BTD Interviews Louie XO and His New EP
Written by Matt Zin on July 16, 2026
BTD Interviews Louie XO and His New EP
Louie XO, this EP feels very personal from beginning to end. At what moment did you realize this was going to become more than just a few songs and turn into a full project?
i was sitting at home currently unemployed and recently had lost my dad it didn’t feel like i had a writers block but more of laziness and not hearin the right beats but the reassurance from her that everything will be alright pushed something in me to speak on the love she made me feel and experiences we’ve had. the week of February 20th – 27th every word came flooding in and the beats started to click with the words i was passionate about music again off her love
Releasing The Engagement on your birthday feels symbolic. What made you choose that date for this release?
something about my 29th birthday felt so real and so special that i thought this one will be THE BEST birthday ever i will look back and thank god for something / and or us (my relationship) plus with all the planning me and her did setting it for my birthday brought her more into my world which is music
“Man Up” really stands out because underneath the groove and bass there is vulnerability in the lyrics. Did writing that song change the way you look at relationships or yourself?
yes i was currently in my final phase of “growing up” completely and she held me down till i got the new job with this i was able to finally receive the last payment for her ring and catch up on bills it felt like she made me “man up”. This project is very emotionally inspired i want people to know in a world of chaos and ain’t shit people if you really love somebody love them the right way / how they want to be love, communicate in ways that touch you and them inside and out
Throughout this EP there is this late-night dreamy atmosphere that glides from song to song. Did you intentionally want the project to feel like one emotional experience instead of separate tracks?
i recorded all the songs at night and touched them up during the day on the phone with her while she was on mute actually lol and she sat there rooting me on wanting to hear but not throw me off if that makes sense i really appreciate Celena for bringing that drive back to me not to say i used it or took advantage it tapped back into my soft side and made me speak truth on us and how she was better than anybody to come into my life other then God !
So, I got to know, how did you and Celena meet and how did the engagement question get popped?
We kind of knew of each other in middle school didn’t meet meet till highschool then on and off flirting in adult life but every second even the catching up felt so real, i hadn’t felt this way about anyone and i thank god every time for the experience. I’ve never told my mother about a female EVER, never bought a ring for a female EVER, never had a female cook for me / invite me into her world so it was a first for everything it all felt so refreshing even with the good the bad and the ugly
“Louanese” almost feels like its own language between you and Celena. How did that concept come together?
she knows the right things to do / say that will make me happy it was like she spoke the language to my soul that nobody else could it was like she unlocked a new language lol at this point we might as well say she’s bilingual but nah man she had been through a lot of pain before me and i as well so when we hit it off i thought of a Pierre Bourne lyric or song and it’s like you know what Celena you speak Louanese lol I didn’t really have to teach her too much on how to love me like mentioned in the song “it’s only right I teach her” it was like she already had the experience
Your music blends hip hop, rap, soul, romance, and smooth melodic vibes together naturally. Who or what helped shape your sound into what we hear on this EP?
LIL UZI VERT !!! my goat, my twin, the artist success wise I hope to be like without him probably wouldn’t be a “Louie XO” plus me being a lover boy / cancer I’m really tapped into my emotions so when I fell for Celena I fell HARD ! I take it up with god about her everyday I do not play about him & her
Even when the lyrics get bold or explicit, your delivery stays smooth and never feels forced. Is that something you consciously work on while recording?
yes it is im the type that doesn’t care how many takes it takes i try to put myself in the fans shoes like did i hit this note / deliver the message to where they feel a certain emotion when I said it not just what I said cause I tell people a lot “yea you hear me but did you feel me” so ive been working on that / appreciating it more and more every project
The bass throughout this EP really hits hard, but it never overpowers the emotion of the songs. How important was production and atmosphere while creating this project?
Very important cause like I said early once the beats clicked they clicked I even thought to myself omg these beats are loud and ROCKIN I have to come at this hard if not I won’t put it out so after every song I sent them to her and she said she really liked them and the lyrics, showing them off to friends and family so I know I did a great job with this one I honestly think this is my 4th best project ever out of 38 drops
“Bad Gal” has this passion and chemistry running through it, but also vulnerability underneath. Do you feel people misunderstand emotional hip hop sometimes?
It has A LOT OF PASSION behind it all the things we’ve told each other and done together really takes over when I play it. The two artist who’s “type beat” it was are a good fit for emotion I told myself I couldn’t disappoint on that beat the most with every word as it went on I kind of almost cried recording it, listened to it drunk a few times and cried to it. letting fans get early listen to it that was the favorite while mine was “Bahama Mama” but after time now yea “Bad Gal” is my favorite the unique bars about us and some that will fly over heads makes me so emotional plus her at the end hearing how appreciative she was of all this warms my heart more than she will ever know this is bigger than a rap deal !
There’s a lot of confidence on this EP, but there’s also devotion and loyalty underneath everything. Was it important for you to show both sides of yourself on this project?
Yes it was important because I wanted to show her the guy I really am once again living in a world that has normalized “ain’t shit” people it’s hard to find what’s real and what ain’t so I’m showing her a side nobody else has got to feel for real
By the closing moments of the EP, it feels like listeners are hearing a real chapter of your life. Was that intentional from the beginning?
yes it was intentional from the beginning because a couple projects before this I was rapping about getting locked up and how life felt like a downward spiral but I was still confident and motivated a little cocky but I needed to find god to balance this and stop the bad. When I ended up praying more I seen so much good start to happen and she finally came into my life everything felt so good
We have enjoyed working with you, watching you grow through your musical journey in our reviews and interviews. How does it feel now returning with what might be your most personal project yet?
first I want to say thank you for even taking the time / chance to work with me this really means a lot but it feels so good that words can’t even explain the half. if this project is just not releasing and I honestly relistened to all 38 but still said it’s “Top 4” that means something I really need everybody to listen to it a few times and peep everything don’t take it as a in the moment thing or oh he’s just in love currently no really pay attention
What do you hope people feel when they press play on The Engagement on July 15th?
The Energy ! it’s ok to love in this wicked world if you find the right person true love is hard to find but once you do take it up with god and let him seal it. with every “yea” adlib on this project they should feel like that excited and a burst of smiles
If Celena could describe this EP in one sentence, what do you think she would say?
this project means as much to me as it does Maloun he is the best & sweetest man I could’ve ever asked for.
Looking back now, what song on the EP means the most to you emotionally?
“Bad Gal” & “I Do” cause I want I do played at our wedding
The project feels best listened to at night with the bass turned up. What kind of mood or setting do you picture people experiencing this EP in?
at night, smoking good weed or when they’re in their most emotional state needing a pick up / are feeling super happy. The more lit you are to this project I noticed the better it is
Was there one song on the EP that was harder to write than the others because it hit too close to home?
“i Do” had me stuck on so many parts cause i really wanted it to be perfect for a marriage sense I listened to so many beats and really sat thinking about what to say next / bring us into it that it got overwhelming at times but then one day it all clicked and i knocked it out and it ended up being the longest song on the project lol
Last question I promise 😊… years from now when you look back at The Engagement, what do you think this project will represent in your life story?
When i look back on this I’ll be somewhere famous investing the power god blessed me to have with her, i have so many plans to help this world and when i look back at this project ill look at her and just smile thanking her for it cause it upgraded both end of my life in love and music.
Check it out here:
https://on.soundcloud.com/pT56UzbKKH6lYC6fbR
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-engagement-ep/6790918051
https://open.spotify.com/album/7uz4Jwrc7M1EoYapuqDc4E?si=1OF9VAgkSd-kGa3T1EYlug
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdyKR4k07pqE&si=N_oP54v7iwdWc_zP
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