AceShowbiz - Towa Bird is set to release her second album, Gentleman, on May 15, 2026, marking a significant evolution in her artistry and exploration of identity. The Los Angeles-based queer Filipina British singer-songwriter and guitarist challenges traditional notions of masculinity and femininity through her music and style on this project.

The album’s title and aesthetic reflect a reinvention of the concept of a gentleman. On the cover, Towa Bird dons an oversized tailored men’s suit, embodying both strength and gentleness. She explains to Rolling Stone that “gentleman” is a fusion of two words—gentle and man—representing the feminine and masculine aspects of identity. This duality is central to the album’s theme and her personal expression, including her gender presentation and fashion choices, such as a crisp white men’s button-down shirt paired with ruby red nail polish during a recent interview.

For Towa Bird, the album is also a statement against patriarchal gender roles and outdated chivalrous ideals that often carry misogynistic undertones. She envisions Gentleman as a modern, queer reinterpretation of these concepts, aiming to make them relevant and appropriate for contemporary society in 2026.

This sophomore record follows her 2024 debut, American Hero, and continues to showcase the confidence and skill that define her music. Unlike many second albums, there is no hint of a slump here. Instead, Towa Bird channels a more self-assured energy throughout the project, particularly evident in the lead single, “Dirty Habit.”

“Dirty Habit” is a biting critique of the wealth-obsessed, status-driven culture prevalent in Los Angeles. The song’s sharp lyrics and swaggering guitar riffs encapsulate Towa Bird’s fearless songwriting and relentless honesty, qualities that permeate the album. She shares that this track, and the album overall, represent a moment of laying everything bare—expressing feelings and observations she has long wanted to voice.

In discussing “Dirty Habit,” Towa Bird recalls a personal frustration triggered by a friend’s behavior and reflects on the environment many young people in L.A. grow up in—one where money, access, and luxury are normalized from an early age. She contrasts this with her own experience of spending the first sixteen years of her life in Asia, which shaped a different perspective on value and worth, often finding the superficial emphasis in L.A. culture confusing and alienating.

The song’s themes resonate strongly with the tone of HBO’s I Love LA, a show centered around the city’s youthful excess, which Towa Bird acknowledges with enthusiasm and humor, even hinting at sharing the track with actress Rachel Sennott.

A key collaborator on “Dirty Habit” is pop singer-songwriter Reneé Rapp, who co-wrote the song and has worked with Towa Bird on several occasions. Their creative partnership was instrumental in shaping the track’s lyrics and vocal delivery. Towa Bird credits Rapp with pushing her vocally and encouraging her to step outside her comfort zone. She admires Rapp’s lyrical skills and vocal power, which helped unlock new dimensions in her own voice and songwriting.

The songwriting process included inspiration from Frank Ocean’s “Super Rich Kids,” which Towa Bird wanted to reference while making the track distinctly her own. Producer Patrick Wimberly and co-producer Julio Tavarez also contributed to the song’s production, creating a sound that complements its sharp lyrics and confident attitude.

The music video for “Dirty Habit” draws inspiration from Martin Scorsese’s cult classic After Hours.

Overall, Gentleman is a bold statement from Towa Bird that not only showcases her growth as a guitarist and vocalist but also her commitment to challenging social constructs around gender and identity. The album promises to be a meaningful and dynamic addition to her discography, capturing the complexities of modern life, queer experience, and cultural critique with sharp wit and emotional honesty.

Fans and new listeners alike can expect a record that is as musically engaging as it is conceptually daring, with Towa Bird firmly stepping into her own and inviting the world to reconsider what it truly means to be a gentleman in 2026.