For Jay-Z’s birthday, we’re highlighting one of the best acts to have found themselves under his wing. (And like Jay-Z himself, they mix business with both family and artistry.)
The Boyd Family make up Infinity Song, a band of shining stars who mesh their heavenly voices together to create their own type of Motown and modern soul. Those lush harmonies are what created one of the most refreshing EPs of 2023: Metamorphosis. The brother-sister quartet started making music when they were young. As Abraham, the oldest of the bunch, told us, “Music is our family tradition. Our father was a choir director and there was no escaping it. It was a natural progression of our lives since we grew up. It’s a way of life.”
Alongside Abraham are the talents of Angel, Israel, and Momo. They each make up the heart and soul of this band, and their story begins in Detroit, Michigan right before the 2008 financial crisis. This was a city that felt the effects of the recession and saw the struggle earlier than most. “The recession started in 2006 for us. The automotive industry collapsed, so there was no space for artists when everyone is just trying to survive and figure out where their next meal is coming from,” said Abraham.
This was a musical household, though, so the family sang in music festivals and parks around Detroit until the public started taking notice. The Boyds soon chose to uproot themselves and move to New York City where they continued harmonizing in the subways, on the streets, and in Central Park. “It’s still difficult to be discovered by the music industry,” the oldest sibling added. “We have been signed for seven years and new people are discovering us every day. That journey of discovery is a lifetime battle.”
Angel jumped in to voice more about the band’s growth. “What we’ve learned –and what has been the easiest – is accepting the reality that the most effective way to be an artist is to divert your path being discovered by the industry that you are in by [going] directly to the people. When you are not relying on the gatekeeper to introduce you or place you on a platform and go directly to the people, that’s what works. TikTok is a great example.”
The foursome met so many folks during their course of their 16-year hustle. “Someone took a video of our sister Victory singing in Central Park. They sent it out to director James Samuel and that was our connection to Jay-Z,” Abraham explained. It was the start of something new.
Initially, the soulful family were not invited to the record label’s office, but their father wanted to make an official introduction of Infinity Song… and Jay-Z wanted to see them sing. “It was truly a surreal moment getting off the elevator and seeing Jay-Z smile at us. We sang [Aerosmith’s] ‘Dream On’ and another pop song by Tori Kelly. It was such an emotional time. Our father was choked up with tears in that moment. To be in the skyscraper looking down on Times Square with the king of the Big Apple was a moment to be made in a movie. We spoke with Jay and we shared stories about the grind of our music careers,” says Momo. Two years later, the group was signed to the hip-hop legend’s just as legendary label: Roc Nation.
Infinity Song has grown from there. Jay Z’s words of wisdom has helped them along the way. “I’m appreciative of Jay Z’s instincts to stay true to ourselves like a prophet that we needed to hear in order to stay true to ourselves.” Abraham described. It’s not a transferrable message that is really based on instinct, and all these years later for us to have those words resonate deeply in us and be empowered by those words is quite special.”
Empowerment comes from everywhere – not just experiencing the hustle or connecting with Jay-Z. The group’s name is spiritually based, Israel told The Aquarian. “Infinity is another name for God. Infinity Song basically means living life as instruments of God.”
The last 12 months have been otherworldly, as well. One of Infinity Song’s most popular tracks is off of this year’s Metamorphosis EP. Already a staple for them, “Hater’s Anthem,” is a cathartic breakthrough. “I feel like it’s not only ironic but also very literal. I wrote the song as a a comparison to my peers on the internet,” Momo shared. “It was an ugly space internally and it was festering and making me feel very dissatisfied with my life. Before I wrote the song, I wanted to be honest about what I was feeling. It’s probably the ugliest things that I felt, but I knew that I was not the only one feeling dissatisfied with life. I knew I could do better but didn’t know where to start. This song was a confessional, but I love to write in a satirical way.”
It was a rollercoaster of emotions for the band from day one, but they capture that journey within musicality. “When we first got signed, we did feel a little bit of pressure to somewhat conform to what people wanted to hear from us. It’s been easier to stand firmly on our foundation and our sound, though,” Momo said. “Our song ‘Hater’s Anthem’ is a testament to that because it fuses a lot of different sounds. There’s a banjo and an accordion on it. It’s very different from today’s hip-hop and R&B. That’s a great example on how we can stay true to ourselves and [allow] people to fall in love that.”
Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” is also covered beautifully by the family band and found on the EP. “I don’t want to say Fleetwood Mac got us into soft rock, but covering this song was the mirror that helped show us who we are. Singing that for the first time was a part of our metamorphosis as a band, among being influenced by many other artists,” Israel emphasized.
Infinity Song created something truly special for 2023 and is sure to continue to for years to come thanks to everything from the instruments they use to their amazing vocals. Looking towards the future, the band wants to get back in the studio and make more music, but there could possibly be a tour in the works, as well. The possibilities seemed endless as we brought our conversation with Infinity Song to a close. “Next year we are going to be some kind of tour. We don’t really know exactly what’s going to be next,” Abraham said.
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