Gus Dapperton | |
---|---|
![]() Gus Dapperton in Norway in 2018 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Brendan Patrick Rice |
Born | [1] Warwick, New York, U.S. | March 11, 1997
Genres | |
Occupations |
|
Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals, keyboard |
Years active | 2015–present |
Labels | [2] |
Website | gusdapperton |
Brendan Patrick Rice [3] (born March 11, 1997), better known by his stage name Gus Dapperton, is an American singer and songwriter from Warwick, New York.
Dapperton has received particular attention for his fashion style, consisting at some points of a green bowl cut, noticeable jewelry, eyeliner, brightly colored clothing, and thick-rimmed glasses. [4] [5] Despite being known for his gender-bending fashion, Dapperton does not believe in "gendered clothing" and says he simply wears what he likes, avoiding concern about gender stereotypes. [6] [7] He also mentions that he sees his appearance and fashion as part of his creative expression and "a form of art on their own". [8]
In 2022, he signed with IMG Models [9] and was the face of Celine Homme spring/summer campaign. [10]
Dapperton has mentioned that he prefers to go by his stage name rather than his birth name, explaining it as "I sort of referenced those two eras of my life. The start of a new era being me, Gus, this is my music, this is how I’m gonna express myself for the rest of my life, and Brendan being someone who is more neglected and discouraged from that." He also described "Brendan" as someone scared to embrace their own individuality, while "Gus" is closer to his true self. [11] [12]
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2020) |
Gus Dapperton released his debut single, "Moodna, Once With Grace", in 2016. In 2017, Dapperton released his debut EP, Yellow and Such.
In 2018, Dapperton released his second EP, You Think You're A Comic!. [13]
In support of the EP, he embarked on both an American and European tour, occasionally joined by his younger sister on the keyboard. [14]
Dapperton's song "Of Lacking Spectacle" was featured on the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why and appears on the soundtrack album. [15] [ better source needed ]
In 2019, Dapperton released his debut album, Where Polly People Go to Read, described as chronicling the highs and lows of falling in love. [16] [17] On February 9, 2019, he released a self-directed music video for song "My Favorite Fish", shot at his parents house in New Jersey. [18]
The 10-track album received positive reviews from critics. In September 2019, he released EP In Passing 001, a 4-track collaboration with Hayes Bradley, who at the time was using the artist name B.Hayes. [19]
Also in 2019, Dapperton featured on the track "Supalonely" by artist BENEE. The song gained immense popularity on the online video-sharing platform TikTok in March 2020, gaining more than 6.9 billion plays for the month. [20] [21] [22] The widespread success of the single led to Dapperton performing the song with BENEE on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. [23] [24]
Dapperton's second studio album, Orca, was released on September 18, 2020. He released four singles, "First Aid", "Post Humorous", "Medicine", and "Bluebird", prior to the album's release. This album features only one artist other than Dapperton, Filipino Australian artist Chela on the track "My Say So", during the bridge and background vocals. [25] Dapperton commented on a shift in his songwriting, saying "In the past, I've written my songs from a place of love and heartbreak. This album is about internal pain and suffering". He also mentioned themes of healing and redemption as key elements to the album. [26] [27] He also elaborated on the album title, Orca, as a metaphor for pain and suffering stemming from their lives in captivity. [7]
Dapperton released a music video for lead single "First Aid" on October 21, 2020. The video was directed by Dapperton and features his younger sister Ruby Amadelle, who also sings on the track. [28]
On April 7, 2021, Dapperton released a remix version of "Palms" as the album fifth single, featuring American rapper Channel Tres. The remix was included on the deluxe version of the album which was released on June 11, 2021. The deluxe version also includes three new songs: "Sober Up", "Flatline" and "Steady", in which the former was released as the sixth single of Orca era. [29]
Throughout 2020-2022, Dapperton was featured on a series of collaborative singles with other artists, including Surf Mesa's "Somewhere", Anna of the North's "Meteorite", Spill Tab's "Velcro" and Easy Life's "Antifreeze. [30] [31] [32] [33] He also featured on the track "Pumped up Kicks" on the 10th anniversary deluxe edition of Foster The People's album Torches. [34]
In August 2022, Dapperton signed with Warner Records, releasing a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" in conjunction with the news. [9] On the signing, Warner Records released a statement "We are thrilled to have Gus as the newest member of the Warner/LMK Family. He is a singular talent who has laid an incredible artistic foundation on his own terms. Extremely excited to start building his next chapter together."
In 2023, Dapperton returned with new singles "Wet Cement" [35] and "Horizons", the latter of which was accompanied by a self-directed music video. With "Horizons", Dapperton teased a new album, stating that the music video highlighted "a whole new world for my next project". [36] [37] [38]
On April 21, 2023, Dapperton released single "Don't Let Me Down" with long time collaborator BENEE. The single was accompanied with the announcement of Dapperton's third and major label debut album, titled Henge and scheduled for release on July 7, 2023. The title is in reference to Manhattanhenge, a phenomenon in which the sun aligns with the streets of New York City, creating a glow of light. [39] Dapperton describes it as "a love letter to my New York City," a formative location for his early songwriting. [40] With beginning and ending tracks "Sunset" and "Sunrise", Dapperton described the album as "more of a concept album" about love and fear in contrast to his previous work, which was "more casual and honest" about depression and healing. Similarly, he described Henge as production-heavy, while Orca featured live instrumentation and the songwriting. [41] On June 9, 2023, Dapperton released the lead single "Sunset". [42]
Dapperton often works by himself, not enlisting help from producers or collaborators. He explained his beginnings as an artist started in computer production on GarageBand before he began creating his own vocals and instrumentation, and also stated that he simply prefers to mix and master alone due to the desire to materialize his ideas very quickly. He also frequently answered that he had no dream collaborator, finding it difficult to imagine working with someone he has never met based only on their public image. However, for his second album Orca, Dapperton enlisted the help of other musicians, which he said added depth and vulnerability to the music as well as growth and positivity to his creative process. [43] [44] [7]
Despite his collaboration on "Supalonely" achieving viral success, Dapperton has criticized the idea of "TikTok music" and labeling of artists as "bedroom pop," believing that they are reductive and do not facilitate well rounded artists or listeners. [43] When asked to label his own music as a genre, Dapperton chose "surrealism". Dapperton admits his music would also fall into the "indie" or "alternative" genres, but dislikes "how all those terms have kind of curated a very specific theme or image when you hear those words". [45] Dapperton also admires mainstream pop music and "never denied the pleasures of pop music growing up". [40] He lists Odd Future, King Krule, David Bowie, MF Doom, The Beatles, and Britney Spears as his early influences, and says Taylor Swift's "Love Story" is one of his favorite songs. [40] [14]
Dapperton directs many of his music videos himself in collaboration with his friend Matthew Dillon Cohen, calling himself "a director as much as a musician". He has said he is very inspired by cinema, is very into film, and has an interest in creating scores in the future. He names the soundtrack to Palo Alto as one of his favorites and says that his song "Medicine" while imagining a movie and as if it were part of a movie soundtrack. [46] He also states that he cares a lot about his work and sees visuals as very important in his conception of new music, and that he likes to put 110% into his work, including full visuals. [44] [7] [41] [6]
Following his 2018 tour, Dapperton lived with his parents in Long Branch, New Jersey before moving to New York City. [47] [41]
Dapperton first became interested in music production while in eighth grade when he won a song contest after using GarageBand in his school's new computer lab. [48] He played lacrosse and was a member of the diving team while in high school. He was inspired to pursue music seriously while recovering from an ACL tear and subsequent surgery. [45] [6]
Dapperton attended Drexel University studying music technology, but took a semester off to go on tour in support of his 2018 EP You Think You're a Comic!. [49] [50] After two years at Drexel he chose not to return, citing a competitive environment in the music department as one contributing factor. [51]
He previously dated actress Barbie Ferreira, who appears in his music video for song "Prune, You Talk Funny". [52]
Title | Details |
---|---|
Where Polly People Go to Read |
|
Orca |
|
Henge |
|
Title | Details |
---|---|
Yellow and Such |
|
You Think You're a Comic! |
|
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Moodna, Once with Grace" [13] | 2016 | Non-album singles |
"Ditch" [57] | ||
"I'm Just Snacking" [58] | 2017 | Yellow and Such |
"Prune, You Talk Funny" [59] | You Think You're a Comic! | |
"World Class Cinema" [60] | 2018 | Where Polly People Go to Read |
"My Favorite Fish" [61] | 2019 | |
"Fill Me Up Anthem" [62] | ||
"Coax & Botany" [63] | ||
"Give it to Me Straight" [64] | Non-album single | |
"First Aid" [65] | 2020 | Orca |
"Post Humorous" [66] | ||
"Medicine" [67] | ||
"Bluebird" | ||
"Palms" (solo or with Channel Tres) | 2021 | Orca and Orca (Deluxe) |
"Sober Up" | Orca (Deluxe) | |
"Meteorite" [68] [69] (with Anna of the North) | 2022 | Crazy Life |
"Wet Cement" [70] | Henge | |
"Horizons" [71] | 2023 | |
"Don't Let Me Down" [72] (with BENEE) | ||
"Sunset" [73] | ||
"Homebody" [74] | ||
"Fallout" (with Lyrical Lemonade featuring Lil Yachty and Joey Badass) | 2024 | All Is Yellow |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [75] | AUS [76] | BEL (FL) [77] | CAN [78] | IRE [79] | NLD [80] | NOR [81] | NZ [82] | UK [83] | ||||
"Faceless" (Beshken featuring Gus Dapperton) [84] | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Closed Doors (EP) | |
"Supalonely" (Benee featuring Gus Dapperton) | 2019 | 39 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 18 | Stella & Steve and Hey U X | |
"Somewhere" (Surf Mesa featuring Gus Dapperton) [91] | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
"Antifreeze" (Easy Life featuring Gus Dapperton) [92] | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Maybe in Another Life... | |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. |
Title | Year | Other artist | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Of Lacking Spectacle" | 2018 | — | 13 Reasons Why: Season 2 (Music from the Original TV Series) |
"Pumped Up Kicks" | 2021 | Foster the People | Torches X (Deluxe Edition) |
"Velcro" [93] | 2021 | spill tab | Bonnie [94] |
"Beautiful Nothing" | 2022 | Cruel Santino | Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN |
"Wicked City" |
Gorillaz are a British virtual band created in 1998 by British musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, from London. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russel Hobbs (drums). Their universe is presented in media such as music videos, interviews, comic strips and short cartoons. Gorillaz's music has featured collaborations with a wide range of featured artists, with Albarn as the only permanent musical contributor.
"Butterfly" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her seventh studio album Light Years (2000). The song was written by Minogue and Steve Anderson at Real World Studios, Wiltshire in 1999. Minogue recorded her vocals at Cello Studios, Los Angeles in January 2000 with American DJ Mark Picchiotti, who subsequently produced the track in Chicago. "Butterfly" is a contemporary house, dance-pop, and EDM track that portrays spiritual freedom and joy of life. Although Light Years was not released in the US, "Butterfly" was issued as a promotional single through Blueplate Records and its sublabel Blue² Records, both of which are owned by Picchiotti.
"Landslide" is a song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, written and performed by Stevie Nicks. The song was first featured on the band's self-titled album Fleetwood Mac (1975). The original recording also appears on the compilation albums 25 Years – The Chain (1992), The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (2002) and 50 Years – Don't Stop (2018), while a live version was released as a single 23 years later from the live reunion album The Dance (1997). "Landslide" reached No. 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Landslide" was certified gold in October 2009 for sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States. According to Nielsen Soundscan, "Landslide" sold 2,093,186 copies in the United States as of 2017.
"What You Won't Do for Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell. It was released in September 1978 as the lead single from his eponymous debut album (1978). It was written by Caldwell and Alfons Kettner, and produced by Ann Holloway. The song has been covered and sampled numerous times, including by Tupac Shakur in the posthumous 1998 hit "Do for Love".
Aubrey Drake Graham is a Canadian rapper, singer, and actor. As a figure in popular music, he has been credited with popularizing R&B sensibilities in hip-hop artists. Gaining recognition by starring as Jimmy Brooks in the CTV teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2008), Drake began his recording career in 2006 with the release of his debut mixtape, Room for Improvement (2006). He followed up with the mixtapes Comeback Season (2007) and So Far Gone (2009) before signing with Young Money Entertainment.
"Safe & Sound" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring the American musical duo the Civil Wars, taken from the soundtrack of The Hunger Games (2012). Swift and the Civil Wars wrote the track with its producer T Bone Burnett. The track is an indie folk ballad with a spare arrangement evoking Americana, alternative country, and Appalachian music. The lyrics are about the Hunger Games protagonist Katniss Everdeen's empathy and compassion for other characters, even as she fights to survive in the eponymous Games. Swift sings lead vocals in a fragile, high-pitched tone, while the Civil Wars provide vocal harmonies.
Kylie and Garibay is the second extended play (EP) by musical duo Kylie and Garibay. Following Kylie Minogue's departure from her management company, Roc Nation, the three-track EP was released as a surprise on 11 September 2015 by Parlophone and her own production company, Kimberly Limited. Solely produced by Fernando Garibay, the EP served as an extension of the duo's first collaboration, Sleepwalker (2014). Initiated in September 2014, the recording process enlisted Giorgio Moroder, Sam Sparro, and Shaggy as co-writers and feature vocalists.
Chela is a Filipino-Australian singer and songwriter who has released a number of singles.
Waterparks is an American pop rock band formed in Houston, Texas in 2011. The group currently consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Awsten Knight, backing vocalist and lead guitarist Geoff Wigington, and backing vocalist and drummer Otto Wood.
Grace Kathleen Elizabeth Shaw, known professionally as Mallrat, is an Australian musician, singer, and rapper from Brisbane. Mallrat has released three EPs: Uninvited (2016), In the Sky (2018) and Driving Music (2019). She also released her full-length debut studio album titled Butterfly Blue (2022) in May 2022 to critical acclaim. In 2019, her tracks "Groceries" and "UFO" placed at number 7 and 70, respectively, in the 2018 Triple J Hottest 100, in 2020, "Charlie" and "Nobody's Home" placed at number 3 and 59, respectively, in the 2019 Triple J Hottest 100 and in 2021, "Rockstar" placed 13 in the 2020 Triple J Hottest 100.
Stella Rose Bennett, better known as Benee and formerly Bene, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter from Auckland. In both 2019 and 2020, she consecutively won Single of the Year, Best Solo Artist and Best Pop Artist at the New Zealand Music Awards. Benee initially gained local prominence with her singles "Glitter" and "Soaked", before her 2019 single "Supalonely" saw international popularity following its success on the video-sharing platforms TikTok and YouTube. Benee subsequently released her debut album, Hey U X, in November 2020.
Where Polly People Go to Read is the debut studio album by American singer Gus Dapperton, released on April 19, 2019 on AWAL. It was recorded in 2018 and was supported by four singles: "World Class Cinema", "My Favorite Fish", "Fill Me Up Anthem", and "Coax and Botany".
Cole Bennett is an American music video director and record executive. He is also the founder of Lyrical Lemonade. He has most notably collaborated with Juice Wrld on music videos such as "All Girls Are the Same", "Lucid Dreams", "Robbery", "Bandit" and "Tell Me U Luv Me". Also, he has directed other music videos such as YG Marley's "Praise Jah in the Moonlight", Lil Yachty's "Poland", Lil Tecca's "Ransom", Internet Money, Gunna, Don Toliver and Nav's "Lemonade", Eminem's "Godzilla", "Gnat" and "Tobey", JID's "Off Deez", Wiz Khalifa's "Fr Fr", YNW Melly's "Mixed Personalities", and many others. In 2024, he released the album All Is Yellow, through Lyrical Lemonade and Def Jam Recordings.
Stella & Steve is the second extended play by New Zealand singer Benee, released on 15 November 2019 by Republic Records.
"Supalonely" is a song by New Zealand singer Benee featuring American singer Gus Dapperton, released through Republic Records on 15 November 2019 as the third and final single from her second extended play Stella & Steve (2019). It also appears on Benee's debut studio album, Hey U X (2020). The song gained immense popularity on the online video-sharing platform TikTok in March 2020, gaining more than 6.9 billion plays for the month. It peaked on the top 40 in over 25 countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands and New Zealand, earning a gold certification in its second week in the latter.
"Night Garden" is a song by New Zealand singer Benee featuring American producer Kenny Beats and British musician Bakar, released on 15 July 2020 as the lead single from her debut studio album Hey U X (2020).
Hey U X is the debut studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Benee, released on 13 November 2020 by Republic Records.
"Plain" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Benee featuring British singer Lily Allen and American rapper Flo Milli, released through Republic Records on 27 October 2020 as the third single from her debut studio album Hey U X (2020).
"Lots of Nothing" is a song by Australian indie rock band Spacey Jane, released through their own record label and AWAL on 24 June 2021 as the lead single from their forthcoming second studio album Here Comes Everybody (2022).
Claire Chicha, is a Thai-born French-American singer-songwriter, known by her stage name Spill Tab. An alternative pop musician, she has been noted by music media outlets for her lo-fi vocals and sound.