In less than a decade, Jacob Collier has amassed a lifetime's worth of accomplishments, including a series of trailblazing tours, a pack of A-list collaborators and a Grammy for each of his first four albums.
Why you should listen
Exploding onto the global stage with the viral success of his multi-frame, multi-instrumental YouTube covers, Jacob Collier caught the attention of Quincy Jones and, under his mentorship, released his debut album,
In My Room, in 2016. Recorded, produced and played entirely by Collier, the accompanying one-man-band international tour saw him develop an innovative live show where he played and layered 12 instruments to recreate the world of the album onstage.
Collier's voice has been featured on recent songs from musical icons such as Coldplay and Stormzy and American R&B superstars including SZA, Kehlani and Alicia Keys. In his own projects, Collier has worked with an unpredictable cast of artistic powerhouses, from Malian singer Oumou Sangaré to John Mayer, T-Pain, Jessie Reyez and more. His album cycle
Djesse (with its upcoming and final fourth volume) is a progression from the one-man process of
In My Room, featuring musical themes that encompass everything from orchestral composition to folk songwriting, R&B, rap and pop.
What others say
“A singular talent of our time … from beatboxing, to angular overlaid vocal harmonies, a melodica solo, clubby beats and then a piano solo -- all in the space of a couple of minutes. This is serious music that puts a massive grin on your face -- and Collier should rightly have the world at his feet.” — jazzwise