Jeremy Zucker asks a lot of questions. He wonders about the state of the planet. He ponders what's on the mind of his crush. He marvels at what all of this means. No matter what though, he's always thinking bigger. He sees beyond the minutia of the moment and exhibits a desire for deeper understanding that belies his age.
As such, the multiplatinum New Jersey-born singer, songwriter, and producer infuses alternative pop with meaning. He grafts eloquent existential lyrics onto cinematic production laced with guitar and grainy beat-craft. Piling up billions of streams, selling out global tours, and earning widespread acclaim, he incites an irresistible and identifiable internal dialogue on his forthcoming 2023 EP, introduced by "internet crush" and "OK," out now [Mercury/Republic Records].
"The EP is a exploration of opening yourself up to being vulnerable and surrendering to the potential for pain in the pursuit of caring about something greater than you."
Jeremy's music has always leaned on conversation-starting lyricism and intimate sonic architecture as the bedrock of his signature sound since 2015. Posting up 10 billion global streams and selling over 4.5 million albums, he's delivered relatable anthems at a relentless pace, including the Platinum "all the kids are depressed," "you were good to me" [with Chelsea Cutler], and "comethru" as well as Gold singles "talk is overrated" [feat. blackbear] and "better off" [with Chelsea Cutler]. He served up a pair of fan favorite albums, namely love is not dying [2020] and CRUSHER [2021]. Moreover, he has garnered praise from The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, PAPER Magazine, Wonderland, and Marie Claire, among others. Beyond selling out headline tours on four continents, he has performed at Lollapalooza, Governors Ball, Firefly, and Reading & Leeds, to name a few. Plus, he shined on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and TODAY Show, and more. He initially teased this chapter with "internet crush," which piled up millions of streams right out of the gate.
On the single "OK," Jeremy reminds audiences he's there for them with a chantable chorus over creaky acoustic guitar, neon synths, and a steady beat. At the same time, the video encodes an uplifting message in its narrative.
"This is about caring for someone and making sure they're ok," he explains. "I'm writing the song as a way to make them feel better. The video is meant to cheer up the viewer in a time of need too."
By posing questions, Jeremy is a lot like the rest of us.
"The EP is a question thrown into the void," he leaves off. "It is a plea. Does anything matter anymore? Or, is everything and everyone sort of jaded and are we just normalizing the downfall of everything in the world that used to feel amazing and larger than life? It's an age-old question."
Thankfully, Jeremy Zucker is asking.
Sunday, July 14
Coca-Cola Stage
8:45 PM