Francesco Yates is a young singer from Toronto who may just be the next big thing in pop and R&B. He began playing music at age 11, and it soon became his life, as he signed his first deal with Atlantic Records at 16. Now, at only 18, he’s already received glowing accolades from taste-making publications like Complex, Billboard, The Source and MTV U.K., as well as personal praise from such pop heavyweights as Pharrell Williams, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake. “My goal is to make people happy with my music,” says Yates. “If I can pull that emotion out of people from my music or live performance, than I’ve done my job.” Catch Francesco on tour this fall with Texas R&B singer SoMo.
Photo by Jimmy Fontaine