Blaine Walker Releases New Anthem In “Party In The 6ix”
At the drop of midnight on New Year’s Eve, an explosion of positivity erupted in Toronto. No, not the city-sanctioned fireworks display on the unfortunately foggy night. It was Blaine Walker’s new single, “Party in the 6ix,” a song destined to go down in Toronto history. It’s not just a civic anthem—it’s consciously written as an anthem, designed to celebrate everything Walker loves about his city. Especially its sports teams. When the Raptors won the 2019 NBA Championships, or when Toronto FC won the 2017 MLS Championship, or the recent Grey Cup win by the Argos, there should have been a song tailor-made for just such moments. Blaine Walker didn’t think there was. So, he wrote one.
“I was born and raised in Toronto,” says the guitarist, who’s been harbouring stadium-sized rock-star dreams since he was a child. “I wanted to write a song that could be used to represent our city in the 2026 World Cup at BMO Field and to get played as a staple at all of our teams’ home games. Our battle cry. Our call to arms. Something that would become synonymous with Toronto. A song that would hype up both the players and the fans. A song that you could dance and party to in the clubs and bars. This is my tribute to one of the greatest cities on Earth.”
The song references one of Toronto’s oldest nicknames when Walker sings, “We play to win / you know this city is driven / We’re called the Big Smoke coz we smoke the competition”—punctuated by whoas, yeahs and woos for maximum crowd participation.
The title uses a phrase, “the 6ix,” coined by Toronto’s biggest global pop superstar, Drake. But it also employs Kardinal Offishall’s “T-Dot-O,” heard in his 2001 single “Bakardi Slang” as well as his 2011 song “The Anthem.” Blaine Walker isn’t a hip-hop artist, however: the former guitarist of Hollywood Sins makes fist-pumping, foot-stomping, singalong arena rock in the vein of Queen, Kiss, or Bon Jovi.
“The only thing I’ve ever wanted to be was a rock star,” he says, “so settling for something else other than what you’ve always dreamed of makes absolutely no sense to me at all. If you can’t stop thinking about it then don’t stop working for it. You can create your life the way you want it to be with the power of your mind. The first step is envisioning what you want, because you can’t hit a target if you don’t know what your target is. You’ve only got one life to live, so why not shoot for the moon?”
That competitive attitude served Blaine Walker well while writing a sports anthem. “Party in the 6ix” is destined to become a worthy successor to Kardinal’s “Anthem” or to the Bat Boys’ 1983 hit “OK Blue Jays”—but with a lot more rock’n’roll fuel to fire up crowds. It’s a party in the 6ix. Time to get your fix.
Listen to “Party in the 6ix” below and learn more about Blaine Walker via our mini-interview.
Care to introduce yourself?
My name’s Blaine Walker, and I’m a guitarist/singer/songwriter from Toronto. I grew up on classic rock but I am also pretty in tune with what’s current and popular these days as well. I love catchy, high-energy, uplifting music, no matter the genre. Is the song memorable? Does it stick in your head? Does it make you feel something? That’s what I go for.
Tell us about the process of writing “Party In The 6ix.”
I was born and raised in Toronto and wanted to write an anthem that celebrates everything that’s great about our city, like our iconic skyline and championship sports teams. A rallying song. Something that could be played as a staple at all of our sports teams’ home games, and a song that could be used to represent our city in the 2026 World Cup at BMO Field. Our battle cry. Our call to arms. Our theme song. I wanted to do something special. Something that would become synonymous with Toronto. A song that would hype up both the players and the fans, and a song that you could dance and party to in the clubs and bars. It’s my tribute to one of the greatest cities on Earth. My homage to the 6ix, meant to unite everyone that lives here.
What’s it like being a musician in Toronto?
It’s great! Toronto has produced some of the biggest phenomenons in music. The top artists in the world are from here. You’ve got people like The Weeknd and Drake, two artists who dominate the charts consistently and produce some of the most globally acclaimed music there is. You’ve also got Justin Bieber who is from just outside of Toronto and who loves his Leafs! Big names. Aside from music we’ve also got national treasures like Jim Carrey, Mike Myers and Keanu Reeves. Toronto produces superstars and I’m proud to live here and I know that everyone that lives here feels the same. We love our city and our sports teams and have one of the best nightlife scenes there is. It’s vibrant and alive, rich in culture and diversity and there’s always something exciting going on. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Toronto’s where it’s at!
Who was the first Canadian artist to blow you away?
Robin Black definitely blew me away the first time I saw him on tv when I was in high school. He was the epitome of a rock star and put on some of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen. He was unbelievably entertaining and charismatic, and the band as a whole was just everything I wanted to see and hear. They were awesome. I had some of the best times of my life at his shows.
You’ve been making music for awhile now, what’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
If you can’t stop thinking about it, then don’t stop working for it. Follow your dream, whatever it may be. There’s a way to do anything. Just remind yourself that whatever it is you want to do that there’s somebody out there already doing it, which means it’s possible. And if it’s possible for them, then it’s possible for you. You’ll have setbacks and you’ll have obstacles along the way, and there might be times you think of giving up, but if it consumes your thoughts regularly then there must be a reason why. It’s what you were put here to do. It’s your purpose. So go for it! Life is too short to be doing something you don’t love. Put your heart and soul into something you are actually passionate about cause you’ve only got one life to live. Make it great. Make it memorable. Go out to the great beyond with no regrets. You’re here to live, so live it up! “But what if it doesn’t work out?” I hear you saying. Well, what if it does?
Connect with Blaine Walker:
Bandcamp
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