October is LGBTQIA+ History Month, and after National Coming Out Day on October 11, there's no better time to mark a voice that changed the early internet.
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For more than a decade, Tré Melvin has been the blueprint of digital creativity: a YouTube legendActor, writer, and now Hulu partner is evolving into a new musical era rooted in healing, spirituality and power.
When we caught up, it was multi-hyphenate back in Los Angeles after a short stint in Atlantafinishing his upcoming album and filming new pilots.
“The seeds I planted in LA are ready to grow here,” Melvin said, smiling at the idea of soon living bi-coastally, “half in Atlanta, half in Los Angeles.”
From viral visionary to spiritual storyteller
Long before TikTok trends and Instagram skits, Tré Melvin helped define the early roots of the digital comedy era.
His row This is a comment and her unforgettable character Watermelondrea became a cultural timestamp, proof that parody and purpose could coexist.
“I learned early on that people prefer to hear the truth through a joke,” Melvin said. “That's why I went into comedy — to deliver many, many truths.”
Those sketches were created, directed and edited entirely by him, setting the basis for his voice as an artist not afraid to reflect the times. But the laughter came with a deeper cry.
After the crash: choosing faith, not fear
In 2020, Melvin's life changed. A near-fatal car accident, the loss of his best friend, and years of silence forced him inward.
“My music is completely guided by my connection to spirit,” Melvin said. “It's my most vulnerable side.”
Today, he does not see that period as a disappearance but as a divine diversion.
“The masses know me for comedy, but there's so much depth and darkness that balances the light,” Melvin said. “Through music I can finally give the dramatic pieces of me. I'm so Scorpio; so attracted, so connected and I'm just grateful to be healed by it.”
A new frequency: the music and the mission
Melvin's upcoming second album, Amphetamine (January 2026), is the centerpiece of his rebirth.
“I've been making music since I was a baby,” Melvin said. “I studied theater and music at Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton and briefly at Juilliard. It all brings me back to my most authentic self.”
The project, recorded and re-recorded after a damaged hard drive forced him back into creation, fuses classical training, gospel roots and layered harmonies.
“There's going to be a thousand numbers on one song,” Melvin said with a laugh. “Stack one syllable until it feels alive.”
Inspired by icons like Beyoncé, Jhene Aiko, Labrinth, Billie Eilish, and Chloe x Halle, his sound is cinematic.
“It's all film. Every song, every visual, it's all film.”
Clairvoyance, creativity, and clear truth
Melvin describes his process as being guided by something higher.
“I'm disgustingly clairvoyant,” Melvin said. “Spirit gives me messages mostly in my sleep. Much of what I translate into my images, I have already seen elsewhere.”
Each record is written as a soundtrack rather than a single.
“I'm not big on one song. When I sit down and write, I write an album that tells a story from start to finish.”
That cinematic energy will culminate in the release of Amphetamine—what he calls both a “visual” and “audio-visual” album.
“To give people something they can hear and see, that's the goal.”
Community, power, and black liberation through art
When I told him this felt like his time, he smiled before gently correcting me.
“It's absolutely my time, baby, but it's our time. It's the Collective's time.”
He believes that this cultural moment requires unity.
“We're up against a corrupt regime. If you think you've seen something, you've seen nothing compared to what's to come,” Melvin said with warning. “If we need anything now, it's community, a sense of self and power.”
His upcoming work, on film, music and TV, centers that mission.
“The most important part of Amphetamine and all that comes is to remind us of our power, specifically Black people. We were stripped of our innate magic, our connection to source. It's time to remember.”
Legacy, lessons, and the possession of his table
Fourteen years after launching his channel, Melvin still honors his early sketches, but protects them behind his own paywall.
“I put too much into that job to give it away,” Melvin said matter-of-factly. “YouTube doesn't do it, so I'll monetize it myself.”
That independence prompts his next step: a multimedia empire called Tré House, built with friends over film, music and finance.
“I just launched a business,” Melvin said with a grin. “I'm coming for Parkwood's neck. I'm scared. Come for Tyler's neck. I'm scared. I'm not here to beg for a seat at someone else's table. I'm here to build my own and show other black artists that we can do the same.”
Shadow Work & Self-Reflection
Melvin concludes the conversation, reflecting on growth and accountability.
“When you point the finger, there are always three fingers pointing back,” Melvin said. “I learned that we are all mirrors. I drew myself.”
What he wants people to feel when they see him evolve?
“Power. I want people to feel their own power through me. But you can't feel powerful without doing the work. You have to go through the dirt. That's what this is – shadow work.”
What is next: More music for your ears and art for the soul
Beyond the album, fans can expect new film and television projects, more sketches and exclusive content through his platforms. Tré Melvin's evolution from viral comedian to visionary musician is more than a rebrand—it's a resurrection.
With Amphetamine arriving in January 2026 and his birthday single “I Didn't Mean It” dropping on October 28, he steps fully into his purpose: to heal, connect and remind the world of his power.
“I've been sitting on my voice too long,” Melvin said. “That's over.”
Fans can keep tapping in at @tremelvin across all platforms and tremelvin.org for updates on music, visuals and Tréhouse productions. As our conversation closed, his gratitude filled the room.
“I fear my own power. I am no more.”
The rebirth of Tré Melvin reminds us that intention is everything, and that sometimes the loudest comeback begins in silence.
