Adam Cola Wants You to ‘Make Your Mark’

A singer, songwriter, dancer, and activist originally from Montreal, Canada, Adam Cola is a champion of individuality.

By living his authentic truth through his craft, Cola hopes to be a beacon of light for people who struggle with self-acceptance and empower them on their journey of shamelessly embracing all parts of their identities. Audiences can hear this message of positivity in Cola’s much-anticipated debut album, Make Your Mark, coming out March 5.

Fun-loving and energetic, Make Your Mark follows Cola’s hit singles like “Be Free” and “Chanel #5,” which garnered him more than 1,000,000 combined streams. He synched with some of the world’s hottest producers like Grammy Award winner Neal H. Pogue, and the album goes against the status quo. For when you are vulnerable is when you are at your most beautiful.

Cola took some time to chat more about the album with OFM.

Hi, Adam! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me about your upcoming debut album Make Your Mark. How exciting is it for you to release this project into the world?
It is so exciting! I have the jitterbugs, but I am very excited about it.Can you tell us more about the album’s concept and inspiration?
Sure. I feel like my music is always very empowering, and I like to go that route when it comes to my music and the messages I want to put out there for the world. I felt like Make Your Mark was a great way to sum up an album that is really designed to empower people, make them feel their best, make them feel like they can be unique, be themselves, and make it in the world because of that very reason. To make your mark, you really need to put your stamp on the world, and it is a metaphor for staying true to yourself and using that to fuel you behind your decisions and what you want to do in life. At the end of the day, success comes from those who aren’t afraid to speak their mind and be true to themselves.

Is that the message you hope listeners take away from the album?
Absolutely. That, and I hope they get to know me better as an artist and get a feel for what kind of music and sound I like to produce.

The title track was released in December. How has it been received?
Very well! The numbers are doing great on Spotify, and they are increasing on other platforms. I know people are feeling the house kind of element to the song because it is not a typical dance pop song. A lot of the feedback I have been getting is that the song is so unique for today’s listeners, and it is just a cool song because it is so unlike what has been typically heard. It is dance-heavy, and the producer on it was kind of mentioning on Facebook how the song sounds like a hit and could be a good song for the future as well, not just for today. I try to make as timeless music as possible so that it not only works for today, but it will carry on for many years to come.

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You even teamed up with Grammy Award winner Neal H. Pogue. What was it like to work with him?
It was so special to be able to work with somebody who has the kind of credits that he does, given that I am such a new artist and don’t have Grammys or hit records, yet. It was a huge honor for me to work with him, and he is very humble, very down to earth, and I really admire that in him. I appreciate those who can make it big and still stay humble. It was a really cool experience, and it felt like I was working with a friend who just happened to have all these really cool accolades.

Have you always had a passion for singing and songwriting?
Yes, I have had a passion for singing, songwriting, music, and dance my whole life. I have naturally been a good dancer since I was like six years old, and I just love music. I love watching Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, and just any artist that loves to incorporate dance into their music and where their beats are fresh and pop.

What is the overall message you hope your music conveys?
That I am a human being, just like everyone else. That it is not always going to be rainbows and sunshine and there are times where we go through things where we cannot feel our best or feel powerful because we sometimes get in our own way. As much as I can talk about empowerment and how much I want to put that out there, I need that more. It is almost like I am doing it because I know that is something I needed when I was growing up, or something that I need more of sometimes.

I want to give people that because I know how much I needed it. If I need it, other people probably do too. It is very important for me to put that out with my music, and then also make it relatable because whatever I have gone through in my life and whatever feelings I have felt, I am sure someone else has gone through the same thing.You are also a social justice warrior who enjoys giving back and volunteering. Why is activism so important to you?
To be more selfless as a person, you have to volunteer, and I think that life is all about what you can do for others and not necessarily what you can do for yourself. I firmly believe that. I think we have all been a little too self-centered lately, and I think by staying and being true to something that you really believe in that is outside of yourself, that you don’t necessarily struggle with but see others struggling with, is a valuable thing to be doing as a human being.

I think it is our job as humans to speak up for those who need it. I was pretty outspoken with the Black Lives Matter movement, and I did a charity organization collaborating with Movember, which I grew out my mustache and I raised awareness for men’s health and suicide prevention. So, things like this are really important to me because they speak to me and I just want to do my part.

What more do you hope to accomplish with your platform?
So much! A big part of why I wanted to do this is because I am OK with becoming more public and willing to take a public stance on things because I genuinely want to make a change in the world. If I can do that in any way possible and be a light for people to follow in that sense and get them to think differently, or just think and discuss more, I am contributing in a positive way. It is easier to not speak up sometimes for others because everyone has their own beliefs and will follow the status quo, but I am all about challenging you. Even though we believe something to be true, it is always OK to challenge it, discuss it, and further our knowledge of what is true and what is not.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention our plug?
I think my album is really the focus right now, and I really hope people buy and support it. I know we are living in a weird era right now where there is not live music, so I would love to do some more virtual concerts, but for now, I am really focused on the album release and supporting that.

To stay up-to-date with Cola, follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or visit his official website. Make Your Mark is now available for pre-order and will be available to purchase and stream on all digital platforms March 5.

Photos Courtesy of Adam Cola