Los Angeles – October 9, 2021: The air is getting cooler, the leaves are turning colors, and the ever-popular throwback Halloween costumes are for sale – with the shift to Fall, what better way to bring in this change than with a brand-new Haiden single that reveals his costume this year? 

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“Okay ok k” is set to release on all streaming platforms mid-month, October 15 , with production from frequent collaborator Barry Fowler. Listen now with this private link.

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Following similarly 90s and 00s-inspired hits “Harmony” and “Welcome Home,” Haiden looks to pay homage not only to the frequent-artist comparison, Justin Timberlake, but to the whole sound of his *NSYNC boy band and its contemporaries from the Backstreet Boys. On “Okay ok k,” allow Haiden to introduce the world to his five singer alter egos in the band he’s going as for Halloween: the Nice Guy, the Diva, the Heartthrob, the Bad Boy, and the Tortured Artist.

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Parallel to the multiplicity of “okays” in the title and chorus, Haiden pairs his frontman voice with the echoing backup vocals of... multiple versions of himself. Playing off of the nostalgia of the boy band craze, Haiden utilizes his career-establishing, male model background and characteristic falsettos to match its vibrant, polished aesthetic. Kicking off the track with a showstopping synth line, “Okay ok k” brings its 90s roots full circle to recall modern iterations of the boy band model, like the K-pop superstar group BTS. The crisp production is interrupted by an electric guitar-led second half, channeling how the genre was further refined in Haiden’s lifetime by groups like the Jonas Brothers, Big Time Rush, and One Direction.

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Reminiscent of the era-defining “Bye Bye Bye” refrain, the lyrics originate from how an ex- girlfriend of Haiden’s would spell the word “okay” in text messages depending on how she was feeling. With “O-k-a-y” representing that she was perfectly fine, “O-k” suggesting a moderate level of annoyance, and the dreaded “K” conveying that she’s dangerously upset, Haiden’s inner lyricist lampoons the sheer ridiculousness of how such trivial differences in spelling hold unnecessarily deep, underlying feelings that are near-impossible to immediately understand.

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“A lot of the sounds in the track are recycled text and AirDrop tones from my iPhone, which we felt invited fans into the text conversation,” Haiden explains. “We even made one of the main percussion loops by placing a microphone in my mouth and drumming on the top of my head with drum sticks – kind of like the goofy antics expected from a boy band, and quite literally allowing people to ‘hear my inner thoughts.’”

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A departure from the self-focused, personal storytelling Haiden has relished in to date, this unique “boy band” style lends itself to an eclectic universalizing of the narrative. That the lyrics are delivered through the voices of “five,” a relatable saga can be told in a way that evokes a sense of empathy for and fellowship with the group of narrators.