Sunsets, studios, and good vibes.
AMillionForever doesn’t believe in creative borders.
The Melbourne-based musician glides effortlessly between hip-hop, R&B, Afropop and electronic textures, turning every release into a postcard from his latest adventure.
His new single ‘Good Vibes’ embodies that wanderlust entirely, a laid-back Afropop gem sparked by a sunset in Cannes and polished back home in Australia.
Inspired by real conversations and a desire to escape life’s noise, the track glows with breezy melodies and a carefree spirit that urges listeners to stay present in the moment.
Since his debut caught Apple Music’s attention, AMillionForever has built an independent career on versatility, supporting international acts and headlining a packed Melbourne show.
With more music on the horizon, we sat down to discuss travel, genre fluidity and why chasing good energy is always the right move.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
AMILLIONFOREVER: Chilling on the couch today, working on some new music with a wine to assist haha.
HAPPY: Tell us a little bit about where you live. What do you love about it?
AMILLIONFOREVER: I’m mainly based in Melbourne — I like the creative scene and the fast pace of the city. I do spend quite a lot of time in Europe and Adelaide too though, so I move around a lot.
HAPPY: What did you grow up listening to, and what first made you want to start making music yourself?
AMILLIONFOREVER: A massive variety of genres and artists – Drake, 50 Cent, Big L, Future, Vybz Kartel and Whitney Houston. I’d always felt very creative and wanted to express that creativity in some form, and I found music to be the best way.
HAPPY: ‘Good Vibes’ has that immediate, easy Afropop pull. What came first: the beat, the melody or the idea behind it?
AMILLIONFOREVER: The first line, “sunset in Cannes, watchu like?” came first, and the melody for the hook came at the same time. My mind is always racing with new melodies and sounds, so ideas can come pretty quickly. It gets a bit hectic sometimes, I tell ya haha.
HAPPY: You started writing the track in Cannes before finishing it back in Australia. What did being away from home bring out in the song?
AMILLIONFOREVER: It was great. Even though it was off-season when I was there last, I still felt that summery, escapist feeling which shaped the song. Being able to take those experiences and bring them to life through the music was inspiring.
HAPPY: There’s a nice bit of early-relationship uncertainty underneath all the breeziness. Was there a particular moment or person that sparked the story?
AMILLIONFOREVER: Yeah haha, definitely a moment and a person.
Sometimes you just want to have a good time and not overthink or stress about everything, you know? Issues and problems are always going to be a part of life, so it’s about making the most of those good moments when they come.
HAPPY: “Whoever calls, decline it” really sums up the mood of the track. Do lyrics like that come from real conversations, or are you more of a build-the-scene kind of writer?
AMILLIONFOREVER: Yeah, “whoever calls, decline it” was a moment for sure. You know, I told her, “It’s a vibe right now, let’s stay in the moment” and turn up, turn up haha.
I like a bit of both, but I have a stronger preference for drawing from real conversations and experiences.
HAPPY: Your music moves pretty freely between hip-hop, R&B, pop, Afropop and electronic sounds. Do you think about genre much when you’re making music?
AMILLIONFOREVER: It’s a big part of the AMillionForever identity. As a creative, I like to move freely between sounds and take different ideas, melodies and influences from different genres and apply them in new ways.
Without exploring that heavily throughout my creative journey, I think it would’ve been a lot harder to make tracks like “Good Vibes.” Now that I’ve explored a wide range of genres and sounds and put that music out there, I’m also paying attention to what connects most with listeners, while still following my own creative instincts.
HAPPY: Travel seems to feed into your creative process quite a bit. How much do different cities, people and cultures shape the music you end up making?
AMILLIONFOREVER: Yeah, it feeds a lot into the creative process. Different cultures, people, environments and experiences all shape the music in some way, and I think that brings a stronger sense of authenticity to the storytelling.
I’ve met some incredible people and had life-changing experiences along the way, and a lot of that has naturally found its way into the music.
HAPPY: Production is obviously a big part of what makes ‘Good Vibes’ work. How involved are you in shaping the sound of a track from the initial idea through to the final mix?
AMILLIONFOREVER: Yeah, I’m very involved from start to finish. As I’m making the song, I start to develop a clearer understanding of what I want it to sound and feel like.
Even after the mastering stage, I’ll sometimes go back and make additional changes if I feel like something can still be improved.
I’m very particular when it comes to getting the final sound right.
HAPPY: What does your studio setup look like at the moment? Are you mostly working in the box, or do you like bringing hardware, instruments and other gear into the process?
AMILLIONFOREVER: Generally, I like working in the studio because I enjoy the setting and having more to play with. When I’m on the go, I’ll sometimes work out of hotel rooms too — wherever I’m feeling inspired.
In those situations, I keep it simple with a mic, an interface and a laptop. In the studio, there are keyboards and other gear around, so there’s definitely more room to experiment.
HAPPY: Is there a particular DAW, plug-in, synth, mic or piece of studio gear that has become essential to the way you work?
AMILLIONFOREVER: H-Reverb and FabFilter Pro-Q are a couple of cool ones I use in the mixing process.
HAPPY: Vocally, ‘Good Vibes’ feels really relaxed and sits neatly inside the groove. How do you approach recording your vocals, and how much experimenting happens with layers, harmonies and effects?
AMILLIONFOREVER: Yeah, thank you. With ‘Good Vibes,’ I felt it needed to have a clean, polished and relaxed feel to it — simple enough to catch onto the vibe and evoke a good experience.
I wanted the vocals to really take you there as a listener, almost like “imagine.” With the placement of layers and harmonies, I can generally feel certain words or melodies where they’ll sit nicely and help everything pop out a little more.
Same with the adlibs, like the “ooos” in certain moments, which help push the momentum and emotion as you’re listening.
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HAPPY: When you’re mixing a track like this, what are you listening for before you know it’s finished? Is it more about technical detail or simply whether the feeling is right?
AMILLIONFOREVER: The delivery, the flow and how it makes me feel. I listen out for inconsistencies and errors in the mix too, and I’ll typically test it across a range of headphones and speakers.
If everything feels right, I’ll know it’s done. I used to be a lot more fussy with it for sure haha — the song would already be out and I’d still be trying to make tweaks.
HAPPY: You’ve gone from an early Apple Music playlist add to live support slots and your own Melbourne headline show. What have those experiences taught you about the kind of artist you want to be?
AMILLIONFOREVER: It’s really shown me that there are people out there who genuinely connect with and appreciate my music, which I’m grateful for.
I’ve also learnt a lot from hearing other artists’ experiences — what’s worked for them, what hasn’t, and how they’ve navigated the industry.
In terms of the kind of artist I want to be, I want to keep pushing creative boundaries, developing new and interesting sounds, and continuing to evolve my approach to music and creativity.
HAPPY: What’s coming up next for AMillionForever?
AMILLIONFOREVER: A rap/trap track and another Afropop track are both in the works and nearly finished, so there’s definitely more music on the way this year.
HAPPY: What makes you happy?
AMILLIONFOREVER: Good vibes with good people… and a chat with Happy Mag haha.
