The man standing behind the “Bleachers”

Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jensen, and St. Vincent. They are united not only by their enormous popularity in the music industry, but also by something that connects them. Or rather – someone.

Jack Antonoff. Currently one of the most talented music producers but still not as popular as he deserves. Although maybe this popularity shouldn’t affect him like that. After a proper search, his name appears in many credits of famous works. Even that did not make Antonoff a recognizable name nowadays, such as the names of people with whom he works (I mean, who doesn’t know Taylor Swift or Lana Del Rey?). It’s obvious that music producers will never become as popular as people releasing music under their own name. Although in this case, it is a bit different - Jack also has his own band.

Side projects bring success

To understand this phenomenon of “lack of popularity,” there is a need to know a bit of a Jack musical history. Music was always part of his life. At age 14, he went for his first tour, and in that time, he fell in love with touring. The break and popularity came with the band’s fun., which people can associate with the big hit and the 2013 Grammy Song Of The Year, “We Are Young”. Back then, he proved his multitasking – playing in that band was only his side project. While being on tour with them, he started composing for a secret idea called Bleachers. However, his own musical project did not bring him the popularity he could have

expected. In the meantime, he got involved in activities in which he began collaborating with other musicians. This did not, however, make Antonoff abandon Bleachers - quite the contrary. His idea, which was born a few years ago, continues, and he even released a new album in July. Antonoff’s talent has been noticed by the most popular singers on the music market. The first person who let him produce a song was Taylor Swift. Before that, everyone he encountered said: “you are not a producer”, but an American Popstar thought: “I like how it sounds”. This is how he contributed to the enormous success of the “1989” album, the hits of which “Shake it Off”, “Style”, and “Blank Space” are still broadcasted on major radio stations. Although he produced only three songs on this album: “Out of The Woods”, “I Wish I Would”, and “You are in Love”, it certainly contributed to the growing number of offers from music stars and the continuation of the collaboration with Swift, repeatedly awarded at the most important music awards.

Music stars open the studios

So there were opportunities to work with the most outstanding singers: Lana Del Rey and Lorde. Jack Antonoff once again proved how creative a producer he is. The production of “Melodrama”, Lorde’s second album, is still widely commented on in the music community. In turn, Lana’s album “The Norman Fucking Rockwell” is rated as the most underrated during the Grammy Awards and, at the same time, one of the best albums released by the artist. Meanwhile, Antonoff worked on many other projects. One of the first songs that achieved great success was “Brave” by Sara Bareilles. In subsequent projects, he collaborated with P!nk, Rachel Platten, Sia, Troye Sivan, Fifth Harmony, Banks, and St. Vincent, among others. The musical world knows these performers very well. Collaboration with Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, and Lorde, where Antonoff had his greatest share, increased recognition. The appearance of Jack Antonoff on stage next to the biggest stars during the performance or receiving the most important awards, at least for a moment, drew attention to his character.

His style stands out from the crowd. He is not afraid to play with the musical past - there are clear inspirations from the 80s, including the synth that can be heard, for example, on the first Bleachers album – “Strange Desire”. Lyrics are also essential in the produced songs, which is most clearly visible in Lorde’s work. Sometimes Antonoff focuses on simplicity, where you can hear just a woman with one instrument - a piano or guitar in a song. The latter plays a prominent role and often creates a mood in other songs. Most likely, this ability to listen to artists while working with them made Antonoff gain their trust, and at the same time, he could show a distinct style. It has already brought him a lot of success (or at least to the people he worked with). The question is if he will be appreciated by continuing his project Bleachers, or will he always stand in the shadow?

Anna Marek

Adi Goldstein | Unsplash

Sources: NY Times: You May Not Know Jack Antonoff. But You Probably Love His Music The Ringer: The Cure for Dr. Luke? The Line Of Best Fit: Jack Antonoff reveals Taylor Swift was the first person to let him produce a song Vulture: 6 Key Elements of the Jack Antonoff Sound