Meet Ethan Low: Toronto’s Emerging R&B Artist

The multifaceted musician discusses viral hit, collaboration with Jimmy Brown and opening for Gemini

BY VINDHYA BURUGUPALLI

photo by Chris Mae

Two months ago an audio teaser of Ethan Low’s "Bubbly" went viral on TikTok. After numerous users called on him to release the full song, Low scrambled to finish it in his college dorm. Now the track has amassed over 3 million streams on Spotify. Inspired by stories he heard from his girl friends, the sensual R&B number is an ode to Gen Z situationships. It’s no surprise the song resonated with millions of fans online. The 22-year-old singer recently opened for Korean R&B stars like Junny and Gemini at their Toronto concerts. The crowd was chanting the lyrics to his songs. It was a surreal experience for the Malaysian-Singaporean Canadian artist.

“When I was performing "Bubbly" I didn’t really need to sing because the audience knew all the lyrics and were singing it,” he says. “They gave me so much energy in the moment.”

Low’s earliest musical influence was his mom who was a piano teacher. He was also attending singing competitions since the fourth grade. In high school, inspired by the likes of Drake, Brent Faiyaz and K-R&B artists like DPR Live and Jimmy Brown, the Toronto native began making his own music. Eight years later, he debuted as a solo R&B artist in 2023. Lab0916, an Asian creative collective of musicians, visual artists and producers is one of the main driving forces behind Low’s successful debut. From music and video production to marketing, styling and live performance prep, they do it all. Low explains that their creative community motivates one another and helps bring their visions to life.

Following the success of his hit singles "Bubbly" and "Gemini," Low is preparing to drop his new track, "Skin Tight" featuring Jimmy Brown— an acclaimed Korean singer-songwriter— one of his idols growing up. The collaboration came about through his manager (previously a graphic designer) who used to work on Brown’s cover art. "Skintight" is going to be more mature and sultry, says Low. Same goes for the tracks in his debut EP anticipated to be released this summer. With songwriting, Low draws inspiration from his relationships, friends and nightlife in Toronto. He wants to be an artist audience can easily relate with and be the Asian representation he never had growing up in the west.

Although music has always been a part of his life, Low didn’t initially pursue it as a career. He went to college to study economics. While he was interning at an accounting firm for over 60 hours a week, Low realized he wanted to make changes. “It was so mentally draining,” he says. “I decided I can’t do this for the rest of my life, so I went into music.” Initially his parents weren’t supportive of the choice, but Low took the leap to follow his passion.

photo by Chris Mae

Low is aiming to drop a song every month for the rest of the year, plans to perform at festivals and go on tour in the near future. But as an Asian artist it was still hard for him to be embraced and breakthrough as a musician in North America. Low wants to make music that resonates with people and inspires those like him to create. “I know there's a whole community who feel like me, who feel like they're underrepresented, and are looking for someone like them to support,” he says.

Make sure to follow Ethan Low on Instagram, Twitter, and Spotify to keep up to date with his new projects!