Forest Claudette, an alt-R&B singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Melbourne, Australia, is one of the most promising talents on the music scene. Identifying as nonbinary, their music encompasses raw lyricism and innovative production that has garnered rave reviews and an ever-growing fan base.

Claudette's journey in music was launched when their music was discovered at an annual music contest for high school students after they submitted a song. Eventually, they were selected for an interview and their song was played on the radio. Shortly after that, they earned a record deal. Their first single,  “Creaming Soda,” was released in 2022 from their impressive debut EP, “The Year of February.”

In 2023, Claudette followed up with the acclaimed “Everything Is Green."

For BET.com’s Unboxed series, Claudette spoke about how they were immersed in an environment of music that allowed them to dream and channel their creativity at an early age.

“I'm not sure if it's necessarily about the scene, as much of it is about my family. My brother has been in the band Northeast Party House for 10-plus years. All through high school, I got to watch their band grow and change. I think he had a big impact on me and how I saw that as a potential future for myself,” Claudette said.

In addition to their brother’s band, their parents were classically trained musicians, and playing instruments in their home was a “non-negotiable.”

“My mom is still teaching violin and viola. I learned the violin growing up from when I was maybe five,” they said. “But I wanted to play something that I could write on because I wanted to participate in contemporary music."

Currently, Australia has a burgeoning music scene where various strands of R&B are being discovered. Claudette believes this is because of the different kinds of Black people that live throughout the country.

“The music community in Australia is super interesting, and I'm really excited about this wave of R&B that's coming out,” Claudette explained. “There are a lot of different types of Black people. We have indigenous Black people, Torres Strait Islanders, Indigenous Australians, and Aboriginal people who are also Black. It's a big melting pot at the moment.”

As Claudette began to get serious as a musician, they were deeply influenced by Brittany Howard and Alabama Shakes’ “Sound and Color” album, which they said “changed their life.” Also, they credit Kings of Leon, Tyler the Creator, Moses Sumney, and Frank Ocean with leaving an imprint on their music sensibilities.

A prolific artist, Cladette’s work has already been praised globally. "Everything Was Green" earned them two ARIA Awards, including Best Soul/R&B Release for "Mess Around" featuring EARTHGANG. Claudette explained the feeling of receiving one of Australia's highest honors in music.

“It’s still quite strange if I'm being completely honest. Just that whole award ceremony was a whirlwind, I was in LA and I flew back home for like 20 hours to do everything. I'm very grateful. I know a lot of the artists that were nominated and they were all the homies. Everyone was there supporting each other,” they recalled.

“Shout out to EARTHGANG. They're wonderful people to work with, not that I expected them to have a massive ego. It was great to be able to connect with them and for them to just be excited to work on the track and be happy to execute a vision that I had,” they continued. “Because of them, It’s stored in me how to act, how to be a kind person no matter what your success level is.”

In preparation for their upcoming EP "Jupiter", which is set for release on Friday, May 3rd, they released a marvelous cover of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' classic track "Can't Stop, along with two more singles, the introspective “Kobe Beef” and the piano-laden soulfulness of “Gold.”

Expressing their vulnerable side, “Kobe Beef” details their nonbinary journey. Claudette shared the creative process behind the song.

“It had so much anxiety and fear that potentially I was sharing too much. Well, I'm not sharing too much, but what anyone has to say can be potentially more painful. This is who I am. I made this because it was all-encompassing, it was all I was thinking about,” Claudette said. “This girl came up to me after the show, and she was talking about one of her younger siblings who just came out. It’s been a big shift in their family but they listened to “Kobe Beef,” and it had an impact and that’s all that I could hope for.”

In the tradition of the cosmology of Afro-futurist artists like Parliament Funkadelic, Janelle Monet, and Flying Lotus, Claudette is creating another new world as they explore their creativity and identity.

“I feel like it is the first time that I've tried to execute a concept with a project that is world-building,” Claudette said.

“My role of participating and sharing in this because by releasing this music and having this be my job,  I am commodifying, something that is people's lived experience,” they continued. “I try to be aware of that as best as I can. Throughout the project, there are songs that grapple with that fact.”

Along with creating great art, Claudette feels compelled to use their platforms as a musician to be a voice for the queer community as they lean into their own identity.

“How do I take this responsibility as someone who's queer, but also who is safe in their family dynamic and in their friendships? I'm not going to lose anyone for being who I am and I know that's not everyone's experience,” Claudette said.” “How can I share how I feel and what I've experienced over the last two years, but also how I'm figuring it out in retrospect? All of these things are tied into who I am now, and who I'm realizing that I'm becoming.”