A Genre-Blending Thrill Ride
“Thrill-O-Matic” fuses elements of pop, rock, and soul, creating a sound that’s been described as “The Beach Boys go to Motown,” by Kevin Connor from Sun Radio, the Austin AAA station that added the track in early August. The song takes a sharp turn from Nakia's previous roots rock releases, yet still showcasing his powerful, soulful voice and the emotional depth Nakia is known for. “Thrill-O-Matic” was co-written with hit songwriters Andy Stochansky and Jamie Hartman, Stochansky boasts cuts with Goo Goo Dolls and Dragonette, while the Grammy/Emmy nominated Hartman has penned tracks for the likes of Rag’n’Bone Man, Jennifer Hudson, Lewis Capaldi, and Sam Ryder to name a few.
A Journey 12 Years in the Making
Written after Nakia’s groundbreaking stint on The Voice in 2011 during Nakia’s second songwriting session with Stochansky and Hartman where the song was originally intended to be pitched to a then well-known K-pop band. Over the course of time, the song got put on the back burner as Nakia focused on writing and releasing his EP, Drown In The Crimson Tide, and finishing his critically acclaimed blues tribute album, Blues Grifter. During that time, Stochansky, who also produced the original demo, said he believed he had misplaced the files when Nakia asked him to help finish the song. However, after the files reemerged last year, Nakia partnered with Producer/Engineer Matt Parmenter at Ice Cream Factory Studios in Austin to bring the song back to life. Parmenter also handled the stereo mix of the track, while the Dolby Atmos mix was handed off to Grammy award-winning Chris Bell. The track was then masterfully finalized by Ollie Morgan at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London.
Upcoming Live Shows & Videos
To celebrate the release, Nakia will be performing “Thrill-O-Matic” live for the first time with his new band at the Circuit of the Americas this upcoming Sunday, October 22nd, during the F1 race on their American Soundtrack stage. Additionally, he’ll be taking the stage at the Cannonball Bash in Fort Lauderdale the following Saturday, October 28th. A music video and lyric video will be coming out in November.
A Word from Nakia
“I am so happy that ‘Thrill-O-Matic’ is finally coming out for the world to enjoy. It’st held a special place in my heart for 12 years now and I’m so grateful to all the people who helped make it possible. I want to give a special shout out to the folks at Sun Radio for adding this song before I even had a chance to release it.”
lyrics
Chorus 1
You
You’re the thrill that I’ve been waiting for
You’re the killer on the dance floor
The only thing that keeps me wanting more
(Thrill-O-Matic)
You
You’re a technicolor earthquake
You take the whole world and you make it shake
Make everybody do a double take
Double take
(Thrill-O-Matic)
(Doo doo wop wop)
(Thrill-O-Matic)
(Doo doo wop wop)
(Thrill-O-Matic)
Verse 1
She (ah ha)
Had a cell phone heart (ah ha)
That she would always leave behind
And never charge (ah ha)
I
Was only looking for a spark
Why (why)
Why (why, why)
Should it be that hard
Pre-Chorus 1
And then I met you and I finally knew that mercury could rise
Chorus 2
You
A modern Cinderella superstar
The definition of an avatar
Are you for real, yes of course you are
(Thrill-O-Matic)
You
You’re a technicolor earthquake
You take the whole world and you make it shake
Make everybody do a double take
Double take
(Thrill-O-Matic)
(Doo doo wop wop)
(Thrill-O-Matic)
(Doo doo wop wop)
(Thrill-O-Matic)
(One, two, three, four!)
Chorus 3
You
A modern Cinderella superstar
The definition of an avatar
Are you for real, yes of course you are
(Thrill-O-Matic)
You
You’re a technicolor earthquake
You take the whole world and you make it shake
Make everybody do a double take
Double take
(Thrill-O-Matic)
(Doo doo wop wop)
(Thrill-O-Matic)
(Doo doo wop wop)
(Thrill-O-Matic)
released October 20, 2023
Written by Jamie Hartman, Nakia Reynoso, Andy Stochansky
Produced by Andy Stochansky, Matt Parmenter, and Nakia Reynoso
Mixed by Matt Parmenter at Ice Cream Factory Studios in Austin, TX
Mastered by Oli Morgan at Abbey Road in London
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