Breakout DJ BL3SS is promising "big blessings" for 2025

"Tell me that I'm the one, say that you love me too..."

Last year, there was no dance single more instantly addictive than Kisses, the sharp club record from DJs BL3SS and CamrinWatsin and vocalist bbyclose. It became a viral sensation on debut - quickly becoming all artists' first entry on the UK Official Singles Chart, eventually peaking all the way at Number 5 and named as both one of the Official Songs of the Summer and Official biggest songs of 2024.

But after you score your first career-making hit...what's next?

That's the question BL3SS will be asking himself going into 2025, but speaking to him as he's in São Paulo (nice for some!) as the UK freezes over, it's clear he has a game plan, and seems energised for new music in the year ahead.

"I'm locked in," BL3ss tells us. "I think 2025 will definitely be the best year of my life."

When did you first realise you wanted to start making music?

My sister used to be a singer, so we'd go to a lot of festivals together. That's when I first started to become really passionate about music. Then, when I went to uni [in Manchester], I realised it was very easy to DJ there and get a gig. I'm from a really small place called Yeovil, so there was never really any appetite for a music scene. Manchester really spurred on my desire to start making music, and playing it out to people. It was nice having an audience that would actually...turn up!

I lived in a place called Oak Hall when I first moved, which was kind of like the party halls, and I'd start playing at parties there and I got a few bookings. Then in second and third year, people would live in these big red-brick terrace houses and we'd have parties in the basements. I think[I learned to DJ] by seeing people interact, it's good to get reactions from a crowd when you start to drop music. That was a big turning point for me. 

That's the perfect start - you learn quickly how to play to a room

You never go to a house party to listen to one type of music; it's not like you're attending a techno event or something. House parties were really good places to put in the groundwork, to see that any genre could do well with a crowd. 

Where did the name BL3SS come from? The 3 always trips me up!

I think it's always a daunting process trying to come up with your artist name. But you know when people say 'that's bless?' I quite enjoyed the sound of that, it's quite a casual name. Once, we were driving around and I quite liked the look of it on a number plate, that's where the 3 came from. I thought at one point I'd get a nice number plate.

Have you got the nice number plate yet?

We're working on it! There are probably other things that are more of a priority this year...but it will be done!

We can't talk about the last year without mentioning Kisses - what can you remember about the process of finding that song?

I worked on it with CamrinWatsin and bbyclose, they're a really talented vocalist. Me and Cam had worked together previously, he'd remixed one of my tracks, and we were really vibing. I like bbyclose's vocals. [The hook] is counting down, it's so easy to remember, although a lot of people don't realise that the words are supposed to be numbers; one, two, three four. 

Also, we hadn't really heard anything like it in the 140 BPM region. Once I sent it off to him, there really wasn't much for us to do. It's pretty simple, but we knew it was going to be a smash, to be honest.

When was the first time that you realised you had a hit on your hands?

My friend was traveling in Thailand. He was just at some bar, and he sent me a video like, 'mate, they're playing your song!' We had worked together like two months previously and he was like - how has this happened in this short amount of time? Another mate was in Australia at the same time, and Kisses was being played in a club. That's when I realised it was really taking off.

It must be quite weird to release a track and see it not only do well, explode

It's still kind of indescribable! When you're a DJ, you're mostly just behind computer, nobody knows your face and suddenly your seeing and hearing [the song] everywhere, but no-one registers who made it. I actually quite enjoyed it, though, because it felt like an honest review of the music [from people who didn't know I'd made it]. 

Kisses absolutely flew up the chart - from the Top 40, to the Top 10, to the Top 5 - you must have had many celebrations...

Each step was such a milestone, by the time we were in the Top 5, I was all partied out! I couldn't celebrate anymore!

But [when Kisses peaked at Number 5], me and my team went for dinner and it was very wholesome. It got to a place where no-one had expected it to go, it became bigger than any of us ever expected. It was actually really nice to have everyone around me and thank them for their hard work. 

What's the energy that BL3SS is bringing into 2025?

Blessings! Big, big blessings. 

How long did it take you to come up with that?

I sat down with the marketing team...joking!

But I think 2025 for me, I started the year away from my phone but now's the time to lock in. 2025 is definitely going to be the best year of my life. Lots of new music on the horizon, and hopefully some collabs in the works too...with people that are making very, very popular music and not only popular, but very good music. A lot of people are getting the flowers they deserve right now. 

Who are your Top 3 dream artists to collaborate with?

Quincy Jones...wait dead or alive? Quincy Jones has to be there. Prospa, I think they're amazing. Vocalist-wise...someone like PinkPantheress or Charli xcx. Actually, but Charli down. Bl3ssy and Bratty!

Has Kisses' success impacted how you choose what music to release next? 

It really hasn't. I've really tried to make it not have too much of an impact on my creative process. I decided to put Kisses out because I thought Kisses was good...but you can never know what's going to happen. Nobody predicted it to be that big.

I just think you have to believe in everything you put out, like it all has the potential to do well, that's kind of all you need. I honestly try and not to worry too mucy about it. I'm not catering to people asking for the same song over and over again. 

Finally, can you describe your music as BL3SS in three words?

Fun. Inclusive. Bouncy. 

Kisses and Craving 4 U by BL3SS, CamrinWatsin & bbyclose are out now via Warner Music UK.