UK-born American pop provocateur Nick Hissom, aka Hizzy, steps into a new chapter with Hot Boy Things, a fearless five-track EP that blends early-2000s pop, European dance music, American club production and candid songwriting.
Created in the immediate and often messy aftermath of a highly publicised breakup, the project marks more than a response to heartbreak. Hot Boy Things introduces Hissom as an openly gay artist embracing a newfound sense of freedom, leaving behind the societal and relationship constraints that previously shaped his life and work. Across the EP, sex, spectacle, vulnerability and self-discovery collide in a deliberately provocative new era.
Hissom describes the tracks corse message of defiance and resiliance as “Because hotness is a state of mind, and you deserve everything.”
Raised in the UK on the sounds and spectacle of Britney Spears, Michael Jackson and Daft Punk, Hissom describes his musical world as “classy, with a little yeehaw.” That philosophy runs throughout Hot Boy Things, with booming synths, club-focused production, breathy vocals and an expansive visual identity that puts choreography, fashion, sexuality and theatrical pop excess firmly at the forefront.
At the centre of the project is the title track, ‘Hot Boy Things’, an explosive synth-pop number inspired by dating, desire and the idea of becoming a “hot boy”. Drawing comparisons to a “boy Britney Spears” and Magic Mike, the track establishes the playful confidence of Hissom’s new persona. Its accompanying visual pushes the concept even further, combining hip-hop-inspired styling with attention-grabbing chair choreography and presenting Hissom as more than a recording artist, but as a fully realised pop performer.
On ‘Sexify’, Hissom turns unwanted objectification into a club-ready anthem. Inspired by the relentless energy of Benny Benassi’s ‘Satisfaction’, the track responds to the media attention surrounding his personal life while exploring what he sees as double standards around gay sexuality and censorship. The song has already found an audience on the charts, reaching number 10 on the Music Week UK Club Chart, following previous peaks at number three on Amazon’s Dance Chart and number six on the iTunes Dance Chart.
The EP’s “classy, with a little yeehaw” philosophy becomes literal on ‘Yeehaw’, where Hissom draws on his family’s Texan roots for a Western-inspired slice of synth-pop. Cowboy imagery meets glossy pop production, while the accompanying visual embraces the concept with desert fashion, cowboys and mechanical bull riding. It also features a tongue-in-cheek recreation of Paris Hilton’s infamous 2005 Carl’s Jr. ‘I Love Paris’ car wash commercial, reimagined through Hissom’s own male gaze.
For all its sexual confidence and visual provocation, Hot Boy Things also makes room for a more vulnerable side of Hissom. ‘Amazing’ strips back much of the bravado to reveal a softer singer-songwriter sensibility. Dreamy and ethereal, the track puts greater emphasis on his vocal tone and songwriting, while challenging the notion that sexuality is the sole focus of his artistic identity. Sweet without losing its confidence, it provides a more intimate counterpoint to the EP’s bigger moments.
Closing track ‘Dangerous (Get Locked)’ brings the project back to the pressures of life in the public eye. Autobiographical and defiant, the song addresses the scrutiny surrounding Hissom as he continues to build his career. Rather than allowing external commentary to dictate his direction, he turns his focus towards the studio, the work and the determination needed to realise his ambitions.
Together, the five tracks trace a journey from heartbreak to independence, transforming scrutiny into creative fuel and placing sexuality firmly under Hissom’s own control. The result is a project that embraces the contradictions of its creator, moving between vulnerability and bravado, humour and confrontation, polished pop and personal confession.
That willingness to provoke has already become a defining feature of Hissom’s artistic identity. Previous visuals have attracted controversy, including a steamy music video that was removed from YouTube following its release. Hissom believed the platform considered the material too explicit. Rather than stepping back from the attention, he has continued to put queer sexuality, high-concept visuals and unabashed pop spectacle at the heart of his work.
The Hot Boy Things era will also move from the screen to the stage this autumn, with Hissom heading to the UK and Germany from October 12 to 25 for a series of live shows. The dates will bring the EP’s high-energy pop, choreography and theatricality to European audiences as he expands the project into a live performance.
With Hot Boy Things, Hissom presents a five-track statement of independence from an artist emerging from heartbreak with a renewed sense of freedom. It is louder, more sexually assured and more theatrical than anything before it, establishing a pop persona seemingly unconcerned with fitting neatly into anyone else’s expectations.
