• Via “Surfaces,” Baylor alum seeks to spread positivity through his music

    Forrest Frank (foreground) and Colin Padalecki

    Whether it’s watching dance videos on TikTok or jamming out on the radio, chances are you’ve heard the chart-topping bop that is “Sunday Best” by Surfaces. But what you probably didn’t know is that the lead singer, Forrest Frank, is a Baylor alum!

    Frank (BBA ’17) was a business major and part of the Kappa Sigma fraternity at Baylor. After graduating, he partnered with friend Colin Padalecki to launch Surfaces. (That’s Frank on the left in the photo above.)

    The song began gaining popularity in February as the soundtrack to a popular TikTok dance, and reached as high as No. 19 on Billboard’s “Hot 100.” “Sunday Best” also charted in nine other countries, cracking the top 20 in Australia, Denmark, Ireland and New Zealand.

    The upbeat, electro-pop song focuses on channeling positive sentiment into each day, with lyrics like: “Every day can be a better day, despite the challenge // All you gotta do is leave it better than you found it” and “Everyone falls down sometimes // But you just gotta know it’ll all be fine.”

    Frank considers himself a self-taught musician. He grew up surrounded by music and sang in his church choir. In an interview earlier this year, he and Padalecki explained that the song reflects their spiritual beliefs. “It’s just something we believe in,” says Frank. “These are things I’ve picked up through my faith, which is very real to me, but I don’t want to preach. The lyrics are an expression of my heart.”

    The music video depicts Frank and Padalecki breaking up a boring 9-5 office with a slew of party favors and good vibes, ultimately bringing the office workers to their feet for a massive dance fest.

    Currently, the group has two albums out: Horizons and Where The Light Is. Tracks on each album incorporate elements of jazz, bossa nova, doo-wop and lounge music.

    “Our music is for everyone,” says Frank. “We want our songs to be heard by as many people as possible. It’s not about the money; we’re on a mission to infiltrate the popular realm and put out as much positivity as we can.”

    Sic ’em, Forrest!