There’s something to be said about the power of being called to make music. But when that power combines with an unshakeable mission to change the world, what you get is the tour de force known as AY Young. To simply label AY Young as an emerging hip-pop artist and multifaceted talent would be an immense understatement. AY embodies the roles of singer, songwriter, entertainer, producer, and entrepreneur, among others, and his daily efforts contribute to the ongoing global transformation.
With more than 900 performances under its belt, AY’s globe-spanning Battery Tour has pioneered a unique approach to live music. This global concert series is powered entirely by renewable energy and is more than just an entertainment event, it seamlessly blends the musical experience with education, community upliftment, and humanitarian initiatives.
With international cooperation, the Battery Tour has revolutionized musical performance by introducing collaborative solutions to the global energy crisis. To advance his cause, AY has forged partnerships with corporate brands like Samsung, General Motors and BNP Paribas and civil society organizations like the Joint SDG Fund, Global Resilience Partnership, National Wildlife Federation, We Don’t Have Time, New Use Energy, Sauntr, Plastic Pollution Coalition, Ideas for Us, Faraday Foundation and Clever Carbon.
As much as AY’s music rouses a feeling of duty towards our collective stewardship of the earth, he also understands that hope is the greatest motivator. It also doesn’t hurt to have one of the year’s catchiest hooks in your back pocket — which could just as easily be said about previous single “2030.”
“GOALS” is the title track from AY’s forthcoming EP. TheEP sets the stage for AY’s upcoming full-length album Project 17, which features a track dedicated to each of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
We caught up with AY Young below.
Your journey started with an appearance on The X Factor and has led to numerous accolades and honors. How has this recognition influenced your career and mission?
My appearance on the X Factor TV show really was the start of everything. I mean, I learned so much from the celebrity judges who were, like, my mentors. People like L. A. Reid. Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Louis Walsh. And when I got off the show, I knew that I was destined to be something great, just like Britney Spears said I would be. She said I had something special when I did my audition, and we (my brother AJ and I) got four YES’ from the judges, and I carried that with me, knowing that I had something special. I didn’t give up on my dream or my goal or my passion. And that’s what led to me discovering how to power concerts using renewable energy, which eventually launched the battery tour.
You’ve been named one of the Top 70 Environmentalists in the World. What does this recognition mean to you, and how do you plan to leverage it for greater impact?
I think it’s pretty cool being named one of the top 70 environmentalists in the world. It just means that I’m doing something different. And of those, you know, 70 environmentalists, what’s even cooler than me is I’m the only one on the list Using music to power impact. That’s what I aim to scale. I’m bringing a paradigm shift to the music industry, and the recognition from articles like this or magazines like this is only a stepping stone to the paradigm shift and the impact I plan to have. Using music to get the world plugged in.
Could you share some insights into the creative process behind your music videos, especially in terms of utilizing solar-powered generators for eco-friendly productions?
Yeah, I mean, the creative process for my music videos is pretty much always the same. Now, I’ve been collaborating recently with some great people like Anthony Devara, who produced many of Tech N9ne’s videos (Strange Music), as well as “Black Palms” Amere Taylor, who is an incredible up and coming producer of videos and music content from the Midwest. So I’m blessed to have a superstar team with a huge vision that aligns with mine and that’s doing something that’s never been done before. That’s building the world’s first sustainable artist. I mean, through the lens of that vision, it’s been pretty easy to come up with these music video ideas.
We ask ourselves all the time how can we showcase what AY does everyday, how can we showcase sustainability, and solar power through the videos/content? And it’s been fun figuring it out. Overall, I’ve been doing concerts powered by clean energy since 2012. We’ve been doing clean energy shoots for a decade. Our music video shoots and things in general being carbon neutral are truly just simple to me and second nature.
How do you see the universal message of “GOALS” resonating with your audience, and what do you hope listeners take away from the song?
I just hope listeners of goals just take away motivation. Just take away a feeling that they can do anything they set their mind to, that they can win that game, or that they can train and become a better athlete, or that they can achieve that goal, you know, in school or in business or as an entrepreneur, I just want people to feel energized and powered up to reach their goals. And I think the message of goals will resonate and we will get the world plugged-IN!
Can you describe your vision for the future of music, sustainability, and activism, and how you plan to continue making a difference?
My vision for the future of music, sustainbility and activism is that they will all be one. I plan on making a difference by contining to DO it everyday. I’m literally combining music, sustainability and activism through Battery Tour and Project17 right now. I just need more platforming, and support from leaders to grow.
As a UN-recognized sustainability advocate, what advice do you have for young individuals who aspire to create positive change in the world, like you?
I think my music just keeps evolving more and more. I think people can just expect something fresh, high frequency. I make more higher frequency, high vibes music, feel good music. I think my musicianship over time has evolved like crazy. And I’m able to do so much in music between genres more comfortably now because of the street performing and playing on street corners, doing cover songs from all genres of music. It has crafted my ability to now make original music, but within any genres folk, country, rock, pop, rap I do it all genuinely. And it’s almost effortless at times. It just comes. I’m super blessed to put my 10,000 hours in so many genres and be able to just do it.
How has your music evolved over the years, and what can fans expect from your new EP and upcoming full-length Project 17?
I think my music just keeps evolving more and more. I think people can just expect something fresh, high frequency. I make more higher frequency, high vibes music, feel good music. I think my musicianship over time has evolved like crazy. And I’m able to do so much in music between genres more comfortably now because of the street performing and playing on street corners, doing cover songs from all genres of music. It has crafted my ability to now make original music, but within any genres folk, country, rock, pop, rap I do it all genuinely. And it’s almost effortless at times. It just comes. I’m super blessed to put my 10,000 hours in so many genres and be able to just do it.
Could you elaborate on the role of hope as a motivator in your music and how it can inspire collective action for a better world?
Hope. We all need hope. We all need something to cling on to, to believe in. It keeps us going. It keeps us in pursuit. Without hope, we’re lost. With hope, you we can come together, we can work together, we collaborate. And we can take collective action for a better world.
What challenges have you faced in your career, and how have these experiences shaped your determination to succeed in the music industry and beyond?
I’ve faced so many challenges in my career, I don’t think there’s enough space to write it all down. For the Times Square concert, I was up at three in the morning with my energy partners, rigging the concert with the Battery Tour solar trailer so it could be powered 100% by renewable energy. I was up at 3am in the morning in the middle of Times Square rigging batteries so we could power the concert with clean energy. Then I hopped on stage and did an hour full set performance. But before I even performed, I essentially was production manager and sound guy for the openers before me. This kind of activity has been my daily life for 12 years setting up the concert, performing at the concert, tearing it down, packing the gear, driving to another location and performing again and setting it up, facilitating all angles of the tour, of the business of the music, from writing to production to paying for it. It’s always been a challenge trying to be my own booking agent, my own manager, my own record label, because I’m completely independent. But I’m determined to succeed in the music industry. I’m determined to find the right potential collaborators to scale what I’ve built. And I haven’t given up yet. I don’t want to remain independant. I just want to find the right collaborators that believe in the brand and vision i’ve built while being independant.
Finally, what’s next on the horizon for AY Young, and how can your fans and supporters get involved in your mission for a more sustainable and harmonious world?
I aim to be the biggest sustainable artist in the world. My goal next year is to be the biggest sustainable artist in the world and to put out a new genre of music that doesn’t exist. Music for impact. If fans or supporters or well wishers want to support me, then just plug in. Whether you buy a T shirt, whether you donate to the Battery Tour to keep the tour powered up, or you spread the word about who we are and what we’re doing, any and all support is welcome. I’m ready to get the world plugged in with.
