In his latest single release, “Favorite Ex,” out artist Stewart Taylor sings about an old flame he regretfully had to extinguish. “We ended things when I left New York to pursue my career in Los Angeles,” he explains. “We both knew life would eventually take me out West and that our time together was limited, but I often wonder what would’ve been had I stayed.” The song merges eighties vibes with today’s pop and R&B and is the second ballad Stewart Taylor has written about his former lover. His debut single, “Mess Your Hair Up”, released in 2019, is about him too. Stewart says that years later, on a phone call, he thanked his ex for being so wonderful and told him that he was in fact, his favorite ex. “I look back and smile about what we had.” Produced by Romanian hitmaker MADS (David Guetta, Imagine Dragons), Stewart Taylor’s “Favorite Ex” is being distributed independently and is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all digital platforms. Its video is available on Youtube.
The video for “Favorite Ex” is a captivating reflection of the song. Its’ gorgeous ocean vistas (filmed in Malibu) and sweeping desert scenes (filmed in the Mojave Desert) whisk viewers through the tumultuousness of an unwelcome breakup. “Walking through the desert for hours on end had me in awe and also brought up some very heavy feelings.” Stewart recalls. “It really captured the sadness I felt when leaving the relationship.”
The video draws inspiration from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and its theme that every party eventually has to end. As they do in the novel, beautiful things fall apart. The chandelier on the desert floor represents the end of opulence in the relationship, while the white roses represent the end of the romance.
Benjamin Farren directed the video. Julie Vegliante, ho has worked with Lady Gaga, choreographed, and German designer Joseph Auren designed and styled Stewart’s looks in the video. “The beautiful outfits are among my favorite parts of the ‘Favorite Ex’ video,” Stewart says. “While filming, I imagined myself as a lonely prince, dressed to the nines and surrounded by all of this beauty with no one to share it with.”
He admits that, in real life, learning his former lover had found someone new was especially difficult for Stewart to come to terms with. “In the song, I fantasize about getting back with my ex and stealing him from his new man, but I would never actually do something like that,” he laughs. “I definitely took some poetic license for that one!”
Stewart Taylor is an LA-based singer, songwriter, dancer, and MMG actor/model. He grew up in a small town outside of New York City, where he began writing songs and performing in local talent shows and Lower East Side clubs. Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, he's collaborated with Grammy-nominated songwriters and producers including Charlie Puth and Kara DioGuardi and has penned songs for Romanian pop star Antonia, American Idol's David Hernandez, and RuPaul’s Drag Race’s JuJu Bee, Mo Heart, and Manila Luzon.
He has also released several singles including his funk and R&B inspired debut single “Mess Your Hair Up” and 2022’s “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk”.
Stewart Taylor is an active voice in the LGBTQ+ community and his coming out story was featured in the New York Times bestselling book, It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living.
The Hector Fonseca and Thiago Dukky remix of “Favorite Ex” will drop on Friday, September 8th, followed by the DJ Mentol and Scott Storch remix later in the month.
Stewart Taylor’s “Favorite Ex” is being distributed independentlyand is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all digital platforms. Its video is available on YouTube. Follow on IG @imstewarttaylor and stewarttaylorofficial.com
