CEBU, PHILIPPINES — With collectively over 1.3 million streams for all of his pre-released singles to date, Dom Guyot finally debuts his first album, Unbeloved, a collection of some of his most favorite tracks written during what he regards as the most ‘unbeloved’ time of his life.
Contrary to the title, Unbeloved tells a story of a young queer’s journey of falling in love, losing love, and finding love again, recounted in five parts (chapters) with 12 songs of genres ranging from contemporary RnB, soul and pop.
“I went with ‘Unbeloved’ because truly at the time (when) I wrote my album, I felt that way,” Dom discloses. “And I know as a society, we are taught to celebrate the wins and be ashamed of our losses, but I think we should go about it the other way around.”
True enough, Dom’s experiences of navigating the world of music, even in his own hometown wasn’t a piece of cake. In fact, he was sure he had to bake a cake on his own and sell it. “A lot of people in this industry have made it clear that they do not believe in me and my artistry,” Dom recalls. “I started as a backup dancer, and there were people who really said straight to my face I did not have what it takes to be an artist because as an openly effeminate gay kid, I wouldn’t be marketable.”
As a result, Dom tirelessly poured his heart into songwriting and production, spending two years in the studio even in the midst of a global pandemic, fully turning his hurt into what is now his official first full-length album. “I learned to celebrate my wins and be proud of my losses,” says Dom. “Because my loss in love gave birth to the body of work I am most proud of, and I know will help a lot of people cope with the feeling of being ‘Unbeloved’.”
However, Dom’s ‘Unbeloved’ journey doesn’t only end in releasing his album. For him, it goes beyond his own artist satisfaction. A proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Dom hopes that by setting himself up for the challenge of finally breaking into the music industry with his independently produced album, he likewise pushes for more inclusivity towards queer people in mainstream media and music.
“Being gay was frequently used as a derogatory inflection mostly for comic relief in film and music. I wanted to change that,” recounts Dom. “I wanted to show my point of view and my story as a gay man in love. It’s different because it’s real. I am not here for comedy, satire, or for satisfying what society thinks I should be. I am here to be unapologetically queer.”
“I always wanted to showcase how same-sex relationships share certain nuances heteronormative ones have,” Dom continues. This ultimately pushed him to make a Boy’s Love trilogy of music videos, alongside the release of Unbeloved. This trilogy showcases real stories of gay men with love, lust and safe promiscuity in this day and age. Dom emphasizes that in every detail, including the casting for his music videos, he is allowing real queer people to play the lead roles of queer people.
Currently available for digital pre-release on Spotify, ‘Unbeloved’ officially debuts on May 7, 2021, Friday at 12:00 MN across all online streaming platforms worldwide. Limited edition physical album jackets for ‘Unbeloved’ will also be available for pre-orders on May 03, 2021.
