“Around 2019, I was going through many different changes,” says Mitchell. “I would question myself and ask, ‘Am I doing this music for myself? Are these songs for other people? Are they good enough? Should I put out an EP or an album?’ My insecurities would come up. I went back and forth for a long time.”
As the pandemic shut down the state by spring 2020, the rhythm and blues/hip-hop/pop singer had time to make sure his new songs were ready for public consumption.
“I was like, 'Okay, let me re-evaluate these and see how I actually feel about them,'” he recalls. Mitchell scrapped the songs that didn’t feel authentic and reworked others. “I checked my motives behind each song and asked myself, ‘Am I really feeling it?’ And as I continued to self-evaluate, I realized the more I stayed true to my style and sound, the better the songs felt to me.”
The debut full-length album, Pink Lemonade, titled after Mitchell's favorite drink, hit major streaming platforms on June 17. Mitchell will showcase the new tunes when he takes the stage at Levitt Pavilion for the first time on Friday, July 8, where he’ll open for Texas soul/funk group The Suffers.
The gig, he says, is thanks to Live Nation, which asked him in May whether he’d be interested in being on the bill with the Suffers. “They thought that musically, the two of us would be a great fit for one another," Mitchell recalls. "I went and checked out their stuff and thought they were incredible. I love their live instrumentation and the feeling and mood that they bring in their music.”
The all-ages show is part of Levitt’s free summer concert series. “I've never been to Levitt Pavilion, let alone performed there. So I’m really excited that my first time attending the venue will be from the stage. It will make it even more exciting," he says.
Pink Lemonade tells the story of a complicated relationship. “The words ‘pink lemonade’ resonate with me because it represents different aspects, like artificialness — the unnaturalness of pink lemons, since they don’t exist. But I love the drink, and I can justify that it is healthier than soda. It’s not good for me, yet I can’t live without it,” says Mitchell. “So metaphorically, there were similarities I could draw between how I felt about pink lemonade and what was going on in my real life situation, the going back and forth with a loved one.”
The drink's bittersweet flavor also spoke to where his relationship was at the time. “There were traits of toxic manipulation between my ex-girlfriend and I," he reflects. "We were almost addicted to it. It was like, ‘I know I shouldn’t be here, but I also love it too much to leave.”
Recorded in Denver and co-produced by Mitchell and his friends Levi Double U, Shinu, Davey Remix and DMD the Producer, the eleven tracks on Pink Lemonade are built with fluid melodies layered on top of R&B and pop synths, catchy beats and Mitchell’s smooth, soulful croon. Lyrically, the album has brooding moments that showcase the vocalist’s personal high and low moments, but it doesn’t sway from Mitchell's signature poppy vibe.
“I liked playing with that dichotomy of having darker tones and deeper lyrics, but packaging it in an upbeat way that people will still sing along and smile,” he says. “It’s alluring because it makes you feel something buoyant when you hear, for instance, the new single or the song ‘Focus on Me,’ but then when you read the lyrics, it can also make you feel something else. I think that juxtaposition is cool.”
Mitchell’s creativity also lends itself to acting. He has been featured in twelve national ads, including the shoe company Crocs' current international spring ad campaign, “Come As You Are,” which displays his face in store locations worldwide.
Things are off to a good start this year. “I feel grateful and am super excited the album is out," Mitchell says. "People are letting me know they are digging the songs and really caring about my music.”
Adiel Mitchell, 6 p.m. Friday, July 8, Levitt Pavilion, Ruby Hill Park, 1380 West Florida Avenue. To find out more, visit the Levitt Pavilion website online.
