhouse creative team including Eric Cannata of Young the Giant, who helped co-write the album, mixer Neal Avron (Fall Out Boy, Walk the Moon, Bishop Briggs), and Ruairi O’Flaherty (Sabrina Carpenter, Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift), who mastered the debut. The record takes its title from KENTON’s childhood nickname, sweetmouth– a Chinese word for an adorable and obedient child.
The son of Taiwanese immigrants, KENTON grew up in sunny California, a place where he struggled to find his footing as an Asian American. He graduated from USC’s celebrated Thornton School of Music, where he studied jazz. In 2011, he gained national attention with The Backbeats on NBC’s The Sing-Off. KENTON’s impressive multi-disciplinary resume includes touring with Ben Folds and Katy Perry during her Las Vegas residency, collaborating with popular projects like Postmodern Jukebox and Scary Pockets, and supporting major artists including Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Kesha, Demi Lovato, Portugal The Man, Cynthia Erivo, and Jennifer Hudson. On screen, KENTON has appeared in over a dozen national commercials and TV shows such as Superstore (NBC), Platonic (Apple), Night Court (NBC), The Rookie (ABC), and Perfect Harmony (NBC). Most recently, he voiced the character Mogui in Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld (Netflix) and was featured in Disney’s Wish and Netflix’s Wish Dragon. His music has been touted in the press by Billboard, EQ Music, Earmilk, The Fader, Atwood Magazine, Ladygunn, and more.
“It’s important to me that this album isn’t just for me. Yes, it’s my way of reconciling my past and present, but it’s also an encouragement to all the immigrant, queer children who never felt they belonged. There is life beyond being just a sweetmouth.” Stream KENTON’s first full-length solo album, Sweetmouth, now. For more information and upcoming releases, follow him on Instagram (@itskenton), TikTok, and YouTube (@its.kenton) and visit his website ItsKENTON.com.
