The Chainsmokers
The Chainsmokers have consistently elevated popular music by ceaselessly challenging it. The GRAMMY® Award-winning RIAA Diamond-certified duo—Drew Taggart and Alex Pall—have broken boundaries between pop, indie, electronic, alternative, and rock. By doing so, they have set the tempo for culture and proven inescapable, delivering some of the biggest songs in the world, hosting a historic multi-year Las Vegas residency, packing arenas on multiple continents, launching first-of-its-kind games in the metaverse, and selling tens of millions of singles.
However, these musicians never stop pushing themselves. The pair draw on deep musical acumen anchored by inventive songwriting and production as well as Alex’s virtuosic piano playing and Drew’s dynamic vocals and chops on guitar, drums, keys, and bass.
Introduced by their now manager, Drew and Alex forged an unbreakable creative bond that in 2013, enabled the group to independently achieve viral impact, kickstarting a prolific decade to follow. Thus far, they have scored three Diamond singles, namely the Billboard Hot 100 #1 “Closer” [feat. Halsey], “Something Just Like This” [with Coldplay], and “Don’t Let Me Down” [feat. Daya]. The latter garnered a GRAMMY® Award for “Best Dance Recording.” As cultural arbiters and tastemakers, they’ve also fueled crossover success for collaborators as diverse as Lennon Stella (on “Takeaway” with Illenium) and Kelsea Ballerini (on “This Feeling”). Their 2017 full-length debut, Memories…Do Not Open, notably bowed at #1 on the Billboard 200 and paved the way for the gold-certified Sick Boy [2018] and gold-certified World War Joy [2019]. Both albums were followed by 40+ city sold out arena tours. In 2020, the guys notably composed the original score to the acclaimed independent film Words On Bathroom Walls.
Eschewing guest spots, The Chainsmokers reached a new creative and critical high watermark with So Far So Good in 2022. It marked their fourth #1 debut on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart. Pitchfork applauded it as “their most enjoyable front-to-back listen,” and Billboard hailed it as “music that balances sing-along indie-pop and nuanced, often deeply textured electronic productions.” Speaking to their penchant for innovation, they gave away 5,000 NFT’s comprising 1% of the album’s master streaming royalties, and NFT holders even received access to the duo’s own private Discord server.
The Chainsmokers extend their vision to entrepreneurship with their very own Mantis Venture Capital. Founded in 2020, it manages nearly $1 billion in assets with a focus on improving the world and inventing a brighter tomorrow. Other businesses under their purview include a stake in the popular JAJA Tequila and The Chainsmokers’ very own film, television, and podcast production company, Kick The Habit Productions—which boasts a full slate of projects in development. At the same time, Drew and Alex give back at every turn. In the midst of the Global Pandemic, Drew and Alex funded the production and delivery of tens of thousands of PPE N95 masks to hospitals in New York and Las Vegas. The charity Youth Emerging Stronger recognized The Chainsmokers with the “Key of Hope Award” for their commitment to philanthropy and underprivileged children.
In search of new creative lanes, 2023 saw them returning to their musical roots on the way to TCS5. Leaning into different sonic textures, they handpicked buzzing developing collaborators such as 347aidan (“Up & Down”), bludnymph (“Self Destruction Mode”), Shenseea (“My Bad”), and GRACEY (“Think Of Us”). They also released “See You Again” with ILLENIUM and Carlie Hansen, “Jungle” with Alok and Mae Stephens, and “Celular” with Nicky Jam and Maluma. Together with the single “Summertime Friends”, a release project of the same name was packaged and released in October. They’ve widened their creative palette once again, reaffirming nothing is off the table.
Ultimately, The Chainsmokers continue to evolve as musicians and songwriters, bringing popular music with them into the future.