US singer dies aged 34 after finishing album as tributes pour in

Cola Boyy, whose real name was Matthew Urango, heartbreakingly passed away peacefully on Sunday 17 March, his record label Record Makers have confirmed. There has been no cause of death revealed for the singer and musician, who called himself a "disabled disco innovator".

In a statement on X, formerly called Twitter, Record Makers wrote: "The one and only Cola Boyy a.k.a Matthew Urango has passed peacefully last Sunday. He was quite a soul, a man with no age, a childlike spirit with the musicality of an old legend. His lyrics, his melodies, the sound of his voice: every side of his music was unique and timeless..."

Cola's manager Jack Sills also paid tribute on Instagram: “Anyone who knew Matthew knows he had a larger than life personality. He was always the life of the party and could chop it up with anyone. He was also one of the most talented and down to earth people I’ve ever met.

"His humor and natural charisma endeared him to whoever he met. Matthew cared enormously for his family, friends and community which he often expressed through his music. He had just finished his next album and was excited to start releasing new music this summer. I will continue to work with his family and @recordmakers to make sure this happens. Love you homie. Cola Boyy Forever!”

The musician, who was born in Oxnard, California, had several spine conditions, including spina bifida, scoliosis, and kyphosis. However, he never let this hold him back and throughout his career Cola worked with major artists including MGMT and the Avalanches.

He began releasing music in 2018, including his debut EP Black Boogie Neon which boasted singles such as Penny Girl and Buggy Tip. This then earned Cola Boyy admirers in the pop–psychedelic band MGMT, who brought him on tour as their opener.

Nicholas Godin, half of the French duo Air, also enlisted Cola Boyy to write lyrics and sing vocals on The Foundation, a song from his 2020 solo album Concrete And Glass. Then the electronic band The Avalanches, which shared Urango's affinity for disco, collaborated with him on their 2020 album We Will Always Love You.

When Cola wasn't performing, he worked as an activist promoting disability rights and weaved many of his social messages into his songs over time. He previously told TMRW Magazine: "Not a lot of people are visibly disabled. Society wants us to stay inside and to be timid and docile, and to not feel confident, or cool, or sexy. They just don’t want us to feel any of that, you know? So, in my life, that often weighed me down, but it didn’t ever stop me, I’ve always been a very outgoing person but still not the most confident, I’m still very critical of myself."