Preston Pablo finds his way back to his Timmins "roots" with new album

"Tidal Wave," social media video shot at Gillies Lake Conservation Area downtown

Article content Multi-platinum pop artist Preston Pablo recently shared a video on social media of him singing a new song at the Gillies Lake Conservation Area in downtown Timmins. “Tidal Wave,” expresses regret at the loss of a past relationship. The Juno Award winning Timmins native is seen singing on the dock while the camera executes a complete circle around him.

“With this new music I’ve really been trying to find my way back to my roots,” he wrote in an email on Monday. “I’ve been trying to lean back into a way of operating that is similar to how I used to create. The headspace, the more organic/DIY style of content, the way everything looks and feels.

I’ve really just been trying to be more me with all of it. “With that comes a lot more Timmins influence, which I’m honestly really proud of and feel really good about.” The full-length video, of the pop star standing in front of a waterfall, was shot just outside Toronto.

“I knew I definitely wanted to ground all the visuals for this song in nature,” Pablo wrote in an email. “Growing up in Timmins and spending most of time outside, I’ve always had a strong connection to the outdoors. For this particular song, it almost just calls for a backdrop that is vast and powerful.

I think it represents the song well.” Born and raised in Timmins, he was discovered by Banx & Ranx and signed to 31 East in partnership with Universal Music Canada. “Lyrically, the word ‘tidal wave’ felt right,” Pablo said.

“It was the anchor point for the whole song, because that’s what loss feels like. It feels massive, scary, and dangerous, and it hurts like hell, just like a tidal wave would. I wanted everything to be built around the feeling that word evokes.

“I wanted to write a song you’d want to scream out loud, from the top of a mountain, or in your car late at night. It’s the kind of song that hits you right in the heart, and one you can carry with you wherever you go.” The song is on his new album “Almost Always,” released July 3.

Produced by 31 East and Universal Music Canada, Preston carves out his own sound and builds a world that feels true to him as an artist. Longer than a single, but shorter than a full length album, the “EP” (extended play) album format allows recording artists to release music more often. “Almost Always” includes five tracks including the hopeful “Dive,” the confidence-boosting “Selfish,” and his comeback single, “Cause I Do.”

“Tidal Wave” and “You Got Me,” are brand new songs. 2026 marks Preston’s first offering of new music since his 2024 debut EP “Anywhere But Here,” home to the viral hit “Dance Alone.” Pablo says the songs on the album explore all the messy and confusing emotions that come with love.

The polished and intentional feel of the album is inspired by early to mid 2000s pop, with a sense of nostalgia in the melodies and production, but still feels fresh and current. Pablo is best known for his quadruple platinum breakout single “Flowers Need Rain,” which earned him the 2023 Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year and was the number one most “Shazamed” song of Summer 2022 in Canada, the app that identifies the name and artist of a track that is playing. His follow-up smash “Dance Alone” cracked the Top 10 at Canadian radio across all formats and has since inspired over 450,000 user-generated TikTok videos, further cementing his reputation as one of Canada’s most compelling pop voices.

He earned two Juno nominations in 2025 for Pop Album of the Year and the fan-voted TikTok Juno Award. He is one of Canada’s most streamed pop artists of his generation, amassing over 799 million global streams to date. He also featured on Karan Aujla’s global hit “Admirin’ You,” a track that has surpassed 500 million streams worldwide.

Pablo played a sold out concert in Timmins May 12, 2025, where he delighted hometown fans. It was so successful it inspired local promoters Timmins Festivals and Events Committee to create “Insane by the Headframe,” an entire weekend festival of arena concerts at the McIntyre Community Building. When asked if he’d consider coming back to Timmins, Pablo’s answer was encouraging: “Can’t say when or where in Timmins

but I will say stay tuned for some news on this very soon!” he wrote. The pop and R&B star will be returning to the north July 29 with a performance at the Live on the Waterfront concert series in Thunder Bay.