Destin Conrad Covers Anti-Gay Dancehall Anthem "Chi Chi," Turns Controversy Into Pride on ROADRUNNER

A day before the album dropped, his lawyer finally sent word: cleared to use. Destin Conrad had already braced himself to release it without clearance and deal with a lawsuit later if it came to that — because the track he wanted was "Chi Chi," a dancehall classic infamous for its blatantly homophobic lyrics. He folded the song into his new album ROADRUNNER, where it became the most talked-about and provocative moment on the record. "It's such a classic song, even though the message behind it is rooted in hate," he told The FADER. "This was my way of taking the power back."

Conrad's own trajectory is a story worth unpacking. Back in 2013, he was a nobody going viral with six-second comedy songs on the now-defunct Vine. Over a decade later, he's released the EPs COLORWAY and SATIN, the albums SUBMISSIVE and SUBMISSIVE 2, a jazz project called wHimsy, and the Grammy-nominated Love on Digital. "I know now that I can be silly on the internet and still make a Grammy-nominated album — those two things aren't in conflict," he says.

Jamaican Roots and a T-Shirt That Says "Kill Homophobia"

Conrad was raised in Florida by a single Jamaican mother, with an older sister who's also Jamaican. Growing up, the house was filled with Beres Hammond and his mom's favorite, Luther Vandross, while his sister introduced him to Aaliyah and Usher. For ROADRUNNER, he describes the process as "digging through the archives" to rediscover dancehall and reggae, growing especially fond of the late Lady Saw's style. He calls the album "one big Jamaican party," but it's also the first time he's directly tackled his queer identity alongside his Caribbean upbringing on the same record. In promo visuals, he wears a T-shirt in Jamaican flag colors emblazoned with "Kill Homophobia" — his own idea, which will later become merch. It's also the first time he's brought in a creative director, Savannah, instead of calling every visual shot himself.

He admits that for a long time before coming out, he was "forcing his way into spaces that didn't welcome him." "This album is me claiming space in a room that doesn't open its arms to me, and feeling comfortable doing it — letting other people know they can do the same, just by being honest about who they are," he says. Since the album dropped, he's received messages from Caribbean queer listeners telling him it was exactly what they needed. "That made me realize just being myself is enough — I'm doing the right thing."

A Bizarre Grandma Duet Sample, a Best Friend Feature

The album's details are just as intriguing. While working on the project, Conrad and his longtime producer Louis stumbled across a viral Instagram video of an Asian grandmother singing a cappella, and sampled it the same day into the track "NERVOUS" — the original was a wholesome song about a butterfly, which he "made a lot filthier." Another track, "Turn Me On," is a cover paying homage to a heavyweight dancehall anthem. For "DADAMAN," he brought in British R&B singer and close friend kwn for a feature. "Nobody's doing what she's doing — the world just hasn't caught up yet," he says of her.

The shift on stage mirrors the album's overall loosening-up. Conrad admits he never had formal performance training — his first EP came together during the pandemic, and not long after, he was tapped to open for Syd on tour. "I was so nervous, my voice was shaking, I was a mess." These days, he says he's still learning how to be a performer, but he's already looking forward to touring ROADRUNNER. "I want this album to sound and look like one big Jamaican party."