Singer Steve Lacy poses naked as he returns to music after 3-year break
The contemporary R&B singer just dropped his new single ahead of his "most personal album yet"
By Aaron Sugg
After a three-year hiatus from music, Grammy-winning musician Steve Lacy has returned with a fresh track entitled ‘Nice Shoes’.
The song, written and produced entirely by the singer, who is bisexual, marks his first official release since the success of his 2022 album Gemini Rights, which topped both Billboard and Spotify charts and earned him a critically acclaimed music award.
While Lacy has taken a break from releasing new music, his older work has grown in popularity. Tracks he recorded as a teenager have now surpassed two billion streams, with ‘Dark Red’ and ‘Bad Habit’ each joining Spotify’s Billions Club and earning platinum certification.
“I hid everything until I started doing things” – Steve Lacey
Before launching his solo career, 27-year-old Lacy was part of the band The Internet formed in 2011, working alongside vocalist Syd and producer Matt Martians. The band rose to popularity in 2015 with their Grammy-nominated album Ego Death.
To promote his new single, the artist posted a naked mirror selfie on Instagram, covering his manhood with a pair of brown crocodile leather shoes. The caption read: “nice shoes out on streaming.”
The arrival of ‘Nice Shoes’ comes shortly after Lacy appeared on the September cover of Rolling Stone, where he discussed progress on his upcoming album Oh Yeah?, described by the publication as “His most personal album yet.”
Speaking about his sexuality, he said: “I hid everything until I started doing things.”
He initially came out on Tumblr in 2017 after a fan asked if he would date a man, to which he responded, “Sure, why not”.
“Queer is a lot harder to explain than just being a gay dude” – Steve Lacey
He continued: “For example, I really love dance, all styles, contemporary, tap, hip-hop. I love modern dance. But growing up, I couldn’t explore that ’cause I never wanted anyone to call me gay before I told them I was anything, gay or whatever, you know?
“It’d probably be easier if it were just like, ‘I’m g-word,’ but I’m not g-word. It’s fluid, and queer is a lot harder to explain than just being a gay dude.”
Since emerging as a standout guitarist for The Internet and earning a spot on Time’s “30 Most Influential Teens” list, Lacy has become an impactful LGBTQ+ artist.
He has fronted campaigns for Saint Laurent, performed on Saturday Night Live and joined Kendrick Lamar on stage for the Ken and Friends concert.
The Compton-born artist’s iPhone, the same one he used to create early recordings, is displayed in the Smithsonian museum in the US alongside queer icon Prince’s guitar and Judy Garland‘s Dorothy ruby slippers.
He has worked with several other well-established artists, collaborating with the likes of Solange, Tyler the Creator, Kali Uchis, Ravyn Lenae and Kendrick Lamar.
This new single marks the return as one of the most anticipated in contemporary R&B. You can listen to the single now across all streaming platforms.