Toro Gato (Kat Graham) Releases Debut Album — Solely Via NFT
“I wanted to break the status quo,”
Kat Graham
In a relatively short amount of time, NFTs have become a significant part of the music industry, with artists as diverse as 3LAU and Keith Richards branching into the world of digital collectables (and sometimes making millions in the process). But for most artists, NFTs have served as a supplement to their music, not its sole format. Toro Gato, the musical identity of Vampire Diaries actress and UN Refugees Goodwill Ambassador Kat Graham, is going all-in on the non-fungible token strategy, however, and releasing her new project, Toro Gato, solely via NFT.
The visual album will not be available on the usual streaming platforms – if you’re curious, that means you’re headed to the NFT marketplace YellowHeart to experience Toro Gato Pt. II (Pt. I came out last year; with the release of Pt. II on Jan. 28, the full collection is now available in NFT format).
“This project means a lot to me because I wanted to break the status quo,” she explains to Billboard. “When I was thinking about how I wanted to release Toro Gato, I knew I didn’t want to go the traditional route. I spent my entire music career being told what to do, having people direct me, being put into roles and clothes and songs that in no way reflected me or the artist that I was.”
The songs on Toro Gato touch on everything from industrial rock to trip-hop to electronica to sweeping, cinematic strings. Vocally, Graham is smooth, cool and beguiling, bringing to mind Portishead in some moments and FKA Twigs at other points. As for the project’s visuals, you can get a taste of the style and visual language Toro Gato is mining on Graham’s Instagram.
Article originally featured on Billboard.
