Nick Hissom Embraces Sex, Spectacle and Freedom on ‘Hot Boy Things’ EP
UK-born American pop artist Nick Hissom, aka Hizzy, enters his most unapologetic era yet with new five-track EP ** Hot Boy Things **, turning the aftermath of a highly publicised breakup into a celebration of sex, spectacle and newfound freedom.
Blending early-2000s pop with European dance music and American club production, the project marks Hissom’s reintroduction as an openly gay artist operating without the relationship and societal constraints he says previously surrounded him.
“Because hotness is a state of mind, and you deserve everything,” says Hissom.
Raised in the UK on Britney Spears, Michael Jackson and Daft Punk, Hissom describes his musical universe as “classy, with a little yeehaw.” Across Hot Boy Things, that translates into booming synths, club-ready production, breathy vocals and an ambitious visual identity driven by choreography, fashion and sexuality.
The title track puts that philosophy front and centre. Drawing on the spectacle of early-2000s pop, ‘Hot Boy Things’ tackles dating, desire and Hissom’s transformation into his own version of a “hot boy”, accompanied by a visual built around hip-hop-inspired styling and attention-grabbing chair choreography.
‘Sexify’, meanwhile, turns objectification and media scrutiny into a provocative club anthem. Inspired by the relentless energy of Benny Benassi’s ‘Satisfaction’, the track addresses what Hissom sees as double standards around gay sexuality and censorship. It has already reached #10 on the Music Week UK Club Chart, following peaks of #3 on Amazon’s Dance Chart and #6 on the iTunes Dance Chart.
Hissom takes his “little yeehaw” philosophy even further on ‘Yeehaw’, drawing on his family’s Texan roots for a collision of glossy synth-pop and Western fantasy. Its accompanying visual features cowboys, mechanical bull riding and a tongue-in-cheek recreation of Paris Hilton’s famous 2005 Carl’s Jr. car wash commercial.
But the EP also reveals what sits behind the provocation. ‘Amazing’ strips away some of the sexual bravado for a dreamy, more vulnerable showcase of Hissom’s songwriting, before closing track ‘Dangerous (Get Locked)’ confronts the scrutiny and pressure of pursuing a career in the public eye.
Together, the five tracks trace a shift from heartbreak towards liberation, with Hissom taking greater control of his sexuality, image and creative direction.
That approach has already attracted controversy. A previous sexually charged music video was removed from YouTube, with Hissom believing its explicit content was responsible. Rather than retreating, he has continued to make unapologetically queer sexuality and theatrical pop spectacle central to his work.
Hissom will now take the Hot Boy Things era on the road, heading to the UK and Germany from October 12–25 for a run of European performances bringing the project’s music, choreography and visual ambition to the stage.
With Hot Boy Things, Hissom emerges from a turbulent period louder, freer and determined to make pop entirely on his own terms.
