Nice To Meet You (Vol. 5)
St. Panther moves easily between genres. The Mexican/Colombian vocalist, producer, rapper, and multi-instrumentalist pulls from soul, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, and alt-pop, blending those influences into something that feels fluid and unmistakably their own. Their voice is the thread running through it all—sometimes husky and restrained, sometimes smooth and open—but always guided by feeling.
Their latest single, “The Deal,” leans into that emotional clarity. Built entirely by St. Panther, the song moves at a patient R&B pace, with warm basslines, soft jazz-tinged keys, and a vocal that balances vulnerability with control. Lyrically, it reflects on love, hesitation, and the strange recalibration that comes with getting older. Within the Strange World EP, the track feels like a quiet pause—an inward moment in the middle of everything.
The live performance video keeps that intimacy front and center. Joined by longtime collaborators, including co-producer McClenney (H.E.R., Khalid, Jamila Woods), the stripped-back setting highlights how much St. Panther can do with tone, space, and restraint.
Strange World is their first full project since 2020’s breakout
What was the process that led you to writing your first song?
My first song as a kid was written after seeing the aftermath of the earthquake/tsunami that happened in Indonesia in 2004 on the news when I got home from school. I remember being about 10 and starting to understand the pain of communities in other countries. I tried to incorporate some metaphor about water.
Do you remember the first time you shared your music online — and what that moment meant to you?
In 2009, I was in Kitakyushu, Japan, visiting my uncle, who’s a pilot out there. He had this small office-type room in his house where I would get on YouTube Live every day after watching a bunch of different live sessions of artists I was listening to at the time. That influenced me to start writing songs on YouTube Live in real time and just leave the recordings up. It became a daily practice until I started uploading songs to SoundCloud later on.
Was there a specific artist or moment that made you realize you wanted to make music?
While in Kitakyushu, I had this Amy Winehouse performance of “Valerie” on loop. It was my favorite song at the time, and I remember hearing it played with just her and an acoustic—it made my own guitar feel closer to me for some reason. I had been learning and singing other people’s songs on this guitar all this time, but only after seeing that session did it occur to me to try to write while playing at the same time, which changed my relationship to writing and singing entirely.
What’s an album or song that still reminds you why you do this?
Sharing a song like “These Days” has since created a humbling tether to a purpose with my music. It’s a song that reminds me music travels after it leaves us into the lives of so many different people. I’ve been offered so many stories of how listeners found that song, its significance to them and their friend groups, and I’ve been truly taken aback that this song has now picked up a history in others’ lives. I still feel constantly rooted by the responses to that song.
What’s a sound, sample, or texture you’re currently obsessed with?
I scored this beautiful nylon-string guitar from some cat in Koreatown that I’ve wanted for years, and it has me back in love with playing guitar. There’s something so meditative about bringing in every morning with those strings. So calm.
What inspires your approach to writing lyrics?
Years of nurturing a relationship that allows the space for them to arrive naturally. There’s a certain vulnerability (and in that vulnerability with the world — a divine freedom) in not overdressing my writing. I’ve always allowed my lyrics to be as simple or complex (or as Pitchfork put it — “saccharine”) as they want to be. The important part to me is making feelings legible, able to be interpreted and related to from the outside. I’ve received so much divine confirmation with the approach of having a healthy relationship by not forcing productivity for the sake of a product. This approach has led me to a healthy relationship with writing and community building through writing. It’s important that I don’t hide what I’m really feeling with beautiful words. They just have to be real to me, and as long as the feelings are visible to others.
What is something you're proud of?
There’s a subtle power my music has that I’ve sensed since I was young — that there’s always been a mission attached to it. I’ve finally come to a place where I understand how to utilize it. I’ve identified that the goals aren’t wealth, praise, or having a chart-topping song — it truly comes from wanting to leave something positive in our communities through my music or anything else I venture into. Sometimes my contributions just come from the kind of person I am for my community. I’m proud that I’ve grown in my practice, and that the person I’ve grown into is exploring an alternate pathway of sustainability. I’m proud that my dedication to this is having positive ripple effects that I’m alive to witness.
What’s a recent performance, film, or book that left a mark on you?
Everything Everywhere All At Once — I just rewatched it with my dad, who’s 81, and it blew his mind. I’ve watched it a few times with different people and always take something new away from it.
What’s your greatest challenge right now — and how are you working through it?
For me, it’s that trans music still feels like it’s in the back of the line when it comes to the music industry as a whole — 1% to 0% presence on the festival-booking front, white LGBTQIA+ artists receiving priority, which makes the lack of coverage on QTBIPOC music a normalized part of our culture. I work through that by focusing on the quality of my work so that it lands on those radars one way or another — to offset that with undeniable presence. There are a lot of tables they don’t want us sitting at, so we’re busy building our own. But if you miss us at times, don’t worry — we love showing up as surprise guests where you’d least expect.
Yes! Well said.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to artists just starting out?
Listen to your intuition on everything.
What’s the biggest goal you have for your music at this moment?
To keep watering it like a plant.
Follow St Panther on Instagram @stpanther
