Interview: 2BYG Talks 2026 World Tour, “Be Mine,” and New Deluxe Album
- Sarah Tan
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Def Jam’s rising R&B sensation, 2BYG (To Be Young And Gifted), is using their voices to make music not just to entertain but to tell real stories about love and growth.
“We’re just trying to bridge the gaps of Y/Ns [Your Name/fanfiction tropes] and real love,” Matt Brown laughs as he tells Mido Media during our exclusive interview. “We just want to bring real love back to music in any way, shape, or form.”
Coming out of Fort Worth, Texas, the quartet—Matt Brown, Nixx, Tourè, and KD—has built a reputation for a sound that feels both classic and current, a “foundational and fundamental” approach, as member Nixx puts it.
From gospel roots, Matt Brown says, “Today’s R&B artists are missing their gospel backgrounds. It’s easier for us because we grew up in church and have been singing in gospel choirs since we were infants,” giving timeless R&B and the richness of ‘90s soul a new emotional feel and modern edge.
Watch 2BYG’s “Karma” Music Video here:
Making their debut in 2025 with the single “Karma,” Matt Brown, Nixx, and Tourè have known each other since their sophomore year at a performing arts high school. The trio later welcomed KD after catching him at a local talent show, which Tourè notes was key to “bringing [an] outside perspective [to the group].”
What started as skipping class to sing harmonies during passing periods in the school bathroom has sparked a growing fanbase, earning them over a million followers on TikTok with standout covers of artists like H.E.R., New Edition, Mint Condition, and more.
Grounded in their own purpose and name, To Be Young And Gifted is inspired by Aretha Franklin’s legacy and her 18th studio album, Young, Gifted and Black, which features the title track cover of the Nina Simone song. Following the success of their music covers, the same energy runs through their nine-track debut album, The Yearbook, and their latest single, “Be Mine.”
On April 16, Mido sat down with the boys in a virtual press conference via Zoom, and the brotherhood, faith, and intention they preach were on full display. Amid the beautiful, chaotic chemistry of erupting into collective laughter and finishing each other’s thoughts like a single mind, we discussed the upcoming deluxe album The Yearbook: 2nd Semester, the “midlife crisis” behind “Be Mine,” and a potential 2026 world tour.
Mido: With the deluxe edition, The Yearbook: 2nd Semester, coming up soon, how does this new batch of songs expand on the story you started in November with The Yearbook? Can fans expect a continuation of the classic R&B nostalgia, or are you experimenting with some new sonic directions for this “next semester”?
KD: Man…! Okay! [Claps]
Nixx: I’m so glad that you asked! [Rubs hands together with a grin]
KD: All right, this is Nixx.
Nixx: No, no, no. You got it, KD.
KD: You go first.
Nixx: KD, I have nothing to say.
KD: [Laughs.] Okay!
Nixx: I’m just glad she asked.
2BYG: [Laughs.]
Toure: It was a good question.
KD: Okay, this is KD! I will say, yes, we are. We’re doing both. We are expanding on, you know, looking into new directions, sonically, things that y’all haven’t heard and we haven't done. But we are also still piggybacking off of some nostalgia, certain nostalgic sounds, you know what I'm saying? Even hometown sounds—
Matt Brown: —and current.
KD: Yeah, and current sounds, really. I feel like the message of The Yearbook was the fact that we were just graduating and moving into another stage in our lives.
Tourè: MANHOOD! [Slaps chest twice for emphasis]
KD: And so, yeah, you know, boys to men! So, that being said, this second semester, like how Tourè said earlier, is sonically, it’ll be a little more mature in terms of the intricacies in the chords, things of that nature, and musicality—
Tourè: —and the lyrics!
KD: Yeah, the lyrics, things of that nature, and whatnot. But yeah, so I feel like that’s the direction. Yeah, a little bit of it all.
Mido: Your latest single, “Be Mine,” has a smooth vibe, but you’ve mentioned on TikTok that the lyrics stem from a midlife crisis the group was feeling—
Tourè: Oh!
2BYG: [Laughs.]
Mido: What was it about that specific emotional headspace that felt right to explore through this track, and how did it influence the sound of the song? [Laughs]
Tourè: That was— [Laughs]
Matt Brown: Weren't we just talking about it in general?
Tourè: I think we’re just talking about it in general.
Tourè: I think it’s just blowing up. And I think you can just bring them two [conflicting feelings] together, you know? In a situation like this, where you want somebody to be yours, but you don't want to be in the situation—but you just can't make up your mind. It’s just exaggerated [on TikTok] as if it were a midlife crisis, but it wasn’t literal.
Tourè: Nah… it wasn’t, it wasn’t. I’m okay! We’re all okay!
2BYG: [Laughs.]
Watch 2BYG’s “Be Mine” Music Video here:
Mido: As your sound continues to reach a global audience, is a world tour something that is officially on the horizon for 2026, and which cities are you excited to finally bring your live harmonies to?
Matt Brown: Oh, yes! We would love to do a world tour.
2BYG: Oh yes! Definitely!
Matt Brown: We read our comments all the time, engaging with our fans. We have fans in South Africa, Brazil, Madagascar, and the list goes on.
KD: Actually, I think our top three [countries], when “Karma” was going up [the charts] and whatnot, [were] South Korea, Tokyo, and New York. I think they were the top three places where it was the most played. And we got a lot of different people, you know, all from different places, really loving the music, and loving what we're doing. So yeah, we would love to do that as soon as possible.
Before signing off, we made sure to request that they visit us in Malaysia.
(Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted remotely by our writer based in Kuala Lumpur.)
Mido: Cool! Come to Malaysia, guys. We’d love to meet you guys here.
2BYG: Oh yeah!
KD: We’re gonna come!
Mido: Yay! Okay. So yeah, thank you 2BYG!
2BYG: Thank you so much!
Nixx: Thank you, Sarah!
Tourè: Sarah…!
As we wait for 2BYG’s upcoming deluxe album, The Yearbook: 2nd Semester, the group has expressed that you can never put any of them in a box. While they stay true to their nostalgic R&B roots, they are expanding into new sonic territories. Their ambition knows no bounds, with aspirations to explore everything from country, jazz, classical music, to R&B, pop, soul, and rock.
They are dedicated to studying the legends who came before them like Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, along with the modern impact of artists like Chris Brown, Bruno Mars, and Justin Bieber. In doing so, 2BYG is living out the very advice Michael Jackson once gave: “Study the greats and become greater.”
Are you ready to hear those live harmonies at their concert in person? Which song from The Yearbook is currently on repeat for you? Let us know in the comments below or reach out to us on Instagram or X.
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Edited by: Batul Netterwala
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