Curtis Waters

Curtis Waters
Born
Abhinav Bastakoti

(1999-12-20) December 20, 1999 (age 26)
Kathmandu, Nepal
OriginCary, North Carolina, U.S.
GenresPop, indie pop, alt pop
OccupationsMusician, rapper, singer, songwriter
LabelBMG

Abhinav Bastakoti (born December 20, 1999), known by his stage name Curtis Waters, is a Canadian-American musician, rapper, singer and songwriter. He is known for his 2020 debut single "Stunnin'". He is the first Nepal-born musician to attain international success.

Early life

Abhinav Bastakoti was born on December 20, 1999, in Kathmandu, Nepal. At a young age, he moved to India, before moving to Germany at the age of 4, then Calgary, Canada at the age of 10. At the age of 14, Bastakoti returned to Nepal for three months to receive his Bratabanda, a Hindu coming of age ceremony. Around this time he downloaded FL Studio onto his laptop and started making beats. Posting them online in 2017 as Frank Waters, before changing it to Curtis Waters, a homage to his two favourite artists Joy Division’s Ian Curtis and Frank Ocean. As a teenager attending Sir Winston Churchill High School he struggled with depression and used music and graphic design to overcome it. He would often skip school to compete in beat battles. In 2017, he moved to Cary, North Carolina, as a result of his parents' educational pursuits. He then enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Career

In April 2020, Waters posted a 15-second snippet of his pop rap song, "Stunnin'" which went viral on TikTok. In one month, "Stunnin'" was viewed more than two million times on YouTube. In June, "Stunnin'" was ranked #3 on Rolling Stone's Breakthrough 25 Chart. By July 2020, "Stunnin'" had been streamed over 35 million times on Spotify.

Waters was approached by numerous labels. He decided to stay independent, but did sign a licensing deal with BMG. He also signed a management deal with Chris Anokute.

In June 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ran an article about Waters. In July 2020, "Stunnin'" was used in a Mercedes-Benz commercial.

Water's second single was "System." He recorded his debut album, Pity Party, in his dorm at UNC Greensboro. The album was commercially released in October 2020. One reviewer of Pity Party noted, "The throughline in these 12 disparate tracks remains Waters’ distinct point of view, simultaneously self-deprecating, sincere, and disarmingly honest." On June 23, 2023, he released his sophomore album, Bad Son.

Artistry

His musical influences include Frank Ocean, Kanye West, Odd Future, Tyler the Creator, and Joy Division’s Ian Curtis.[citation needed]

Personal life

Bastakoti lives in Los Angeles, California. He has been open about his experience with depression and bipolar disorder and has expressed his desire to be a mental health advocate in Nepal.[citation needed]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details
Pity Party
Bad Son

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
CAN
 IRE
 NZ
Hot
 UK
 US
Bub.
"Stunnin'"
(featuring Harm Franklin)		 2020 36 27 21 69 11 Pity Party
"System" — — — — —
"The Feelings Tend to Stay the Same" — — — — —
"Freckles" — — — — —
"Doodoodoo" 2021 — — — — — Non-album singles
"Conceited" — — — — —
"Plastic World" — — — — —
"Manic Man" 2022 — — — — — Bad Son
"Star Killer" — — — — —
"Riot"
(featuring Chlothegod)		 — — — — —
"Himbo" / "God's Lonely Man" 2023 — — — — —
"Death Keeps Calling My Name"
(featuring Shrimp)		 — — — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

  1. ↑ Das Shrestha, Kashish (14 July 2020). "The rise of Curtis Waters". Nepali Times. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  2. 1 2 3 Pant, Shashwat (July 6, 2020). "In the spotlight: Curtis Waters' Stunnin'". Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Das Shrestha, Kashish (July 14, 2020). "The rise of Curtis Waters". Nepali Times. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Leight, Elias (June 23, 2020). "Curtis Waters' 'Stunnin' Is a TikTok Hit -- And a Threat to the Major Label System". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  5. ↑ Miao, Hannah (May 27, 2020). "Meet Curtis Waters, the Cary Musician Going Viral on TikTok with "Stunnin'"". Indy Week. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  6. ↑ Weg, Zachary (6 February 2023). "Curtis Waters is the triple-threat rising star to watch this year". Alternative Press Magazine. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  7. 1 2 3 Volmers, Eric (February 10, 2023). "Rising Waters: Calgary-raised pop sensation Curtis Waters returns home". Calgary Herald. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Segalov, Michael (July 19, 2020). "Curtis Waters, TikTok king: 'There are no gatekeepers to the industry anymore'". The Guardian. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 Khatiwada, Sudarshan (2026-09-16). "A beat, a bedroom and a dream that went global". OnlineKhabar. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fay, Seamus (July 16, 2020). "No One Believed in Curtis Waters, Until Everyone Did". Complex. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 Wang, Steffanee (September 23, 2020). "Curtis Waters On "Stunnin'" & Finding Success Beyond TikTok". Nylon. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  12. 1 2 Morris, Damien (2023-06-25). "Curtis Waters: Bad Son review – genre-busting second album from pop outsider". The Guardian. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  13. ↑ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100 Chart: Week of August 29, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Discography Curtis Waters". irish-charts.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. June 29, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-06-28. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Curtis Waters Ft Harm Franklin | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2021-04-25. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart: Week of August 1, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Brazilian certifications – Curtis Waters" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Canadian certifications – Curtis Waters". Music Canada. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  20. ↑ "American certifications – Curtis Waters". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  21. ↑ "The feelings tend to stay the same - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 7, 2025 – via Apple Music.
  22. ↑ "Freckles - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 7, 2025 – via Apple Music.
  23. ↑ "Doodoodoo - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 7, 2025 – via Apple Music.
  24. ↑ "Conceited - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 7, 2025 – via Apple Music.
  25. ↑ "PLASTIC WORLD - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 7, 2025 – via Apple Music.
  26. ↑ "MANIC MAN - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 7, 2025 – via Apple Music.
  27. ↑ "Star Killer - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 7, 2025 – via Apple Music.
  28. ↑ "RIOT (feat. chlothegod) - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 7, 2025 – via Apple Music.
  29. ↑ "HIMBO/GOD'S LONELY MAN - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 7, 2025 – via Apple Music.
  30. ↑ "DEATH KEEPS CALLING MY NAME (feat. Shrimp) - Single by Curtis Waters on Apple Music". Retrieved February 7, 2025 – via Apple Music.
  31. ↑ "Food Court Heart Break (feat. Curtis Waters & Yung Star Ballout) - Single by 33 Life on Apple Music". Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved November 20, 2020 – via Apple Music.
  32. ↑ "Quarantine Party (feat. Curtis Waters) - Single by Jay2thekim on Apple Music". Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved November 20, 2020 – via Apple Music.
  33. ↑ "Sensual Healing (feat. Asher Porter & Curtis Waters) - Single by Susanne Davis on Apple Music". Retrieved November 20, 2020 – via Apple Music.