Rocky Sandoval is exploring a warmer rhythmic direction without leaving the emotional center of his music behind. The Tacoma R&B artist describes “All To Myself” as a natural expansion of a sound shaped by several musical traditions.
In written responses supplied to Variety Press, Sandoval connects the song’s Afrobeats and dancehall influences to a lifelong interest in music that brings melody and rhythm together. Classic R&B, hip-hop, soul, island music and Filipino music heard around family all figure in the listening history he describes.
“I didn’t want to force a trend — I wanted to expand my sound in a way that still sounded like Rocky Sandoval,” he says.
Emotion inside the rhythm
For Sandoval, the appeal of a dance-oriented groove is not limited to movement. He is interested in the emotion that can sit underneath a buoyant rhythm, allowing a record to feel light while still carrying a personal point of view.
He describes “All To Myself” as freer in spirit than some of his more reflective recent work. The shift, in his account, comes from a different creative space rather than an attempt to leave R&B behind. Melody and emotional honesty remain the elements he wants listeners to recognize.
That continuity matters to an artist whose writing often returns to accountability and growth. Sandoval points to “ITS MY FAULT” when discussing songs that allow listeners to hear their own experiences in the words. Regret, self-reflection and the desire to handle things differently can create a connection even when the circumstances behind a song are personal.
Making room for musical detail
Sandoval’s appreciation for 1990s R&B helps explain why he places so much value on emotional development within a record. He admires the patience, storytelling and vocal conviction of music that gives a feeling room to unfold.
He also sees possibilities in the contemporary scene. His interest in new rhythmic textures sits alongside a desire for soul, vulnerability and musicality. The combination allows him to explore different settings for the same central concern: making music that people can feel.
His Pacific Northwest upbringing is part of that perspective. Sandoval describes Tacoma and nearby Seattle as influences on both his work ethic and his sound, connecting the region’s atmosphere and diversity to the grit and emotion in his music.
A connection that travels
Working independently, Sandoval values the ability to reach people beyond his immediate surroundings. In his written responses, he describes the encouragement he gets from listeners overseas connecting with his songs without a major-label system behind him.
He attributes that connection to shared emotions. Love, regret, hope and growth can be recognizable to people with very different backgrounds. For him, those common experiences help explain how a record made from a personal place can travel.
After more than two decades in music, Sandoval’s priorities increasingly center on sustainability and meaningful relationships with listeners. “All To Myself” fits within that broader direction: an exploration of rhythm and mood that, in his telling, remains connected to the artist and experiences behind the voice.
Based on written artist responses supplied to Variety Press.
Photography: Antoine “Hayday” Hayden.
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