Los Angeles duo of Franskiiz and Watrcup—better known as The Image—are back with a new album for 2021, "OKAY: An LA Story." While splitting the vocal duties, Watrcup does the writing and arranging, and Franskiiz takes care of the production and engineering. Together they explore personal experience through the medium of boisterous alternative pop. With flourishes that combine hip-hop rhymes, electronic waves, and R&B grooves, their unique spin on commercial pop and rap vibes delivers a rich sense of narrative and a mysterious sense of personality.

Franskiiz grew up in Hawaii. His mom celebrated a background in classical music which is a tradition that he immersed himself in as a child, studying classical piano and violin before eventually enrolling in audio engineering school. Meanwhile, Watrcup has always lived in Los Angeles, devouring everything from Daft Punk and Rush to Kid Cudi and Kendrick Lamar. In late 2018, the boys met during a studio session and began collaborating before officially introducing The Image months later.

I bring the ideas and inspiration, and Franskiiz brings the life, musically. I’ll create a spark, and he’ll make it a fire. — Watrcup

The Image is building on their success from last year: in March of 2020, they caught the attention of seasoned industry executive Bu Thiam—former SVP of A&R at Def Jam, and more recently co-manager to Kanye West. After being taken under the wing of Bu, The Image flew to Cody Wyoming to write and produce for Kanye West, which quickly tested their skills and chemistry as a production duo. The subsequent release of their breakout single "Believe in Me" found its way onto Spotify’s Fresh Finds editorial playlist, in the #1 spot just one week after release. They also peaked at #32 on the SoundCloud Top 50 US charts after amassing over 3 million streams.

Later in the year, The Image followed up with their infectious single "Beaujolais" which quickly gained the attention of both Apple Music and Spotify. The track was placed at #6 on Apple Music Hot Tracks, while also landing on Spotify's editorial playlists Signed XOXO at #26, garnering a whopping 2 million streams in just under a month from release.

While Franskiiz and Watrcup are still developing their careers as solo artists, they both acknowledge that The Image offers an undeniable opportunity for growth. The sky is the limit for this talented duo, and latest single "Super Lit Boi" combines an irrepressible melody with dreams of interstellar pop success, as well as the production flex to make it happen.

After we see the vision, we hear the truth. However, The Image always comes first.

Visit The Image on Instagram.