Jared Gelman is a pop powerhouse. This is a fact. I was first introduced to his work, through a mutual friend, back in early 2016 with the release of a since-deleted New York club kid era moment song and video called Eat It. The next time our paths crossed was in LA in Summer 2016 and we immediately bonded and mutual stanning commenced.
Jared Gelman is without a shadow of doubt, the pop chameleon and self-proclaimed misfit to become familiar with. With a generation of self-starting, DIY artists that are creating waves of innovation that put record label puppets to shames, Jared is real, unapologetic, empowered star who boasts intricacy of production and song creation that compares to the heroes of pop music past and present.
The LA-based singer, songwriter, and epic performer refuses to compromise his identity for the comfort of others. From a generation enamored with excess & narcissism, it was the escapism offered by pop music that fostered Gelman’s love for the the genre.
With sonic influences ranging from Janet Jackson and Britney Spears, to Fergie, Years & Years, Charli XCX & the world of underground pop, it’s the total sum of his various inspirations that inform his distinctive dark pop style. With witty lyrics & catchy melodies, his sound is as fluid between genres as his aesthetic. Unique yet familiar, it’s the polished pop sensibility that ties it all together (even when subverting genre norms).
Pandemic aside, Jared has been super active with releases in the last two years with a recent trio of brilliant releases: Impulsive, Synthetic and U&I which Jared takes us through below.
Impulsive is about the self-destructive part of me that acts without restraint. When everything else is in the world is out of our control, it’s okay to change what IS in your hands. From spontaneous tattoos to ripping my clothes, rash decision making is often hit or miss. There’s been some terrible haircuts & I’ve definitely questioned my judgement a time or two, but these choices liberate me because they’re MINE. Uninhibited from what’s expected of you, it’s important to sculpt yourself in the vision of your own creation. I wouldn’t have it any other way The night Will Jay, Sam Creighton and I wrote it, we knew it was special. We wrote it at the piano, and it’s been stuck in our heads ever since. Sam Welch truly helped take it to the next level.
I wrote Synthetic about the commodification of insecurity. While I’m 100% for living your fantasy/creating who you want to be (i’m not shaming anyone’s personal choices), I think it’s important to critique what’s happening on a macro-level. We’re constantly pushed products marketed as ‘the fix’ to traits that are arbitrarily deemed as flaws. We get so caught up trying to cure nonexistent problems that capitalism rewards those catering to self-loathing. How far have we really progressed if a successful business model is dependent on us hating ourselves?
U&I is my love letter to the idea of someone who doesn’t exist (yet) for me. With a Valentine’s Day release week, it felt fitting. I’m my own valentine I wrote it at the beginning of the pandemic; I would often go on long drives just to escape the monotony of daily life. On one rainy day in particular, I remember driving down Laurel Canyon. Thinking about how lonely I was made me resent being single. With so many friends in relationships, I legitimately said to myself, “I wish I was in a place where I could be upset BECAUSE of my partner— instead of being sad that I don’t have one.”
Jared also has a growing videography which we cannot wait to experience more of, make sure to subscribe to him on YouTube and follow on Apple Music.