New Artist Alert: Tino Coury

Tino Coury is ready to introduce himself to the pop world with the single “Diary.”  It’s a canny combination of exhilarating pop, slamming beats and lyrical drama, which is the essence of the 21-year-old singer/songwriter/producer’s craft.  The song is impacting Top 40/Rhythmic/Dance radio this month, with a digital release coming in May.

“Diary” was mixed by Grammy winner Manny Marroquin (Usher, Alicia Keys), and Coury also collaborated with producer Alex Cantrall (Fantasia, Dru Hill, JoJo) for his full-length album, due out later this year on indie label Eleventh Records, distributed through Universal’s Fontana.

The Pittsburgh-bred, L.A.-based Coury will be on a radio promo tour for “Diary” from March 22-May 14 and just shot a video for the song with esteemed director Roman White, who has lensed videos for artists including Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Bieber.

“Diary” showcases not only Coury’s urgent vocals and flair for sparkling hooks, but also the multi-instrumentalist’s substantial production chops.  “I started with a straight piano line as a loop,” he recalls of the song’s creation. “I had the lyrical concept, and the melody and the words started coming for the hook. I then started building the track adding the drums and synths–I wanted it to have a little bit of a club feel.

“When I write a song, I want a beat you can dance to, a great track–but also a story,” adds Coury.  “There has to be a heart to it.”

“I read your diary,” Coury sings over the track’s throbbing groove, “and it said that you weren’t in love with me.”  The heartbreak mounts as each page offers a new puzzle piece of his lover’s betrayal.

Coury is about to be a force in pop music just as he was a star athlete in high school. It wasn’t until he suffered a sports injury that he decided to put a hold on finishing college and pursue his true destiny. Since then, he has devoted himself to music with the same fervor, drive and commitment he once did to sports.” Music was always in me,” says Coury.  “Even as a little kid, I was listening to the radio, imitating, and making believe I played the guitar and drums.”

Coury is an unabashed fan of Top 40 beats, hooks and sing-along choruses, but his musical tastes, as reflected in his tuneful songs, run broad and deep. “I go across the board,” says Coury. “I love to listen to the radio, but I also keep tabs on the indie world, to kind of get ideas about how to experiment.”

Peep the track below and let us know what you think!