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Jon Bellion  

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Jon Bellion (born Jonathon Giler Bellion, December 26, 1990) is an American pop and hip-hop singer-songwriter and rapper, who appeared in 2011 with the mixtape “Scattered Thoughts Vol. 1”, hailing from Lake Grove, New York, U.S.

Initially pursuing his love for basketball during high school, Jon Bellion later turned his focus towards music inspired by the likes of Eminem, Pharrell Williams, and Kanye West. Bellion soon began writing songs using his brother’s keyboard and subsequently enrolled at Long Island’s Five Towns College’s music program. During his time there Bellion regularly performed at local clubs and bars and became immersed in the local music scene. In early 2011 the singer and rapper issued his debut mixtape, “Scattered Thoughts Vol. 1”, and soon found over 10,000 people had downloaded the record.

The following year, the pop/indie-rock infused singer signed with Visionary Music Group and raised his profile by uploading a cover of Drake’s “The Motto” to his YouTube page. In 2013, following the release of a sophomore mixtape “Translations Through Speakers”, Bellion wrote the chorus to Eminem’s single “The Monster”, sung by Rihanna, and subsequetly penned Jason Derulo’s 2013 single “Trumpets”. A third free mixtape, “The Definition”, arrived in September 2014 showcasing Bellion’s soaring vocals and eclectic instrumentation, after which he embarked on his first headlining national tour entitled “The Beautiful Mind Tour”.

Building on this momentum, the singer released the singles “Woodstock (Psychedelic Fiction)”, “All Time Low”, and “Woke the Fuck Up” in early 2015. In support of the new releases and mixtape “The Definition”, Bellion embarked on his second heading tour in May 2015.

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New York singer/songwriter, producer and rapper Jon Bellion is successfully bridging the gap between pop and hip hop with his own brand of music and has made waves on the circuit with a number of well received mix tapes. He released his latest tape 'The Definition' through the Visionary Music Group and his name soon began to appear more regularly on 'ones to watch for 2015' lists around the blogosphere.

Citing Kanye West as one of his largest influences, it would appear Jon has been watching some of the rapper's performances as he steps out with his own air of self assuredness. The more pop influences from Coldplay and John Mayer are evident during a melodic rendition of 'Beautiful Now'. There is no doubt Bellion knows his way around a pop hook after penning tracks for the likes of Rihanna and Jason Derulo over his career. Now standing ahead of the release of a debut album, there is great potential here and a large outreach to fans.

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I love Jon Bellion as a singer, songwriter, and performer. Sadly, he played for less than an hour, and it was honestly so disappointing. Last time I went to see him he played for almost 2 hours. The fact that he is more famous now and played for less time just disappoints me... He used to be my absolutely favorite artist. His first opener (The band Laurence) was pretty good. They were entertaining and not terrible at performing/singing. The second opener (honestly shouldn’t have more than one opener) was awful. He sang over pre recorded tracks, and honestly it was like watching someone badly sing in the shower. I was so disappointed because I hardly got to see Jon Bellion perform, and he is who I paid to see. I wouldn’t NOT spend my money to go and see him again...

Jon Bellion's music speaks for itself. The groove, musicality, lyrics and rhythm are already absolutely mind-blowing, but when it comes to live performance it becomes hypnotising. He adds a new twist to his songs and really makes it a once in a lifetime experience. On two occasions he went off "script" and freestyled with his entire band (who are incredibly talented and inspiring!) and creates such a lively and wonderful experience you can't help but to have a religious experience. He puts so much love into his performance, it practically radiates off of him. If you ever get a chance to see him live, go for it! You will not regret it!

Despite an awful performance from Aaron Carter to start the night off, Jon really brightened the mood and made the night a great one. Extremely talented and cool, Jon managed to get my small ass school in PA really jamming out for the entire set. I thought it was really amazing that despite it being a smaller crowd than what he usually performs for, he still gave it his all. He performed his new single Guillotine, stage dived, and just all around made the perforance the best he possibly could've. His band was outstanding as well.

Best concert I've been to in a long time! I discovered Clark Beckham after his surprise opening and I'm a huge fan!! Travis Mendes and Blaque Keyz both killed it and got the crowd super hyped. Jon was AMAZING; he had so much energy and passion, his voice was perfect and he even gave an absolutely uplifting/eye-opening/inspiring speech about loving everyone around you. It was definitely worth over three hours spent out in the cold rain. I only regret not having been to either of the two first Human Condition tours.

It was an amazing experience. The venue, Myth, was a good place, except I think they might’ve overfilled it. The pit was absolutely packed (which I expected) but the hallways and balconys were stuffed as well. The show itself was AWESOME. The songs were high energy, and Jon’s acoustic performance of Human blew me away. He frequently spoke to the audience and he is honestly so caring and humble, just a fantastic guy. Every part of the experience was great, and I would absolutely recommend seeing Jon live.

I love Jon Bellion but if I'm going to be honest, he isn't the best live show. His pre-show was hard to hear and not nearly the same type of music as him. I tried to sing along to his songs but couldn't hear a word he was saying. I think the background music was too loud. This made his event less appealing. Some of these issues may be due to the building. It was definitely not the right fit for his concert...

It was the best first concert experience! I got to meet everyone but Jon Bellion but it's alright :) I will next time!! I met DjRhetorik, Travis, George, Aunt Lorraine, and the rest of the band! I had a blast and bought one of The Definition t-shirts! It was amazing im so hyped it's gonna be so dope! So much love and fun radiates from them, all good vibes and they're great people! IG: @jade.eyes

Jon bellion has put up one of the best shows I've seen, he is so hype about being on stage. He was putting on an amazing concert even when his friend was in the hospital, he sent a message to him and to me me that seems very thoughtful on his part. He makes the concert worth going to, I would get more tickets if he came back to Tampa. Over all he is one of the best artist to see live in concert!

It was an absolutely amazing concert - the best I’ve been to so far. The atmosphere at the concert was truly incredible, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard as many sing a long to his songs.

Even if you know all of his songs, you’ll be surprised throughout the whole concert, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.

Get a ticket for a show, if you’re able to - just a helpful tip.

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Jon Bellion is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and producer. He has released two studio albums: The Human Condition in 2016 and Glory Sound Prep in 2018.

He is known for trying out new sounds and instruments and lists Kanye West and Andre 3000 as influences.

Some of Jon’s biggest singles include “All Time Low”, “Overwhelming”, “Conversations With My Wife”, and “JT”. Bellion also provided vocals for the 2015 EDM song “Beautiful Now” by Zedd and opened the concerts from the third leg of Twenty One Pilots’ Emotional Roadshow World Tour.

He is currently signed to Visionary Music Group and Capitol Records.

Jon Bellion Upcoming Events: How to Buy Jon Bellion Tickets

Jon Bellion Glory Sound Prep tour dates and locations are listed below! Use the links under the "Buy Tickets" heading to purchase your Jon Bellion seats from Ticketmaster or StubHub.

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All Jon Bellion ticket links offered on our site, both official through Ticketmaster and resale through SeatGeek are 100% guaranteed and legitimate. Scroll further down this guide for Jon Bellion presale codes and latest Jon Bellion setlist 2024.

We have no VIP or special packages information for this tour yet! Get in touch with us on social media or comment below if you have more information.

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Jon Bellion Setlist For Glory Sound Prep Tour

Jon bellion presale codes: glory sound prep presale tickets.

All of the latest Jon Bellion presale codes for the Glory Sound Prep tour are listed below. Check out the Ticketmaster or StubHub pages for this tour to find out the onsale date and time for tickets.

Live Nation Mobile App Presale Code = Click Here Live Nation Presale Code = Click Here VIP/Platinum Package Presale Information = No presale codes are required to buy VIP packages. Refer to the video in the VIP Packages section for details. Spotfiy Presale Code = GLORYSOUNDPREP

Ticketmaster Presale Code = LOW

Live Nation presale codes do not change and are standard for all concerts. so they will be valid for this tour!

Onsale to General Public Start: Fri , 11/16/18 01:00 PM EST

Spotify Presale Start: Wed , 11/14/18 04:00 PM EST End: Thu, 11/15/18 10:00 PM EST

Official Platinum Start: Wed , 11/14/18 04:00 PM EST End: Sat, 06/22/19 07:00 PM EDT

Live Nation Mobile App Presale Start: Thu , 11/15/18 10:00 AM EST End: Thu, 11/15/18 10:00 PM EST

TicketMaster Presale Start: Thu , 11/15/18 10:00 AM EST End: Thu, 11/15/18 10:00 PM EST

Live Nation Presale Start: Thu , 11/15/18 10:00 AM EST End: Thu, 11/15/18 10:00 PM EST

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Jon Bellion tickets to the Glory Sound Prep tour start at $0.00 and go up in price from there. VIP tickets can cost as much as $0.00 or more.

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The first Jon Bellion tickets to the Glory Sound Prep tour are on sale as of November 16, 2018.

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Jon Bellion ticket prices are caused by a number of factors, including the demand to see Jon Bellion live, number of shows on tour, venue rental prices, and the amount of stage equipment, crew, and staff involved in making the Glory Sound Prep tour happen.

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See What's Happening On Jon Bellion's Glory Sound Prep Tour!

• Published: 18 Jun 2019, 18:04:25
• Written by: Hannah Cotter
• Photography by: Jeff Hahne
• Categories: Tour Guide Tagged: Jon Bellion The Glory Sound Prep Tour

Singer-songwriter and record producer Jon Bellion has just kicked off his Glory Sound Prep Tour in support of his recently released sophomore album of the same name.

The Long Island native, best known for his Top 20 hit, “All Time Low,” kicked off his 35-date trek across North America on June 12 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is scheduled to wrap up August 11 in Baltimore, Maryland.

This tour is scheduled to be his biggest outing to date, including a stint at LA's Greek Theatre and a hometown show at Long Island's Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater.

Glory Sound Prep, the followup to 2016’s The Human Condition, continues Bellion’s tradition of blurring the lines between genres. The album serves as a lyrical journal and collection of notebook fragments; it's a mixture of notes to self and internal dialogues.

Not only is the 28-year-old a skilled singer, he's also a sought-after collaborator. Bellion co-wrote and produced Jason Derulo's 2013 hit, "Trumpets," as well as Eminem and Rihanna's Grammy Award winning "The Monster."

"I love being the most unknown known person," he said .

In support of the tour, Bellion just dropped a new single, "Crop Circles." It's his first new music since the album's release and follows a recent collab with Illenium.

With his signature raspy pop vocals and high energy, Bellion has been making a name for himself with his live performances. What can fans expect from the Glory Sound Prep Tour? Keep reading for all you need to know.

What does his average setlist look like?

Bellion’s been playing a 14-song setlist kicking off with “JT” and rearranging the order of his songs, closing out the show with either “The Internet,” “Adult Swim” or “Good Things Fall Apart.”

Check out his most recent setlist from his June 16 show in Charlotte, North Carolina!

Most played song?

“Adult Swim” has been Bellion’s most played track this year, followed by “All Time Low,” “Blu,” “Cautionary Tales” and “Conversations with my Wife.”

What songs does he play from The Human Condition?

Bellion plays fan-favs “All Time Low,” “Guillotine” and “Overwhelming.”

And Glory Sound Prep?

Bellion dedicates most of his set to Glory Sound Prep, playing “JT,” “Let’s Begin,” “Conversations with my Wife,” “Blu,” “The Internet,” “Cautionary Tales,” “Couples Retreat” and “Good Things Fall Apart.”

Does he play an encore?

So far, he’s only played one encore opening night at the Met Opera House in Philly.

Visit Jon Bellion's website for touring info, cop your tickets on Live Nation and check out his full list of upcoming tour dates below!

Jon Bellion 2019 North American tour dates:

6/19 – Atlanta, GA State Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park 6/21 – Orlando, FL CFE Arena 6/22 – Miami, FL Bayfront Park Amphitheater 6/23 – St. Augustine, FL St. Augustine Amphitheater 6/25 – Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheatre 6/28 – Dallas, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory 6/29 – Houston, TX Revention Music Center 6/30 – Austin, TX HEB Center 7/2 – Albuquerque, NM Villa Hispana Pavilion 7/5 – Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre 7/6 – Las Vegas, NV House of Blues 7/10 – San Diego, CA Cal Coast Credit Union OAT 7/12 – Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre 7/13 – San Francisco, CA The Masonic 7/16 – Seattle, WA WAMU Theater 7/17 – Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Theatre 7/18 – Portland, OR Moda Center (TOTC) 7/20 – Salt Lake City, UT USANA Pavilion 7/21 – Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium 7/24 – Lincoln, NE Pinewood Bowl 7/25 – Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater 7/27 – Chicago, IL Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island 7/28 – Minneapolis, MN The Armory 7/30 – Detroit, MI Meadow Brook Amphitheater 7/31 – Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center 8/2 – Indianapolis, IN Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn 8/3 – Cleveland, OH Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica 8/6 – Boston, MA Blue Hills Bank Pavilion 8/8 – Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena 8/10 – Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater 8/11 – Baltimore, MD MECU Pavilion

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• All Time Low ( 109 )
• Guillotine ( 107 )
• Overwhelming ( 105 )
• He Is the Same ( 73 )
• 80's Films ( 71 )

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JON BELLION ANNOUNCES NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Jon Bellion  will launch an extensive 35-city North American amphitheater tour this summer titled  The Glory Sound Prep Tour , kicking off June 12 at The Met in Philadelphia. The headline run, produced by Live Nation, will include a July 12 concert at Los Angeles Greek Theatre and an August 10 hometown show at   Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on Long Island. The tour will make additional stops in Atlanta, Miami, Nashville, San Francisco and more, before wrapping August 11 at MECU Pavilion in Baltimore. See below for itinerary.

Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, November 16, starting at 1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT at  LiveNation.com  and  www.JonBellion.com

Bellion  will be touring in support of his new album,   Glory Sound Prep , which includes the singles Conversations with my Wife JT  and  Stupid Deep.  Released last week by Capitol Records/Visionary Music Group, the album is available  HERE . It includes collaborations with GRAMMY winning producer Quincy Jones, Roc Marciano, RZA, B. Keyz and  Travis Mendes .  Billboard  said, Throughout the 10-track album, Bellion seamlessly intertwines sounds of pop, R&B, hip-hop and rock through his electrifying songs.

Glory Sound Prep  is the follow-up to the New York-based artists’ RIAA Gold-certified 2016 debut album,  The Human Condition , which has sold more than 1.5 million adjusted albums and amassed upwards of 1.7 billion cumulative streams. All Time Low, the lead single, was a Top 10 hit at Top 40 radio and is now certified 3x Platinum. All three legs of  The Human Condition Tour  sold out.

Bellion  got his start with a series of mixtapes featuring his original songs ߝall recored in his parent’s basement. He built a remarkable following by sharing his music directly with listeners, giving away more than 200,000 free downloads of 2014 The Definition  and playing live for fans on two sold-out national tours.

Also a sought-after collaborator,  Bellion co-wrote and produced Trumpets  for  Jason Derulo  and co-wrote the GRAMMY Award winning, 10x-Platinum hit The Monster for  Eminem  and  Rihanna . He co-wrote and co-produced  Christina Aguilera’s recent single, Fall in Line featuring  Demi Lovato .

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Exclusive: Jon Bellion talks Pixar, Hip-Hop & ‘The Human Condition’

The 25-year-old musician gives us a closer look at his debut album, “The Human Condition.”

Jon Bellion’s got an arsenal of musical talent under his belt. The singer-songwriter, producer, and rapper from Lake Grove, New York, has previously released several mixtapes like The Definition to create his signature sound, something like a cross between Death Cab for Cutie and J-Dilla or Kanye West. He has gained greater mainstream attention with his involvement in award-winning track “The Monster” with Eminem and Rihanna,  but he is ready to bring bigger and better things through his debut album, The Human Condition. A hybrid of hip-hop, indie, and R&B, The Human Condition reveals Jon Bellion’s newer, fresher colors for 2016. Check it out as Bellion talks about his whimsical aspirations, creative process, and self-discovery through this uniquely-crafted album, dropping June 10th.

Who is Jon Bellion?

A writer, singer, producer, coming out with an album on June 10th that I’m insanely excited about.

What kind of place did The Human Condition come from?

I think it was just an urge to expose my vulnerability, to have people relate and listen to the lyrics on the album and a lot of the stuff out there that people might not want to admit or pretend they’re not struggling with. I wanted to show everybody listening to it that we’re all the same, you know, we’re all human. I really tried to make every record on the album relate to everybody. And I think it’s most important for this album just to realize and show the world that I’m just human. I struggle with the same things everybody else does every day. And people might not want to talk about it, but I’m here, and I’m going to admit my flaws and hopefully that helps somebody out there that’s struggling with that too.

You write and produce your own music. Take me through your creative process or any rituals you may have.

My first three albums were borderline one hundred percent me, mixing, mastering, writing, producing, everything. But this album, I actually brought in a bunch of different people and I did a solid, maybe I’d say eighty percent of the production myself and wrote everything on it. But the process was more of getting down a bunch of ideas and having a skeleton of a beat and then whatever kind of feeling a vibe or color that comes from that beat, and I write accordingly. I’m not one to usually write songs before I have a beat, but I usually make some sort of feeling or vibe, write the whole song, and then after the song is written I’ll go backwards to the beat and finish that up.

I think of all my songs as like potential iPhones. I know it sounds weird but I always say that I hang a giant sign in the studio that says, “Is this an audible iPhone?” It’s super accessible, it’s super easy to listen to, very artistic, and anybody can use it, anybody can listen to it. I always use Steve Jobs and the iPhone as kind of like my criteria for making a record.

What was hip-hop’s influence on you as a musician?

I grew up in the age of mega hip-hop producers going pop, like Timbaland and Pharrell, or J-Dilla, which was one of my favorite producers. You know, like Kanye. I grew up in an age where these producers were rock stars. My brother is older than me, so when he listened to hip-hop, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

I started listening to Death Cab a little bit after my hip-hop phase, but I still had all these hip-hop influences when I was discovering rap and making beats. So long story short, it turned into this hybrid of like really swung, heavy kicking snare conversation and then it was with these really indie lyrics over it, so hip-hop had a huge influence on my album.

Yeah, it’s really interesting because when you sing you have almost a folksy tone, but when you rap it’s like listening to a totally different person.

(laughs) The real New Yorker comes out of me when I’m rapping, I don’t know what comes over me.

So you have a lot of sick artwork for your singles and album on your Facebook page. What kind of vibes or themes were you going for with your artwork?

To me, I can describe [my sound] by saying “J-Dilla makes a Pixar movie.” Long story short, this album is basically—it’s one of my dreams forever to score an entire Pixar film. You know, like The Incredibles or something like that because they’re my favorite kind of movies. So this entire album rollout, I’ve looked to the visual development artist named David Ardinaryas Lojaya.  He’s from Indonesia, and he’s worked for the past six or seven months on making scenes from a movie people will never see. So all these cool pictures and artwork that you see are themed from the movie, “The Human Condition,” which is a pretend Pixar movie.

Long story short, my debut album is basically just a business plan to present to Pixar in real life, to prove to them that I could possibly score one of their films. So when Jon Lasseter or, you know, all these different people at Pixar see these images, they’re gonna go, “Hey, that’s not our movie. What is it?” And then maybe they’ll be like, “Wow, this kid is dedicated, he’s projecting this business plan through his debut album, that’s a smart idea.”

“All Time Low” artwork from Jon Bellion’s Facebook.

Of all the tracks on your new album, which one is the most meaningful to you?

I would say “Hand of God.” I actually got to work with the same choir that worked on “Man of the Year” with Michael Jackson, so it was an amazing experience, but also the lyrics are just super human, and super vulnerable and honest and naked, in a sense. I guess this would the record I would want the world to hear, if I had to pick one.

As a final note, if you could do a collaboration with any musician or producer, dead or alive, who would it be?

I would want to do a record with Phil Collins, and have Kanye and Mark Ronson produce it.

The Human Condition is available for pre-order through Jon Bellion’s official website and will be dropping on June 10th. Bellion will also be traveling the United States from June 20th to the end of July for The Human Condition Tour .

“The Human Condition” (Tracklist):

1. He Is The Same 2. 80’s Films 3. All Time Low 4. New York Soul (Part ii) 5. Fashion 6. Maybe IDK 7. Woke The F*ck Up 8. Overwhelming 9. Weight Of The World feat. Blaque Keyz 10. The Good In Me 11. Morning In America 12. iRobot 13. Guillotine feat. Travis Mendes 14. Hand Of God (Outro)

Check out the music video for “Guillotine” featuring Travis Mendes below.

Photos from Jon Bellion’s official website  and Facebook .

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Jonas Brothers Tease Bee Gees-Inspired New Album, Coming in May

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The Jonas Brothers ’ forthcoming sixth album features elements of classic ’70s pop and Americana with a modern edge, the trio tells Variety ahead of the band’s Jan. 30 Hollywood Walk of Fame star dedication ceremony.

At the ceremony on Monday, the brothers revealed that the album is due May 5 and will be accompanied by a tour. “We are excited to announce today that our new album, ‘The Album,’ will be coming out May 5,” Nick Jonas said. “And we can’t wait to see you all on tour later this year.”

Jonas Brothers announce the release day of their new album and tease their upcoming tour at their Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. https://t.co/4oIEP86jXM pic.twitter.com/5L2YEaKsOu — Variety (@Variety) January 30, 2023

As for the lyrics, maturity is reflected in the new songs. Hints Joe Jonas: “The direction of the lyrics, the stories we’re telling. … It has changed a lot.”

Still, wide-reaching appeal is also important for fans who regularly turn up to shows with their parents and offspring. “There are so many different generations,” Nick Jonas adds. “How do we make an album that speaks to all those different walks of life and ages? … We wanted to find a way to tell stories that are universal but also ultra-personal.”

With the ’70s looming large over the project, it’s unsurprising to hear nods to another uber-successful sibling trio: the Bee Gees . “They were a huge influence in our lives, growing up and listening to them with our father,” Kevin Jonas says enthusiastically. “And obviously, as we grew up being three brothers in a band, we definitely understood similarities.” 

Asked for their personal favorites on the album, the brothers diverge in their track choices.

Joe: “‘Wings.’ It might be the shortest song on the album, but I like it because it feels like a trailer to the rest of the body of work. Also ‘Montana Sky.’ There’s a lot more acoustic guitar and real organic instruments that tap into a bunch of different influences, but we’re aware of the fact that we’re not a country act. Jon flipped it on its head — he’s got a modern edge to everything he does, even if it has really classic elements.”

Nick: “ I’m torn between ‘Little Bird,’ which is a song about parenthood that will affect people in different ways, and ‘Waffle House.’ It was a last-minute addition. At first, it was a bit of a head scratcher, but the more I listened to it, the more I loved it. I think it really encapsulates a moment in time for us. Musically it taps into some of my favorites: Doobie Brothers and Bee Gees, and others from that era. It’s a really, really, fun song. We can’t wait to play it live.”

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9 Songs You Didn't Know Jon Bellion Wrote & Produced: Hits By Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez & More

Pop superproducer Jon Bellion is the man behind Tori Kelly's new ep, 'tori,' but he's also been involved with countless hits for more than a decade. Check out nine of Bellion's biggest songs, from Eminem to Jonas Brothers.

If the name Jon Bellion sounds familiar, it's probably because of his 2016 single "All Time Low." With its relentless "low-low-low-low-low" chorus, the electronic-fused pop confection scored Bellion his first major hit — as a solo artist, that is.

Prior to Bellion's breakthrough with his debut solo single, he'd already made a name for himself behind the scenes by writing and producing songs for the likes of Eminem , Jason Derulo, Zedd and CeeLo Green . And in the seven years since "All Time Low" became a top 20 hit, he's celebrated plenty of other smashes with some of pop's A-listers from Christina Aguilera to Justin Bieber .

This year alone, he worked with the Jonas Brothers to executive produce their statement-making record The Album , helped shape Maroon 5 's "Middle Ground" — which is expected to be the lead single off the veteran pop-rockers' forthcoming eighth studio album — and teamed up with Switchfoot for an orchestral 2023 update of the band's 2003 breakout single " Meant to Live ."

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Bellion's most recent work can be heard on Tori Kelly 's new self-titled EP tori , which dropped July 28. Along with producing the project, Bellion joined Kelly for a magnetic, electro-tinged track titled "young gun." Upon the EP's release, Kelly herself noted Bellion's impact , calling their collaboration "the start of something really special."

In honor of Bellion's latest project, take a look at nine songs you may not have known contained Bellion's signature touch — a roadmap to his becoming one of the most in-demand producers of the moment.

Eminem feat. Rihanna — "The Monster"

One of Bellion's earliest smashes came courtesy of Eminem — well, and Bebe Rexha . The pop singer penned the track's dark hook while working on her debut album, but it later made its way to Eminem and eventually shapeshifted into his fourth collaboration with Rihanna . The song became the duo's second No. 1 collaboration following 2010's "Love The Way You Lie" and remains one of most monstrous hits in Bellion's career.

Jason Derulo — "Trumpets"

Jason Derulo worked solely with Bellion on this top 20 hit from his 2013 Tattoos , which was later re-packaged as 2014's Talk Dirty . Built around an irresistible horn line of, yes, literal trumpets, Bellion and Derulo concocted a bouncy, flirtatious symphony to smoothly objectify the R&B singer's lady love, and manages to name drop Coldplay , Katy Perry and Kanye West over the course of just three minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

Christina Aguilera feat. Demi Lovato — "Fall in Line"

Bellion handled production on Christina Aguilera's fierce 2018 team-up with Demi Lovato , "Fall in Line," off the former's 2018 LP Liberation . Behind the boards, Bellion effectively captured all of the feminist rage and empowerment that the two vocal powerhouses lit into their lyrics, pairing their sneering vocals with a vamping strings section, rattling chains and a robotic male overlord futilely demanding, "March, two, three, right, two, three/ Shut your mouth, stick your ass out for me."

"Fall in Line" scored a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2019 GRAMMYs, marking Aguilera's twentieth career nod and Lovato's second. 

Maroon 5 — "Memories"

To kick off their seventh album, JORDI , Maroon 5 enlisted Bellion to co-write lead single "Memories." The gentle ballad found frontman Adam Levine mourning the loss of a friend, pouring one out over a lilting reggae-pop line that cleverly samples Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major." While the heartfelt song is dedicated to the band's longtime manager (and namesake of the LP) Jordan Feldstein, who tragically passed away in 2017 due to a blood clot, the relatable sentiment of "Memories" helped it peak at No. 2 on the Hot 100.

In addition to "Memories," Bellion also worked with the band on two other songs from JORDI , co-writing fourth single "Lost" as well as Anuel AA and Tainy collab "Button." Three years later, he would reunite with the band to co-write and co-produce their latest, equally delicate single "Middle Ground" alongside the likes of Andrew Watt and Rodney Jerkins .

Miley Cyrus — "Midnight Sky"

Miley Cyrus came raring into her glam rock-inspired album Plastic Hearts on the back of "Midnight Sky," an unapologetic statement of independence following her split from longtime love Liam Hemsworth. Dripping in sultry synths, the power ballad took a page from '80s rock icons like Joan Jett , Debbie Harry and Stevie Nicks .

The sound was an entirely new one for Cyrus — which is one of Bellion's tools when working with a new superstar for the first time. In a 2023 Billboard interview , he likened his approach to inventing a new kind of ride for the given A-lister. "They have already built an amazing theme park: millions of people go to it and experience their roller coasters," he said. "They put me in charge of revamping or creating a new section of the theme park, and they let me be the foreman of it all." The new style worked in Cyrus' favor, and earned Bellion yet another top 20 hit on the Hot 100.

Justin Bieber — "Holy"

Bellion's fingerprints are all over Justin Bieber's 2021 album Justice , starting notably with its Chance the Rapper -assisted lead single "Holy," which he both co-wrote and co-produced. The superproducer contributed to six other songs on the pop-driven LP — including the pop radio No. 1 "Ghost," which was inspired by Bellion's late grandmother — as well as three deluxe tracks. And though Bellion didn't have any credited features, his voice can still be heard: he offered background vocals on seven of the songs.

Justice earned Bellion his very first GRAMMY nomination, as the project was nominated for Album Of The Year at the 2022 GRAMMYs (Bieber also received seven other nods). 

Selena Gomez — "My Mind & Me"

Bellion first collaborated with Selena Gomez on Rare album cut "Vulnerable" alongside Amy Allen , Michael Pollack and The Monsters & Strangerz . Two years later, the entire team reunited for the title track to the pop singer's Apple TV+ documentary My Mind & Me .

Bellion and co. helped Gomez tap even further into the most vulnerable side of her psyche to date. "Vulnerable" saw Gomez letting her guard down with a new flame, but "My Mind & Me" allowed her to completely lay bare her mental health journey. "Sometimes I feel like an accident, people look when they're passin' it/ Never check on the passenger, they just want the free show," she sings. "Yeah, I'm constantly tryna fight somethin' that my eyes can't see," over spare guitar and piano.

Jonas Brothers — "Waffle House"

After the success of their 2019 comeback album Happiness Begins with producer Ryan Tedder , the Jonas Brothers recruited Bellion to helm the boards on their 2023 follow-up The Album . The producer helped the hitmaking siblings tap into a new facet of their pop-rock sound, finding inspiration in the '70s music their dad raised them on. (As Joe Jonas told GRAMMY.com upon the album's release, Bellion "was saying exactly what we were hoping for" when they first met to mull over ideas.)

While Bellion had a hand in every song on The Album , second single "Waffle House" is the latest to earn both him and Jonas Brothers a top 15 hit on pop radio. Bellion also serves as the one and only featured artist on The Album , coming out from behind the boards and into the vocal booth for bombastic closer "Walls."

Tori Kelly — "missin u"

Tori Kelly first linked up with Bellion thanks to Justin Bieber, as the pair worked together with the Biebs on tender bonus cut "Name" from the Justice sessions. So, when it came time to launch a new era with her self-titled EP tori, the songstress turned to Bellion to help bring her vision to life.

On lead single "missin u," the two-time GRAMMY winner throws the guitar-driven singer/songwriter vibes of her past work out the window in favor of a sleek R&B sound reminiscent of the early 2000s. The sonic gear shift is a natural fit for her lithe voice as she replays a romance that "was rainin' purple skies in my room." Somehow, Kelly even manages to outdo the vocal acrobatics of "missin u" with a deliriously brilliant "R&B edit" that adds even more layers, soul and vocal flourishes to the single.

"When I first started working with Jon Bellion, we were just beginning to scratch the surface on a new sound that truly felt like my own," Kelly explains in a video celebrating the release of her self-titled EP tori . "I know that I'm gonna look back on this collaboration as the start of something really special." As for Bellion's thoughts on his latest project? "Tori Kelly's the greatest vocalist of all time!"

Ariana Grande's Musical Growth In 15 Tracks, From "The Way" To "Positions"

Photo: Eric Ross

Global Spin: Watch VASSY Search For The “Off Switch” In This Acoustic Performance Of Her New Single

Australian dance pop singer VASSY offers an acoustic take on her EDM-influenced single, “Off Switch.”

In her latest track "Off Switch," Australian dance-pop artist VASSY captures the exhilarating intensity of a budding romance. She loves the rush but, at the same time, wishes she could fight the feeling, even if only for a few seconds.

"There's something electric between you and I/ The way we connected I can't describe/ We're right on the edge of blurring the lines/ Don't know why I'm scared of this rush inside," she sings in the intro. "I wish my heart, it had an off switch/ 'Cause, boy, I don't know how to stop this."

In this episode of Global Spin , watch VASSY deliver an acoustic performance of her track, playing guitar and using a pair of castanets for added rhythm.

VASSY released "Off Switch" on Jan. 5 with an electrifying music video swirling with vibrant neon lights. 

Recently she wrapped a string of appearances supporting Aqua's United States leg of their world tour and earlier this month, performed a headlining show in San Diego. On May 18, she will take the stage at the BASSINTHEGRASS music festival in Darwin, Australia.

Press play on the video above to watch VASSY's lively performance of "Off Switch," and remember to check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Global Spin.

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Photo: Kevin Mazur/TCA 2008/WireImage/Getty Images

Disney's Golden Age Of Pop: Revisit 2000s Jams From Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez & More

As Disney Music Group celebrates its defining era of superstars and franchises, relive the magic of the 2000s with a playlist of hits from Hilary Duff, Jesse McCartney and more.

"...and you're watching Disney Channel!" For anyone who grew up in the 2000s, those five words likely trigger some pretty vivid imagery: a glowing neon wand, an outline of Mickey Mouse's ears, and every Disney star from Hilary Duff to the Jonas Brothers . 

Nearly 20 years later, many of those child stars remain instantly recognizable — and often mononymous — to the millions of fans who grew up with them: Miley Cyrus , Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato . Nick , Kevin and Joe . 

Each of those names has equally memorable music attached to it — tunes that often wrap any given millennial in a blanket of nostalgia for a time that was, for better or for worse, "So Yesterday." And all of those hits, and the careers that go with them, have the same starting point in Hollywood Records, Disney Music Group's pop-oriented record label.

This time in Disney's history — the core of which can be traced from roughly 2003 to 2010 — was impactful on multiple fronts. With its music-oriented programming and multi-platform marketing strategies, the network launched a procession of teen idols whose music would come to define the soundtrack to millennials' lives, simultaneously breaking records with its Disney Channel Original Movies, TV shows and soundtracks.

Now, two decades later, Disney Music Group launched the Disney 2000s campaign, honoring the pivotal, star-making era that gave fans a generation of unforgettable pop music. The campaign will last through August and lead directly into D23 2024: The Ultimate Fan Event with special vinyl releases of landmark LPs and nostalgic social media activations occurring all summer long. April's campaign activation was Disney 2000s Weekend at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, which featured special screenings of 2008's Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert and 2009's Hannah Montana: The Movie and Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience .

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But before Miley and the JoBros, Hollywood Records' formula for creating relatable (and bankable) teen pop stars began with just one name: Hilary Duff. At the time, the bubbly blonde girl next door was essentially the face of the network thanks to her starring role in "Lizzie McGuire," and she'd just made the leap to the big screen in the summer of 2003 with The Lizzie McGuire Movie . In her years with Disney, Duff had dabbled in recording songs for Radio Disney, and even released a Christmas album under Buena Vista Records. However, her first album with Hollywood Records had the potential to catapult her from charming tween ingénue to bonafide teen pop star — and that's exactly what it did.

Released on August 26, 2003, Duff's Metamorphosis sold more than 200,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The following week, the bubblegum studio set performed the rare feat of rising from No. 2 to No. 1, making the then-16-year-old Duff the first solo artist under 18 to earn a No. 1 album since Britney Spears .

The album's immediate success was no fluke: Within a matter of months, Metamorphosis had sold 2.6 million copies. Music videos for its radio-friendly singles "So Yesterday" and "Come Clean" received constant airplay between programming on the Disney Channel. (The latter was eventually licensed as the theme song for MTV's pioneering teen reality series "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County," giving it an additional boost as a cultural touchstone of the early '00s.) A 33-date North American tour soon followed, and Hollywood Records officially had a sensation on their hands. 

Naturally, the label went to work replicating Duff's recipe for success, and even looked outside the pool of Disney Channel stars to develop new talent. Another early signee was Jesse McCartney. With a soulful croon and blonde mop, the former Dream Street member notched the label another big win with his 2004 breakout hit "Beautiful Soul."

" When 'Beautiful Soul' became the label's first No. 1 hit at radio, I think that's when they really knew they had something," McCartney tells GRAMMY.com. "Miley [Cyrus] and the Jonas Brothers were signed shortly after that success and the rest is history.

"The thing that Disney really excelled at was using the synergy of the channel with promoting songs at pop," he continues. "I did appearances on 'Hannah Montana' and 'The Suite Life of Zack & Cody' and my music videos were pushed to Disney Channel. The marketing was incredibly brilliant and I don't think there has been anything as connected with an entire generation like that since then."

By 2006, Disney had nearly perfected its synergistic formula, continually launching wildly popular tentpole franchises like High School Musical and The Cheetah Girls , and then giving stars like Vanessa Hudgens and Corbin Bleu recording contracts of their own. (Curiously, the pair's HSM co-star Ashley Tisdale was never signed to Hollywood Records, instead releasing her first two solo albums with Warner.) 

Aly Michalka showed off her vocal chops as sunny girl next door Keely Teslow on "Phil of the Future," and fans could find her off-screen as one half of sibling duo Aly & AJ. In between their 2005 debut album Into the Rush and its electro-pop-charged follow-up, 2007's Insomniatic , Aly and her equally talented younger sister, AJ, also headlined their own Disney Channel Original Movie, Cow Belles . (Duff also helped trailblaze this strategy with her own early DCOM, the ever-charming Cadet Kelly , in 2002, while she was simultaneously starring in "Lizzie McGuire.")

Even after years of proven success, the next class of stars became Disney's biggest and brightest, with Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers all joining the network — and record label — around the same time. "Hannah Montana" found Cyrus playing a spunky middle schooler by day and world-famous pop star by night, and the network leveraged the sitcom's conceit to give the Tennessee native (and daughter of '90s country heartthrob Billy Ray Cyrus ) the best of both worlds. 

After establishing Hannah as a persona, the series' sophomore soundtrack introduced Miley as a pop star in her own right thanks to a clever double album that was one-half Hannah's music and one-half Miley's. It's literally there in the title: Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus .

From there, Cyrus' stardom took off like a rocket as she scored back-to-back No.1 albums and a parade of Top 10 hits like "See You Again," "7 Things," "The Climb," "Can't Be Tamed," and the ever-so-timeless anthem "Party in the U.S.A."

At the same time, Gomez had top billing on her own Disney Channel series, the magical (but less musical) "Wizards of Waverly Place." That hardly stopped her from launching her own music career, though, first by fronting Selena Gomez & the Scene from 2008 to 2012, then eventually going solo with the release of 2013's Stars Dance after the "Wizards" finale aired.

For her part, Lovato — Gomez's childhood bestie and "Barney & Friends" costar — got her big break playing Mitchie Torres in Camp Rock alongside the Jonas Brothers as fictional boy band Connect 3, led by Joe Jonas as the swaggering and floppy-haired Shane Gray. Much like Duff had five years prior in the wake of The Lizzie McGuire Movie , Lovato released her debut solo album, 2008's Don't Forget, just three months after her DCOM broke records for the Disney Channel. 

Building off their chemistry from the movie musical, nearly the entirety of Don't Forget was co-written with the Jonas Brothers, who released two of their own albums on Hollywood Records — 2007's Jonas Brothers and 2008's A Little Bit Longer — before getting their own short-lived, goofily meta Disney series, "Jonas," which wrapped weeks after the inevitable Camp Rock sequel arrived in September 2010.

As the 2000s gave way to the 2010s, the Disney machine began slowing down as its cavalcade of stars graduated to more grown-up acting roles, music and careers. But from Duff's Metamorphosis through Lovato's 2017 LP, Tell Me You Love Me , Hollywood Records caught lightning in a bottle again and again and again, giving millennials an entire generation of talent that has carried them through adulthood and into the 2020s.

To commemorate the Disney 2000s campaign, GRAMMY.com crafted a playlist to look back on Disney's golden age of pop with favorite tracks from Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus and more. Listen and reminisce below.

Photos (L-R): Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management, Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Clear Channel

Songbook: An Era-By-Era Breakdown Of Taylor Swift's Journey From Country Starlet To Pop Phenomenon

Upon the arrival of Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department,' take a deep dive into her discography and see how each album helped her become the genre-shifting superstar she is today.

Editor’s note: This story was updated on April 19 to reflect the release of The Tortured Poets Department.

The world now knows Taylor Swift as a global pop superstar, but back in 2006, she was just a doe-eyed country prodigy. Since then, she's released 11 studio albums, re-recorded four as "Taylor's Version," and cultivated one of the most feverish fan bases in music. Oh, and she's also won 14 GRAMMY Awards, including four for Album Of The Year — the most ever won by an artist.

Swift has become one of music's most notable shapeshifters by refusing to limit herself to one genre, moving between country, pop, folk and beyond. A once-in-a-lifetime generational storyteller, one could argue that she is music's modern-day maverick, constantly evolving both her music and the culture around her.

Every album era has seen Swift reinvent herself over and over, which has helped pave the way for artists to explore other musical avenues. In turn, Swift hasn't just become one of the biggest artists of all time — she's changed pop music altogether.

To celebrate Taylor Swift's newest era with The Tortured Poets Department , GRAMMY.com looks back on all of her albums (Taylor's Versions not included) and how each era shaped her remarkable career.

Taylor Swift : Finding Her Place In Music

In a genre dominated by men, the odds were already stacked against Swift when she first broke into country music as a teenage female artist. The thing that differentiated her from other writers — and still does to this day — is her songwriting. She didn't want to be just "another girl singer" and knew writing her own songs would be what set her apart. 

Written throughout her adolescence, Taylor Swift was recorded at the end of 2005 and finalized by the time Swift finished her freshman year of high school. Serving as a snapshot of Swift's life and teenhood, she avoided songwriting stereotypes typically found in country music. Instead, she wanted to capture the years of her life while they still represented what she was going through, writing about what she was observing and experiencing, from love and friendship to feeling like an outsider. 

As a songwriter, Taylor Swift set the tone for what would be expected of her future recordings — all songs were written by her, some solely and others with one or two co-writers. One writer in particular, Liz Rose , applauded Swift's songwriting capabilities, stating that she was more of an "editor" for the songs because Swift already had such a distinct vision. 

The album's lead single, "Tim McGraw," an acoustic country ballad inspired by Swift knowing her relationship was going to end, represents an intricate part of Swift's songwriting process; meticulously picking apart her emotions to better understand them. With its follow-up, "Our Song" — which spent six consecutive weeks on the top of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart — she became the youngest person to solely write and sing a No. 1 country single; she also became the first female solo artist in country music to write or co-write every song on an album. 

Although Swift's eponymous debut is underappreciated now — even lacking its own set on Swift's Eras Tour — Taylor Swift 's forthcoming rerecording is arguably the most anticipated by fans, who are eager to hear the songs with the singer's current and more refined vocals. Still, for fans who haven't properly explored Taylor Swift , it's easy to tie together Swift's earlier work to her current discography. 

On the track "A Place In This World," a song she wrote when she was just 13, Swift sings about not fitting in and trying to find her path. While her songwriting has developed and matured, feeling like an outsider and carving her own path is a theme she still writes about now, as seen on Midnights ' "You're On Your Own, Kid." 

Even as a new country artist, critics claimed that she "mastered" the genre while subsequently ushering it to a new era — one that would soon see Swift dabble in country-pop. 

Fearless : Creating A Different Kind Of Fairytale

If Taylor Swift was the soundtrack to navigating the early stages of teenhood, Fearless is Swift's coming-of-age record. More than its predecessor, Fearless blurs the line between country and pop thanks to crossover hits like "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me," yet still keeps the confessional attributes known in country songwriting. 

Most of Fearless is Swift coming to terms with what she believed love to be. On the album's liner notes, Swift says Fearless is about "living in spite" of the things that scare you, like falling in love again despite being hurt before or walking away and letting go. The 2008 version of Taylor wanted to "believe in love stories and prince charmings and happily ever after," whereas in Swift's Fearless (Taylor's Version) liner notes, she looks back on the album as a diary where she was learning "tiny lessons" every time there was a "new crack in the facade of the fairytale ending she'd been shown in the movies." 

Much of Fearless also sees Swift being reflective and nostalgic about adolescence, like in "Never Grow Up" and "Fifteen." Still wistful and romantic, the album explores Swift's hopes for love, as heard in the album's lead single "Love Story," which was one instance where she was "dramatizing" observations instead of actually experiencing them herself. 

Unlike the slow-burn of Taylor Swift , Fearless went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for eight consecutive weeks. It won Swift's first Album Of The Year GRAMMY in 2010, at the time making her the youngest person to win the accolade at age 20. To date, it has sold 7.2 million copies in America alone. It might not be the romantic tale Swift dreamed of growing up, but her sophomore album signalled that bigger things were to come.

Speak Now : Proving Her Songwriting Prowess

Everything that happened after the success of Fearless pushed Swift from country music's best-kept secret to a mainstream star. But this meant that she faced more publicity and criticism, from naysayers who nitpicked her songwriting and vocals to the infamous Kanye West incident at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

For the first time since becoming an artist, she was forced to reckon with the concept of celebrity and how turning into one — whether she wanted it or not — informed her own writing and perception of herself. No longer was she the girl writing songs like "Fifteen" in her bedroom — now she was working through becoming a highly publicized figure. Speak Now is the answer to those growing pains. 

Along with having more eyes on her, Swift also felt pressured to maintain her persona as a perfect young female role model amid a time when her peers like Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato were attempting to rebrand to be more mature and sexier. During her NYU commencement speech in 2022, she reflected on this era of her life as one of intense fear that she could make a mistake and face lasting consequences, so the songs were masked in metaphors rather than directly addressing adult themes in her music. But that also resulted in some of her most poignant lyrics to date.

Read More: For The Record: How Taylor Swift's 'Speak Now' Changed Her Career — And Proved She'll Always Get The Last Word

Writing the entire album herself, Swift used Speak Now to prove her songwriting prowess to those who questioned her capabilities. Much like her previous two albums, Swift included songs that were both inspired by her own life and being a fly on the wall. The album's title track pulled from the saying, "Speak now or forever hold your peace," inspired by a friend's ex-boyfriend getting engaged; meanwhile, "Mean" was everything Swift wanted to say to a critic who was continuously harsh about her vocals.

Retrospective and reflective, Speak Now is an album about the speeches she could've, would've and should've said. From addressing the aforementioned VMA incident in the forgiving "Innocent" to a toxic relationship in "Dear John," Speak Now also hinted that her rose-colored glasses were cracked, but Swift (and her songwriting) was only becoming stronger because of it.

Red : Coming Into Her Own

Highly regarded as Swift's magnum opus, Red sees the singer shed the fairytale dresses and the girl-next-door persona to craft a body of work that has now been deemed as her first "adult" record. On Red, Swift focused on emotions evoked from a hot-and-cold relationship, one that forced her to experience " intense love, intense frustration, jealousy and confusion " — all feelings that she'd describe as "red." 

Unlike most of her previous writing that had been inspired by happy endings and fairytales, Red explores the lingering pain and loss that can embed itself within despite trying your hardest to let go. In her liner notes, she references Pablo Neruda's poem "Tonight I Can Write," stating that "Love is so short, forgetting is so long" is the overarching theme for the album. She plays with time — speeding it up in "Starlight," dabbling in the past in "All Too Well," and reframing it in "State of Grace" — to better understand her experiences. 

After releasing country-pop records, Red toed the line between genres more than ever before. Swift leaned further into the full pop territory by working with esteemed producers Max Martin and Shellback for the dubstep-leaning track "I Knew You Were Trouble," the punchy lead single "We Are Never Getting Back Together," and the bouncy anthem "22." But even when the pop power players weren't involved, her country stylings still leaned more pop across the album, as further evidenced with the racing deep cut "Holy Ground" and the echoing title track. 

The slight change of direction became polarizing for critics and fans alike. Following the more country-influenced Speak Now , some critics and fans found the pop songs on Red were too pop and the lyrics were too repetitive, possibly indicating that she might be selling out. If that wasn't enough, Red became an era where Swift's personal life went from speculation to tabloid fodder, with misogynistic headlines and diluting her work to just "writing about her exes." It's an era that would eventually inspire many tracks on Red 's successor, 1989 , like "Blank Space" and "Shake It Off."

Commercially, Red debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 1.2 million copies in its first week, becoming the fastest-selling country album and making Swift the first female artist to have three consecutive albums spend six or more weeks at the top of the chart. The impact of Red extended beyond its own success, too. Often mentioned as a record that inspired a generation of artists from Troye Sivan to Conan Gray , Swift's confessional, soul-bearing authenticity set a new standard for straightforward pop music. 

1989 : Reinventing Into A Pop Genius

The night Red lost the GRAMMY for Album Of The Year in 2014, Swift decided that her next album would be a full-on pop record. After years of identifying as a country artist and flirting with pop, Swift departed her roots to reinvent herself, no matter what her then-label or critics had to say. And in true Swiftian fashion, turning into a pop artist didn't just prove her genre-shapeshifting capabilities — it further solidified her as an artist who is at her best when she freely creates to her desires and refuses to adhere to anyone.

1989 was lauded by critics for its infectious synth-pop that was reminiscent of the 1980s, yet still had a contemporary sound. Swift opted to lean more into radio-friendly hits, which resulted in songs like "Style," "Wildest Dreams," "Blank Space," and "Shake It Off," all of which became singles. And where some might trade a hit or two at the expense of their artistic integrity, Swift didn't falter — instead, her lyrics were just as heartfelt and intimate as they were on prior albums.

After exploring pop-leaning sonics she first found with Red , Swift worked with Martin and Shellback again on most of 1989 . This reinvention brought new (and very important) collaborators as well. Swift's now-frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff credits her as the first person to take a chance on him as a producer with "I Wish You Would" and "Out Of The Woods"; both tracks exemplified how future Antonoff-produced songs would sound on albums like reputation, Lover and Midnights .

At the time, 1989 became Swift's best-selling album to date. It sold nearly 1.3 million copies within release week in the U.S., debuting atop the Billboard 200 and reigning for 11 non-consecutive weeks. The album also earned Swift several awards — including her second Album Of The Year GRAMMY, which made her the first female artist to ever win the award twice. 

Following the release of 1989 , Swift became a cultural juggernaut, and the album has had an omnipresence in music since. Swift didn't just normalize blending genres, but proved that you can create a sound that is uniquely yours by doing so. In turn, Billie Eilish , Dua Lipa and more pop stars have refused to conform or stick to what they've done prior. 

reputation : Killing The Old Taylor

For years, Swift was on a strict two-year cycle — she'd release an album one year, tour the next, and then release a new album the following year. But following the heightened scrutiny and highly publicized tabloid drama that followed the end of the 1989 era, Swift completely disappeared for a year. She stayed away from public appearances, didn't do any press, and missed the album schedule fans became accustomed to. It wasn't until summer 2017 when she returned from her media (and social media) blackout to unveil the fitting title for her new album: reputation .

Born as a response to the naysayers and name-callers, reputation follows Swift shedding her public image — which includes the pressure to be perfect, the drama, and the criticism — by declaring, "There will be no further explanation. There will just be reputation." Leaning on the same tongue-in-cheek songwriting techniques she used while penning "Blank Space," Swift wrote from the mindset of how the public perceived her.

When Swift released the lead single "Look What You Made Me Do," a song she initially wrote as a poem about not trusting specific people, many assumed the album would center on vengeance and drama. Although Swift said that the album has its vindictive moments — even declaring that the "old Taylor" is dead on the bridge of "Look What You Made Me Do" — it's a vulnerable record for her. Swift described reputation as a bait-and-switch; at their core, the songs are about finding love in the darkest moments. 

Swift still remained in the pop lane with reputation , largely leaning on Antonoff and the Martin/Shellback team. The sound almost mirrored the scrutiny Swift faced in the years prior — booming electropop beats, maximalist production and pulsing synthesizers dominate, particularly on "End Game," "I Did Something Bad," and "Ready For It…?" But the "old Taylor" isn't entirely gone on songs like "Call It What You Want," "So It Goes…" and "New Year's Day," where she lets her guard down to write earnest love odes.

Even after Swift spent some time away from the spotlight, the public didn't immediately gravitate toward her return. And even despite matching the 1.2 million first-week sales of her previous releases, some concluded that the album was her first commercial failure when compared to 1989 . With time, though, it became clear that the response to reputation became muddled with the public's overall perception of her at the time — some even claimed that Swift was ahead of her time with the album's overall sound.

For her 2023 TIME Person of the Year profile , Swift described reputation as a "goth-punk moment of female rage at being gaslit by an entire social structure." For years, she felt the pressure to be "America's Sweetheart" and to never step out of line. Writing reputation became a lifeline following the events that catalyzed it  — a way to shed the so-called snakeskin and make peace with however the public wanted to view her. 

Lover : Stepping Into The Daylight

After finding love amongst chaos with reput ation, Swift was learning to deal with the anxiety and fear of losing her partner — became a major theme of another aptly titled album, Lover . Both sonically and visually, Lover was a complete change from reputation . After touring reputation , Swift found that her fans saw her as "a flesh-and-blood human being," inspiring her to be "brave enough to be vulnerable" because her fans were along with her. Stepping away from the dark and antagonistic themes around reputation encouraged Swift to step into the light and be playful with her work on Lover .

Swift also found a new sense of creativity within this new mindset, one where she aimed to still embed playful themes in her songwriting but with less snark than that of "Blank Space" and "Look What You Made Me Do." Leaning into Lover being a "love letter to love," Swift explored every aspect of it. Tracks like "Paper Rings" and "London Boy" exude a whimsical energy, even if they center on more serious themes like marriage and commitment. Other songs, including "Death By A Thousand Cuts" and "Cornelia Street," are Swift at her most vulnerable, reflecting on a love lost and grappling with the extreme worry that comes when you could potentially lose someone. 

Looking at Lover retrospectively, it's an album that almost symbolizes a bookend in her discography. She was playful yet poignant, picking apart her past lyrics and feelings and looking at them with the perspective of someone who was once on top of the world, hit rock bottom, and survived in spite of it. This evolution is mentioned throughout Lover, particularly in a direct callback to 2012's Red , "Daylight," which sees her describe her love as "golden" rather than "burning red." 

Lover also marked the first time Swift divulged into politics and societal issues, like campaigning against Donald Trump, releasing the Pride-infused "You Need To Calm Down," and feeling disillusioned by the political climate with "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince." Swift's documentary Miss Americana explores this change further, discussing how she regrets not being vocal about politics and issues prior, in addition to opening up about her body image issues and mental health struggles.

Lover became Swift's sixth No. 1 album in America, making her the first female artist to achieve the feat. But Lover was more than any accolades could reflect — it was Swift's transitional album in many ways, notably marking the first album that she owned entirely herself following leaving Big Machine Records for Republic Records in 2018.

folklore : Looking Beyond Her Personal Stories

After the pandemic started and Swift cancelled her Lover Fest, she spent the early stages of quarantine reading and watching a myriad of films. Without exactly setting out to create an album, she began dreaming of fictional stories and characters with various narrative arcs, allowing her imagination to run free. The result became folklore , 2020's surprise archetypal quarantine album.

Crafting a world with characters like the folklore love triangle between those in "betty" and "august," as well as Rebekah Harkness from "the last great american dynasty" (who once lived in Swift's Rhode Island mansion), was Swift's way of venturing outside her typical autobiographical style of writing. She'd see visceral images in her mind — from battleships to tree swings to mirrored disco balls — and turned them into stories, sometimes weaving in her own personal narrative throughout, or taking on a narrator role and speaking from the perspective of someone she had never met. 

She worked remotely with two producers — again working with her right-hand man Jack Antonoff, and first-time collaborator Aaron Dessner from The National . Some songs, like "peace," were recorded in just one take, capturing the essence and fragility in the song's story, whereas the lyrics for the sun-drenched "august" were penned on the spot as Swift was in her makeshift home studio in Los Angeles.

Another aspect that separated folklore from her previous work was the obvious decision not to create hits made for radio play, so much so that Dessner claimed that she made an anti-pop record at a time when radio wanted clear "bops." Sonically, it ventured into genres Swift hadn't explored much outside of a few folkier tracks on Lover . Rather than relying on mostly electronic elements, Swift, Antonoff and Dessner weaved in soft pianos, ethereal strings, and plucky guitars.

folklore 's impact on the zeitgeist at a time where everyone was stuck at home helped shape people's quarantine experience. Fans rejoiced at having songs to comfort them during difficult times, and artists like Maya Hawke , Gracie Abrams , and Sabrina Carpenter credit folklore for inspiring them to create and be even more emotionally honest in their songwriting. After its release, folklore became the best-selling album of 2020 after selling 1.2 million records. At the 2021 GRAMMYs, folklore took home Album Of The Year , making her the fourth artist in history to win three times in the Category. 

evermore : Embracing Experimentation

It was exciting enough for Swifties to experience one surprise album drop from Swift, an artist who typically has an entire album campaign calculated. So when evermore was released just six months after folklore , fans were in shock. 

Like its (literally) folklorian sister, evermore was a surprise release at the end of 2020, marking the first time Swift didn't have distinct "eras" between albums. She felt like there was something "different" with folklore , stating in a social media post that making it was less like she was "departing" and more like she was "returning" to the next stage of her discography. In turn, the album served as a similar escape for Swift as folklore did.

Bridging together the same wistful and nostalgic themes as heard on its predecessor, evermore sees Swift venture even further into escapism. She explores more stories and characters, some based in fiction like "dorothea," and some real, like "marjorie," written in dedication to Swift's grandmother. 

Evermore follows folklore 's inclusion of natural imagery and motifs, like landscapes, skies, ivy, and celestial elements. In contrast to the fairytale motifs and happy endings of Fearless , evermore saw Swift become fixated on "unhappy" endings — stories of failed marriages ("happiness"), lifeless relationships ("tolerate it"), and one-time flings ("'tis the damn season"). 

Sonically, evermore is a slight departure from its sister record; where folklore relies on more alt-leaning and indie-tinged sounds, evermore takes the sonics from all of Swift's past records — from pop to country to indie rock — and features all of them on one album. Country songs like "cowboy like me" and "no body, no crime" reaches back to Swift's earlier work in narrative building, seamlessly crafting a three-party story with ease. "Closure" is a "skittering" track that has the same energy as tracks like Lover 's "I Forgot That You Existed," whereas the ballad "champagne problems" is thematically reminiscent of Swift's Speak Now track "Back To December" where she takes responsibility for her lover's heartache. 

Working mostly with Dessner on evermore , Swift was emboldened to continue creating and opted to embrace whatever came naturally to them rather than limiting themselves to a sound. Swift felt a "quiet conclusion" after finishing up evermore , describing that it was more about grappling with endings of all "sizes and shapes," and the record represented a chapter closing. Even so, its poetic lyricism and mystical storytelling cleverly foreshadowed what was to come with subsequent albums, particularly The Tortured Poets Department .

Midnights : Encapsulating Her Artistic Magic

After coming out of the folklorian woods following folklore and evermore , fans and critics alike were intrigued to see what direction Swift would take on her next studio album. On Midnights , Swift leaves behind indie folk sounds and returns to the pop production of 1989 and Lover .

Her most conceptual album to date, Midnights charts 13 sleepless nights and explores five themes, from self-hatred and revenge to "what if" fantasies, falling in love, and falling apart. They are the things that keep her up at night, like the self-critiquing in "Anti-Hero," her rise to fame in "You're on Your Own, Kid," and the anxiety of falling in love again in "Labyrinth." Similarly to Swift's cheeky songwriting style that sees her create caricatures of herself in songs like "Blank Space" and "Look What You Made Me Do," she doubles down on claims she's "calculated" on "Mastermind," a song about devising a plan for her and her lover. 

Although the album is a departure from the two pandemic sister albums, the overall creation process didn't differ too much. In addition to working alongside Antonoff (and bringing Dessner in for the bonus-track-filled 3am Edition), Swift's worldbuilding is still the throughline that connects Midnights and Swift's recent albums, whether she's dreaming of a Parisian escape in "Paris" or using war imagery as a metaphor for the struggle of love in "The Great War."

Read More: 5 Takeaways From Taylor Swift's New Album 'Midnights'

Following the success with folklore and evermore , Swift's intrigue was at a then-all-time high upon the release of Midnights . Along with breaking several streaming records — including becoming the first album to exceed 700 million global streams in a week — it was Swift's 11th No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200, and was the highest-selling album of 2022 (and, remarkably, the second best-selling of 2023).

To say that Swift's celebrity has become otherworldly since the release of Midnights would be an understatement. Celebrating her genre-defying and varied discography through The Eras Tour has resulted in old songs having a resurgence, new inside jokes and Easter eggs within the fandom, and a plethora of new listeners being exposed to Swift's work. 

As a result, there has arguably never been more excitement for a Taylor Swift album than for The Tortured Poets Department — especially because the announcement came on the heels of her lucky 13th GRAMMY win in February. Midnights helped further solidify Swift's larger-than-life status at the finale of the 2024 GRAMMYs, too, as she became the only artist in history to win Album Of The Year four times. 

The Tortured Poets Department : A Grief-Stricken Poetic Odyssey

It’s been a while since Swift has penned a full-fledged breakup album. On The Tortured Poets Department , she navigates the five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — after her long-term relationship ended. Taking a page from the release of folklore and evermore , she dropped a double album and announced The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology at 2 a.m. on release day. Throughout a total of 31 tracks, the prolific songwriter shelved the glittery pop radio-friendly tunes in favor of more subdued, synthy and heart-wrenching songs. 

On Instagram, Swift described the album as a collection of poetic songs that reflect the "events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time," Swift pulled out the fountain and quill pens to craft songs about the "tortured poets" in her life — sometimes musing about lovers, sometimes taking aim at villains, and sometimes pointing the finger at herself. 

TTPD is also her most confessional album thus far. It pokes fun at so-called fans who overstep with her personal life ("But Daddy I Love Him"), says goodbye to a city that gave her a home ("So Long London"), and muses on how her own celebrity has stunted her growth ("Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me?"). To help explain this chapter of her life, Swift brings together a myriad of collaborators — from Stevie Nicks as fellow poetess, to duets with Florence Welch and Post Malone — and leans on real and fictional characters, like Clara Bow, Peter Pan ("Peter"), and Patti Smith .

In the same post, Swift declared that once she’s confessed all of her saddest stories, she’s able to find freedom. Yet The Tortured Poets Department (and its accompanying 15-track anthology) spends much time reflecting: she toys with her own lore, self-referencing past songs from albums like 1989 and poems from her reputation era. 

Fourteen years ago, Swift declared that she would never change, but she’ll never stay the same either. The Tortured Poets Department proves that in the throughline of Taylor Swift's many artistic eras is a commitment to exploration and a love of autobiographical lyricism.

All Things Taylor Swift

Photo: Adali Schell

How Andrew Watt Became Rock's Big Producer: His Work With Paul McCartney, Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, & More

Andrew Watt cut his teeth with pop phenoms, but lately, the 2021 Producer Of The Year winner has been in demand among rockers — from the Rolling Stones and Blink-182 to Elton John.

While in a studio, Andrew Watt bounces off the walls. Just ask Mick Jagger , who once had to gently tell the 33-year-old, "Look, I can deal with this, but when you meet Ronnie and Keith , you have to dial it down a little bit."

Or ask Pearl Jam 's Stone Gossard . "He really got the best out of [drummer] Matt [Cameron] just by being excited — literally jumping up and down and pumping his fist and running around," he tells GRAMMY.com.

As Watt's hot streak has burned on, reams have rightly been written about his ability to take a legacy act, reconnect them with their essence, and put a battery in their back. His efficacy can be seen at Music's Biggest Night: Ozzy Osbourne 's Patient Number 9 won Best Rock Album at the 2023 GRAMMYs . At the last ceremony, the Rolling Stones were nominated for Best Rock Song, for Hackney Diamonds ' opener "Angry."

On Pearl Jam's return to form, Dark Matter , due out April 19. Who was behind the desk? Take a wild guess.

"You want to see them live more than you want to listen to their albums, and they have the ability to look at each other and play and follow each other. I don't like my rock music any other way, as a listener," Watt tells GRAMMY.com. "All my favorite records are made like that — of people speeding up, slowing down, playing longer than they should."

As such, Watt had a lightbulb moment: to not record any demos, and have them write together in the room. "They're all playing different stuff, and it makes up what Pearl Jam is, and singer Eddie [Vedder] rides it like a wave."

If you're more of a pop listener, there's tons of Watt for you — he's worked with Justin Bieber ("Hit the Ground" from Purpose ), Lana Del Rey ("Doin' Time" from Norman F—ing Rockwell ) and much more. Read on for a breakdown of big name rockers who have worked with Andrew Watt.

Pearl Jam / Eddie Vedder

Watt didn't just produce Dark Matter ; he also helmed Vedder's well-received third solo album, Earthling , from 2022. Watt plays guitar in Vedder's live backing band, known as the Earthlings — which also includes Josh Klinghoffer , who replaced John Frusciante in the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a stint.

The Rolling Stones

Dark Matter was a comeback for Pearl Jam, but Hackney Diamonds was really a comeback for the Stones . While it had a hater or two , the overwhelming consensus was that it was the Stones' best album in decades — maybe even since 1978's Some Girls .

"I hope what makes it fresh and modern comes down to the way it's mixed, with focus on low end and making sure the drums are big," Watt, who wore a different Stones shirt every day in the studio, has said about Hackney Diamonds . "But the record is recorded like a Stones album."

Where there are modern rock flourishes on Hackney Diamonds , "There's no click tracks. There's no gridding. There's no computer editing," he continued. "This s— is performed live and it speeds up and slows down. It's made to the f—ing heartbeat connection of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Steve Jordan.

"And Charlie ," Watt added, tipping a hat to Watts, who played on Hackney Diamonds but died before it came out. "When Charlie's on it."

Ever since he first picked up a mic and removed his shirt, the snapping junkyard dog of the Stooges has stayed relevant — as far as indie, alternative and punk music has been concerned.

But aside from bright spots like 2016's Josh Homme -produced Post Pop Depression , his late-career output has felt occasionally indulgent and enervated. The 11 songs on 2023's eclectic Watt-produced Every Loser , on the other hand, slap you in the face in 11 different ways.

"We would jam and make tracks and send them to Iggy, and he would like 'em and write to them or wouldn't like them and we'd do something else," Watt told Billboard . "It was very low pressure. We just kept making music until we felt like we had an album." (And as with Pearl Jam and Vedder's Earthlings band, Watt has rocked out onstage with Pop .

Ozzy Osbourne

You dropped your crown, O Prince of Darkness. When he hooked up with Watt, the original Black Sabbath frontman hadn't released any solo music since 2010's Scream; in 2017, Sabbath finally said goodbye after 49 years and 10 (!) singers.

On 2020's Ordinary Man and 2022's Patient Number 9 , Watt reenergized Ozzy; even when he sounds his age, Ozz sounds resolute, defiant, spitting in the face of the Reaper. (A bittersweet aside: the late Taylor Hawkins appears on Patient Number 9 , which was written and recorded in just four days .)

Yeah, yeah, they're more of a pop -rock band, but they have guitars, bass and drums. (And if you're the type of rock fan who's neutral or hostile to the 5, you shouldn't be; Songs About Jane slaps.)

At any rate, Watt co-produced "Can't Leave You Alone," featuring Juice WRLD , from 2021's Jordi . Critics disparaged the album, but showed Watt's facility straddling the pop and rock worlds.

5 Seconds of Summer

When it comes to Andrew Watt, the Sydney pop-rockers — slightly more on the rock end than Maroon 5 and their ilk — are repeat customers. He produced a number of tracks for 5 Seconds of Summer, which spanned 2018's Youngblood , 2020's Calm and 2022's 5SOS5 .

Regarding the former: Watt has cited Youngblood as one of the defining recording experiences of his life.

"I had started working with 5 Seconds of Summer, and a lot of people looked at them as a boy band, but they're not," Watt told Guitar Player . "They're all incredible musicians. They can all play every instrument. They love rock music. They can harmonize like skyrockets in flight. They just were making the wrong kind of music."

So Watt showed 5 Seconds of Summer a number of mainstays of the rock era, like Tears for Fears and the Police . The rest, as they say, is history.

A year after Britney Spears was unshackled from her highly controversial conservatorship, it was time for a victory lap with the God of Glitter. What resulted was a curious little bauble, which became a megahit: "Hold Me Closer," a spin on "Tiny Dancer," "The One" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" that briefly launched Spears back into the stratosphere.

"Britney came in and she knew what she wanted to do," Watt recalled to The L.A. Times . "We sped up the song a little bit and she sang the verses in her falsetto, which harkens back to 'Toxic.' She was having a blast."

Watt has also worked with pop/punk heroes Blink-182 — but not after Tom DeLonge made his grand return. He produced "I Really Wish I Hated You" from 2019's Nine , back when Matt Skiba was in the band.

Where in the rock world will this tender-aged superproducer strike next? Watt knows.

Songbook: The Rolling Stones' Seven-Decade Journey To Hackney Diamonds

• 1 9 Songs You Didn't Know Jon Bellion Wrote & Produced: Hits By Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez & More
• 2 Global Spin: Watch VASSY Search For The “Off Switch” In This Acoustic Performance Of Her New Single
• 3 Disney's Golden Age Of Pop: Revisit 2000s Jams From Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez & More
• 4 Songbook: An Era-By-Era Breakdown Of Taylor Swift's Journey From Country Starlet To Pop Phenomenon
• 5 How Andrew Watt Became Rock's Big Producer: His Work With Paul McCartney, Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, & More

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