Tenroc Is About to Be Your New Favorite Artist — And He’s Just Getting Started

Okay, so if you haven’t heard of Tenroc yet, consider this your official introduction — and also your warning, because you’re about to be obsessed. A lifelong New York City-bred artist who learned piano, drums, and guitar by age seven and broke into production as a teenager, Tenroc has already quietly shaped some of the biggest songs of the last decade. We’re talking hits for Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers, Julia Michaels, Renée Rapp, and Jon Bellion — and if that wasn’t enough, he earned two Grammy nominations for his work on Jon Batiste’s acclaimed 2023 LP World Music Radio. His production catalog has collectively amassed over 3.6 billion streams. Billion with a B.

And now? He’s finally doing it for himself. His debut album God Is a Person is due July 17th via Sony/Provident, and honestly, it cannot come soon enough. The project has been unfolding single by single, each one better than the last — “Playlist” had us hooked immediately, “Mourning 2 Dancing” (featuring Grammy-winning Tori Kelly and genre-bending hip-hop artist Jon Keith) had us in our feelings, and his latest, “Call My Name (YHWH),” is a soul-stirring, falsetto-drenched devotion of faith that genuinely stopped us in our tracks. There’s a visualizer out now and it’s stunning — go watch it, we’ll wait.

Oh, and on top of all of this, he has a baby on the way. We are rooting for him so hard right now. We sat down with Tenroc to talk about the divine calling behind this debut, what it feels like to finally make music that’s purely his own, and why July 17th cannot get here fast enough.

Next Wave: You’ve helped shape hits for artists like Rihanna and the Jonas Brothers — what pushed you to finally step into your own spotlight?

Tenroc: I had an encounter with God one day. I was on a long drive and I heard God speak to me. He gave me a really direct command to make an album — it wasn’t something I was ever planning on doing. I never really wanted to be an artist at all. So me making this album and doing the artist thing is really just me being obedient to what he told me.

Next Wave: In the process of making your own music, how has your mindset shifted compared to making music for someone else?

Tenroc: When I’m making music for other people, the main goal is to convey their emotions and feelings through the lyrics, melodies, or sonics. Making my own stuff changed my mindset in that it’s all my vision — when I’m creating it, I’m not really thinking about anybody else. It’s just whatever my thoughts are, which was really refreshing and fun.

Next Wave: Has making your own music given you a better understanding of the artists you work with?

Tenroc: Definitely. When you’re putting out music as an artist, whatever people see or hear is a direct representation of you. So I find myself overthinking things, second-guessing — like, it has to be perfect before anybody hears it. It’s put me in their mindset a lot more.

Next Wave: The title God Is a Person is such a statement. Especially knowing the story behind how this whole album came to be — what inspired that concept?

Tenroc: He gave me the title too, a couple months after he told me to make the album. I think what he wants me to convey is that he’s personal — he has personhood. A lot of people think that God is the universe, but biblically, God is the creator of the universe. He’s his own person. He has a will, emotions, and desires for his creation. The whole point of the title is really to tell people: if you ever want to know more about God, or speak to him, you can just talk to him. And he’ll listen.

Next Wave: “Playlist,” “Mourning 2 Dancing,” and now “Call My Name (YHWH)” — how do these singles set the tone for what’s coming with the full album?

Tenroc: I’m so glad “Playlist” was first because it’s one of the most accessible ones — it’s super catchy, super fun. But the lyrics are essentially me talking to my listeners, saying, here is something I’m about to present to you that’s going to be fun. Here’s something pretty for your playlist. All three singles carry this idea that if you, the listener, are ever not in a good place, there are ways to get out of it — there is hope. And I’m pointing to that hope being Jesus, or God.

Next Wave: You started playing multiple instruments at such a young age — piano, drums, guitar, all before you were even seven. How did growing up in New York shape your sound?

Tenroc: Growing up in New York, I love it so much because there’s always just something happening wherever you go. I was exposed to so many different types of music — whether it was family barbecues or what kids were playing me at school, it was always a huge mix. I think subconsciously, everything I took in as a child influenced my sound in that any time I go to make something, I’m not pulling from one or two sources. I’m pulling from like ten or fifteen things at once.

Next Wave: Who were some of your earliest musical influences, and do any of them still show up in your work today?

Tenroc: Pharrell, Timbaland — all of Timbaland’s productions were super influential to me. I loved Justin Timberlake. And all of those people still show up in everything I do, all the time. You can’t put a time limit on their influence. They’re timeless.

Next Wave: Okay, dream collaborations — who’s on the list?

Tenroc: I already have this answer: Chris Martin from Coldplay. That’s a bucket list collaboration for sure. He’s a huge inspiration.

(We are manifesting this for him, by the way.)

Next Wave: With the album coming and so much happening in your life right now — what excites you most about this next chapter?

Tenroc: My wife is going to give birth soon — we’re having our first kid. If you had told me life would look like this two years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you. With the new album coming, the new baby coming, everything just feels brand new. It’s refreshing. I don’t know what the reception will be, but I pray and hope that people love the music and it becomes a soundtrack to their lives.

(We are not crying. You are crying.)

Next Wave: Last one — how do you want people to feel when they hear the name Tenroc a year from now?

Tenroc: Inspired. That’s the thing I want people to take from my work. I want people to listen to my stuff and be like, man, I should make my own album. I should produce for people. I just want to inspire people.

A new album, a new baby, a new era — Tenroc is doing it all at once and making it look completely effortless. God Is a Person drops July 17th via Sony/Provident, and if these three singles are any indication, this record is going to mean something to a lot of people. “Call My Name (YHWH)” is out now — stream it, watch the visualizer, and then go follow him on Instagram immediately because you’re going to want to be along for this whole ride. Trust us on this one.