By Skip Sheffield
Out singer Joey Diamond and his producer, Jace M, made waves last year with their remake of *NSYNC
favorite “Tearin’ Up My Heart”. Now, with the help of Toy Armada, they are taking on JLO, re-imagining her 1999 classic, “Waiting for Tonight”. Diamond fondly recalls bopping along to Jennifer Lopez’s original as a child and credits the diva with empowering a young generation of people of color like him; encouraging them to have hope for the future. “The song is a huge inspiration as my goal, with both my covers and original tracks, is to see people vibing, dancing, and having the time of their lives on the dance floor,” he says. Jace M and Toy Armada infuse lots of drums and full synths into the new version, but Jace feels it is Joey’s vocals that really drive the beat home. “Joey’s range is stunning and the passion he exudes in the song is intoxicating.” We caught up with Joey
Diamond at his Miami home to learn more.
Skip Sheffield:How did you, Jace M and Toy Armada come together to re-make "Waiting for Tonight"?
JD: After the success of “Tearing up my Heart”, we thought it might be fun to do another nineties classic. We looked for something with an uptempo Latin vibe that still had that nostalgic feel to it.
SS:What did you think the first time you heard Jace M and Toy Armada’s production of the song?
JD: I’m convinced that Jace and Toy are actually warlocks and that every song they create is embedded with a spell that makes listeners crave chocolate pudding.
SS:What is a typical day for you?
JD: Typically, I’m hitting the studio in the morning for about five hours. Then, in the afternoon, I start my second job which is producing subscription-based video content. Depending on the day, that could
mean meeting up with another content creator and filming magic together or it could be my fiancé and
I traveling and documenting our adventures.
SS:Where do you go?
JD: We go everywhere from cities to mountains. I especially love going to the beach and dipping my toes in the water. I especially love Haulover nude beach.
SS: Do you have a guilty pleasure?
JD: I binge eat the Unicorn ice cream from Walmart. It’s so delicious. I could go through a pint a
day.
SS: What book is on your nightstand?
JD: It’s been a hot minute since I’ve had the time to
open a book for enjoymentbut the last one was Dr.
Michael Bennett’s F*uck Feelings.
SS: Who is someone you follow online?
JD: I follow Bad Bunny. I love him and I’m super intrigued by
his fashion.
Jace M and Toy Armada’s “Waiting for Tonight” featuring
Joey Diamond is available on all digital platforms via Queen
House Music.
Follow Joey Diamond on
Instagram @ jdiamondisme
Follow Jace M on
Instagram @ JaceDJ
Follow Toy Armada on
Instagram @ djtoyarmada
