Stephan Moccio’s New Single “Halston” Is A Bittersweet Tribute To the Late Fashion Designer (Out Today)

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Brand new piano album Lionheart due out October 15th from the Oscar and Grammy nominated Songwriter and Producer Behind Muli-Platinum Hits for Miley Cyrus and The Weeknd 

Stephan Moccio, the Oscar and Grammy nominated songwriter and pianist, has shared his original composition “Halston” today, one of the most profound and heavy-hearted moments on his upcoming album Lionheart (out October 15th, Decca Records). Inspired by the downfall of the late Roy Halston Frowick, the track unfolds in bittersweet melodies informed by Moccio’s ruminations on the legendary fashion designer, who ultimately sold out his name to JC Penny and lost all creative control of his career. When Moccio learned of Halston’s tragic career however, he felt inspiration come alongside the sadness. Although wealth and success tend to come and go in pairs, Moccio was reminded that sometimes one needs to take a step back, self-reflect, and return to their roots. This is exactly what Moccio - the songwriter and producer behind multi-platinum hits for superstar artists like Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd and Celine Dion - has accomplished with his forthcoming solo piano album Lionheart, an emotional and uplifting journey of peaceful healing and a return to Moccio’s musical roots.

“I’ve been intrigued by Halston since I saw the [Frédéric Tcheng] documentary that came out a couple years ago—he was an amazingly talented designer who sold his name to corporate beasts, and could never reclaim his own identity,” says Moccio. “I thought that there was so much beauty and tragedy in that story, and this piece came from exploring that.”

Listen to “Halston” HERE.

Watch the "Halston" visualizer HERE.

Pre-order / Pre-save Lionheart HERE.

Stephan Moccio, no stranger to writing intimate compositions based on real-life experiences and emotions, found inspiration for Lionheart after going through a series of painfully cathartic life changes. Like most of his material, the album took shape from a spell of charmed improvisations, ultimately taking the form of an understated but captivating meditation on self-reliance. “If you look up the meaning of ‘lionhearted,’ it means having bravery and determination,” says Moccio. “I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I don’t really worry about other people’s opinions, and it felt right to name the album for the sort of courage that we all want to feel.”

Following Tales of Solace, Moccio’s acclaimed 2020 release, Lionheart is the latest chapter in a career that’s included an Oscar nod for co-writing The Weeknd’s seven-times-platinum “Earned It,” multiple slots on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart for over 100 weeks, over 400 million streams on his solo work, a Grammy nomination, and many years of successful collaborations with iconic pop stars including Miley Cyrus (“Wrecking Ball”), Celine Dion (“A New Day Has Come”), Avril Lavigne (“Head Above Water”) and more. Lionheart is the masterful pinnacle of Moccio’s ultra-vivid imagination and musicianship, a collection where each of the fourteen tracks radiates with vibrant color and unexpected texture. The purest manifestation of Moccio’s musical vision and self-expression to date, the album reveals a breathtaking sense of personal rebirth while solidifying the piano’s timeless charm.