Indie-pop artist Ricky Montgomery has shared his playful, deeply personal new EP, It’s 2016 Somewhere today on Warner Records. The release closes a major chapter of his life since becoming a viral sensation with hit singles “Mr. Loverman” and “Line Without a Hook.” He has also released a hijinks-filled video for “Settle Down,” which can be seen now below.
In 2016, at age 22, Ricky released Montgomery Ricky, featuring “Mr. Loverman” and “Line Without a Hook.” But it wasn’t until four years later that the songs began to hit. They have now been certified RIAA Gold and taken Ricky to close to 1 billion global streams, thanks in part to his rapidly growing 1.4 million followers on TikTok. He’s also now selling out massive tours across the U.S., with another nearly sold-out tour kicking off April 26th – see a full list of dates below.
“It’s 2016 Somewhere is a reflection on my career since having my viral TikTok moment, getting signed to a major label, and my life since then,” the singer/songwriter explains. “I haven’t felt like my real self since 2020, so with this final revisit to the past, I’m able to look ahead to what’s to come for me as an artist, and, more importantly, as a person.”
While his songs reflect on painful memories, Montgomery injects them with a sunny, often sardonic urgency. The breezy “Talk to You” may come off like a sugary love song, but its real inspiration was fueled by the grief of his dad’s death. On strings-soaked ballad “Sorry for Me,” he channels another traumatic moment, the day his (now) ex-stepfather was arrested.
Meanwhile, power-pop bop “Settle Down” has him questioning a different type of relationship: “I can’t see why you won’t move to L.A. / You only call me when you’re angry / I don’t think this is gonna take,” he croons. The song’s accompanying video takes that first line to heart as he reveals his first true love—his native Los Angeles—where he sings from the rooftops and picks up strangers in a beat-up car decked-out in dolls.
The EP closes on a more subdued note, with two of his oldest tracks—“Mr. Loverman” and “I Don’t Love You Anymore”—both slowed and stripped down, rendering them even more devastating than their originals. They serve as fitting elegies to Montgomery’s past. Now, his future looks brighter and busier than ever as he gears up for a nearly sold-out U.S. headlining tour, starting April 26. Check out the full confirmed itinerary below.