Meet FHAT, the rising queer duo destined to go ‘MAJOR’!
Jon Ali is In The Know’s music contributor. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram for more.
They say that two is better than one, and that is certainly the case when it comes to FHAT.
FHAT is a rising queer-indie duo, comprised of Aaron Pfeiffer and Sedric Perry, who’ve been making fantastic music on the pop scene for a little over three years now. The two besties, who met on a whim at a party, relocated from Los Angeles to Berlin a few years ago and quickly found themselves developing their musical partnership with influences that range from Disclosure to Jessie Ware to Outkast.
However, even with those influences in mind, it’s still genuinely hard to completely define FHAT’s soundscape: It’s an eclectic-but-seamless mix of R&B, electronica, disco, bits of reggae, soul and pop — but it all feels thoroughly fresh and modern.
“We define FHAT as a beacon of positivity and realness. An interracial duo born from a chance meeting that grew into a friendship,” Aaron and Sedric told In The Know in a statement. “We aspire to push an anthology of gay living where we leave our listeners with constant hope and encouragement.”
If you’re just getting acquainted, try their very first solo release “Pleasure,” one of the more immediate debut songs I’ve ever heard. The pulsating, finger-snapping groove is loaded with rich vocals from Sedric and Aaron, and it features a chorus that just won’t quit. “Bloodshot, dreaming with my eyes wide open/ got me looking at your star sign hoping/ Don’t mind the pain when it comes with so much pleasure,” they croon across the inviting hook. It’s pure unadulterated “Pleasure,” indeed!
Since the release of “Pleasure,” the boys have already racked up over 5 million streams on Spotify with their original tracks “Onatd,” “Waves,” “Curious” and, most notably, “Packin’,” which caught the attention of the Drag Queen Superstar of the World, RuPaul, who called the song and its fabulous 70’s inspired video “BRILLIANT” on her Twitter (before she deleted her account, obviously). I’d say that’s all the approval and validation they need.
After providing us with not one, but three brilliant singles in 2020 — “Curious,” “Waves” and October’s “Deliver” with K.ZIA — FHAT is ready to move forward with its next project: MAJOR, a 5-track EP with its just-released new single “MAJOR” serving as the title track.
The confidence-dripping, replay-friendly R&B throb that aims to empower marginalized communities has all the makings of an end-of-year hit, armed with an immediately catchy, caption-ready chorus, layers of feel-good harmonies and a summery synth haze.
“This is MAJOR, we go MAJOR, yeah, we are going MAJOR/ It doesn’t even matter what we’ve been through, I just know it’s time to go!” the duo chants.
The video only seals the deal further, as FHAT confronts toxic masculinity, abuse of power and police brutality by playing “bad apple” officers in a post-civil war ravaged city, arresting innocent people and tying them up in a dystopian detention camp. Then, as the captors, they enjoy a donut break, the jailed break free and, despite their acrimony, begin to strip away the jailer’s clothes to reveal that we are all indeed the same underneath.
“This song was born out of our own battles with the rapidly evolving industry standards and an overwhelming desire to just be able to exist as two Pennsylvania-born gay boys with big dreams,” FHAT told In The Know. “This is our way of emphasizing the ‘MAJOR’ issues of racism, homophobia and transphobia that the world continues to struggle with, but doing it in a way where we can still empower each other through the struggle.”
“MAJOR” feels like the duo is really coming into its own as artists and flourishing personally while doing so, which is always an exciting thing to witness. So, yes, judging by what they’ve served up so far from this upcoming project, it’s looking like FHAT might be going “MAJOR” after all. Get familiar now!
FHAT’s new single “MAJOR” is available on all streaming platforms now!
If you enjoyed this article, check out Jon Ali’s spotlight on the TikTok star turned bilingual pop star you should be paying attention to.
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