The Kiwi born, now German based artist has enjoyed success with the release of his debut EP Brave in 2020, clocking over 300,000 streams. A collaboration with My Parade saw the release of the single Traveller, which reached over a million streams.
Originally caught up in the 9-5 grind of corporate life, Utama left that all behind to pursue his dream of becoming a musician. He is now on a mission to inspire others to follow their dreams and ambitions through music.
Biding My Time is about striving for success, despite the obstacles and challenges that may come along on one's journey. The track’s production is crisp and professional, with a real commercial sound. Utama’s husky vocals deliver direct lyrics that are instantly relatable. Gritty guitars drive this track, resulting in an upbeat, inspiring song.
Utama’s vocals shine in the pre-chorus, when he shows off his range. I did however feel that the chorus fell a little bit flat. Perhaps a change up into a higher vocal register in the chorus would've been effective in differentiating the chorus from the verses are little more, or perhaps the final chorus being sung an octave higher would’ve helped to add more climax to the track.
Regardless, the lyrics are strong and Biding My Time is well produced with a fresh, modern sound. Utama’s message of inspiring others will be sure to resonate with listeners.
Ant Utama is a pop artist and songwriter hailing from Aotearoa, who is currently based in Cologne. After a hugely successful debut EP generating nearly 300k streams, and a viral collaboration with My Parade on the single Traveller clocking 1.8m streams, Ant continues his momentum backed by NZ On Air with his brand new single Biding My Time.
Born and raised in Howick, and working the 9-5 grind in the corporate sector, Ant, over it decided to pack up and head to Germany for a soul searching adventure.
He started off busking on the streets of Cologne for a living, which he describes as a challenging but rewarding experience. “I’ve learnt so much more about myself, life and people than any other job”. He built himself up over the last few years, despite the setback of the pandemic over the last couple years and is stoked to be living full time as an artist, spreading his music, his stories and representing himself as a proud Kiwi on stages all over Europe.