inQUIZitive: Taylor Bleu

Taylor Bleu's arrival has been anything but conventional. The South London artist spent years actively trying to avoid becoming a musician, despite music being a source of refuge throughout his childhood. At nine years old, he sang solo with a youth Gospel Choir at Croydon's Fairfield Halls, an experience that unlocked something within him. Years later, while working as an usher at the Royal Opera House, he found himself drawn to the beauty of music from an entirely different perspective.

Now, in 2026, Taylor has stepped fully into his artistry. His debut single, 'Mad House', introduced a voice and perspective shaped by lived experience, pairing alternative R&B with cinematic production and a 999 call that became a powerful statement around mental health. 'City of Angels' followed, exploring faith, compassion and hope, before 'This Staircase' offered his most intimate release yet - a song dedicated not to a person, but to the staircase that became a place of safety, creativity and self-discovery throughout his childhood. 'The Night' arrived as the final push, another soulful addition to a growing catalogue that has already marked him out as one of the city’s most promising emerging talents.

Together, the four releases have laid the foundations for 'Crayon Scars', Taylor's debut EP which arrived on 25th September. A project he describes as "documented proof" of what he has survived, it transforms difficult memories into something hopeful, honest and ultimately life-affirming.

Having already sold out his first-ever headline show at The Lower Third, Taylor is now introducing the full project to the world.

For the latest edition of inQUIZitive, CGuk caught up with Taylor Bleu to discuss Crayon Scars, finding safety in music, the memories behind his songwriting, mental health, South London and the journey towards becoming the artist he once tried not to be.

You've spent years actively trying to avoid becoming an artist, yet music has been such an important part of your life since childhood. What changed, and why does 'Crayon Scars' feel like the right moment to finally step fully into that identity?

Music became something deeper than just making songs. It became my new way of surviving, processing what I’d been through and expressing things I couldn’t always put into words. It gave me purpose at a time when I really needed it.

You've described 'Crayon Scars' as "documented proof" of the neglect and abuse you've experienced, but also as the beginning of your rebirth. How did you approach turning such difficult experiences into something that could ultimately feel hopeful?

I’ve been wrapped up in pain and hostility for years. 'Crayon Scars' is me acknowledging how much I’ve allowed my environment to consume me. I’ve been drowning for years, but I’m finally ready to move forward.

Releasing this music feels like a way of stepping out of that place and into something new. That’s why I’ve described it as a rebirth. I’m shedding my old skin. The pain is still part of my story, but it doesn’t define me.

From the 999 call on 'Mad House', to the questions around faith and responsibility on 'City of Angels', each release seems to open another window into your world. How important is storytelling in allowing you to process your own experiences while connecting with other people?

Each song is a window into a different area of my life. Being able to tell parts of what I’ve thought, felt or recalled at different points in my life allows me to take control of those things I had no control over, so expressing it in this form allows me to see things clearer.

I never write with someone else in my mind other than the younger me who needed someone to be their light in the dark.

I write to help the younger me feel less alone, and this naturally speaks to other people who have similar experiences.

'This Staircase' is perhaps your most unexpected love song - instead of being about another person, it's about a physical space that gave you stability and safety growing up. What is it about places and memories that makes them such powerful subjects for you?

Places have a strong emotional impact on me because I’ve spent a lot of years alone, so I’ve often turned to what’s around me, and that’s normally been places, not people.

I’ve never had stability in people, so that’s why this staircase holds such a special place in my heart and memories.

Your music can move between alternative R&B, hip-hop, gospel and more cinematic sounds, while your influences include artists like Sampha, James Blake and Frank Ocean. What are you looking for sonically when you're creating, and how important is it that the music feels unpredictable?

The music has to feel as unpredictable as life is. When I’m creating, I’m looking for sonics that fit the melodies, lyrics and the concept behind what I’m trying to say.

I think music speaks to you and informs what you’re speaking about, so I have to be willing to pivot.

Sometimes I might go into a session with one idea, but if the beat is speaking about something different, I have to align with that. I don't want to force something that doesn't feel natural.

I think that's why my music can move between different sounds. I'm not trying to stay in one box. I want the music to feel honest to whatever I'm experiencing and creating at that moment.

There's a recurring sense of light throughout your music, even when you're dealing with incredibly heavy subject matter. Where does that optimism come from, and is holding onto hope something you consciously bring into your writing?

I don’t consciously bring hope into my writing. It naturally comes out because I’m a very optimistic person. I’ve always been able to look on the bright side, so I feel like this just flows through all my music.

And as to where the optimism comes from, for as long as I can remember I’ve been optimistic. Not sure where it comes from.

You've already experienced some huge firsts this year — releasing your music, selling out your debut headline show and seeing people connect with songs that come from such personal places. Has the reality of people now having a relationship with your story changed how you see yourself as an artist?

I think seeing how many people are touched by the music and how many resonate with it has given me the green light to keep going. I don’t think it’s changed how I see myself as an artist, but it has definitely opened my eyes to how many people I can potentially help feel less alone.

Crayon Scars marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. When people finish listening to the EP, what do you hope they understand about Taylor Bleu — and what do you want them to carry with them?

I want people to carry the feeling that they’re not alone. If there’s someone listening who feels stuck in their environment or feels like what they’re going through is going to define them forever, I want them to hear this and know that it doesn’t have to.

You can carry your scars and still become something beyond them.

First song you remember writing

A song called Venom that I wrote in 2023.

First time you realised music could be a form of escape or safety

The first time I listened to a song I wrote called C’est La Vie. I listened to it for the whole train journey back to London from Birmingham. The song transported me into another dimension.

First artist who made you think, "I want to make music like this"

I’ve not listened to an artist and thought, "I want to make music like this," but I love how Michael Jackson’s music makes me feel.

First performance that made you feel like you belonged on stage

Opening for Sam Smith. This was a surreal moment.

First moment you realised becoming an artist might actually be possible

When a producer I work closely with told me that my story needs to be heard. I genuinely saw and felt how much they resonated with what we had created together, and that was a turning point for me.

Taylor Bleu's journey into music has been shaped by an understanding that becoming an artist doesn't necessarily mean leaving your past behind. Instead, Crayon Scars represents his decision to confront it, process it and move beyond it.

Across 'Mad House', 'City of Angels' and 'This Staircase', Taylor has introduced an artist willing to explore difficult experiences without allowing them to become the entirety of his identity. With 'Crayon Scars' now out in the world, that story enters its next chapter - one centred on survival, self-discovery and the possibility of becoming something beyond your scars.