Back in 2022, we remarked on Cortez Garza’s dramatic shift from a brooding singer-songwriter to the bombastic hip-hop artist known as Niño Brown. But while that transformation raised a few eyebrows, ultimately there was enough creative and thematic cohesion to see a through line between the two projects. Now, for his next evolution, the Athens musician is changing gears yet again.

Utilizing his given name, Joshua Nathaniel is said to be the last phase in what he describes as a “holy trinity” project. You can infer what you want from that, but for Nathaniel it has come to symbolize a period of creative renewal and rebirth.

“Joshua Nathaniel is the antithesis of Niño Brown but very much the bi-product of said project,” he says in a press release. “Much like the phoenix’s rise from the ashes, Joshua Nathaniel came to fruition after a period of soul searching and a quest for spiritual enlightenment, inner peace and community outreach. This culminated in a more classic and less divisive songwriting style, tone and message, but with the same versatility stylistically speaking as Niño Brown.”

Less divisive or not, new single “Diablo Blanco” sees the artist formerly known as Cortez Garza and Niño Brown trading pensive guitars and blustery rap beats for club-thumping EDM. Working with DJ and producer low.again, Nathaniel conjures a turbulent atmosphere packed with woozy synths and skittering beats. There is a fair amount of tension coursing through the track, which is only amplified by the song’s lurid tale of a narcissistic, gaslighting ex-boyfriend turned stalker. It’s definitely not the ecstatic dancefloor revelry that EDM usually demands, but Nathaniel’s assertive, occasionally sneering delivery keeps the listener locked in.

Created by GSB Media, the video serves as a visual distillation of the song’s dark narrative. There is the girlfriend, the emotionally manipulative ex, and Nathaniel himself as the new boyfriend who just wants to workout and enjoy time with his girl without having to look over his shoulder. As the clip unfolds, there’s no resolution to speak of, which may be part of the point. Narcissistic partners tend to destroy confidence and induce paranoia, turning the cycle of abuse into an even more hellish nightmare.

Watch/listen above.

“Diablo Blanco” is the second single off the upcoming Stolen Valor EP, a collaborative project with the aforementioned low.again. The EP was recorded and engineered by Kxng Blanco and mixed and mastered by Matt Tamisin at Japanski Studio in Athens.

More Info
Instagram: @cortezgarzamusic
Twitter: @cortezgarza