Attention to Artists: Jeremy Zucker
I was walking to one of my 9 a.m. classes on a crisp, overcast morning when none of my songs were hitting right. I’m a big mood-music listener and nothing was encapsulating the vibes. I looked up a generic “fall music” playlist on Apple Music and hit shuffle. The first song that popped up was “this is how you fall in love” by Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler. It was a beautiful, sweet, acoustic melody and I ended up going to the album it was on and fell in love with it.
Jeremy Zucker has been surrounded by music since he was young. He joined a band called “The Foreshadows” in high school before heading to Colorado College where he earned a degree in Molecular Biology. During his time in college, he released their first EP in 2015 called “Beach Island.” After releasing a few singles and another EP “Breathe,” his following on SoundCloud grew more after collaborating with musical artist blackbear, for the 2017 track “Talk Is Overrated,” which quickly went viral.
Since gaining success, he’s released 8 EP’s, two of them being a collaboration called “brent” and “brent ii” with Chelsea Cutler. Their first collaborative album “brent iii” is set to release Nov. 1. His debut album “love is not dying” dropped in 2020 with his sophomore album “CRUSHER” releasing in 2021. Zucker has also collaborated with other artists like BENEE, Alexander 23 and Tate McRae. Zucker’s music production ranges from emo-rap to indie-pop and everything in between.
One of the reasons I love Zucker’s work is the emotional connection portrayed throughout their songs. “this is how you fall in love” is gentle and romantic, a story of the open vulnerabilities of knowing when someone is the perfect match for you. On the same album, “parent song” is a touching tribute to growing up and despite being an adult, there’s an inner kid that “still need you too.”
Other songs of Zucker’s delve into heavier topics such as “Sex and cigarettes,” where the story of a girl recovering from severe drug abuse seemingly turns to sex addiction. The song “brooks” is only a minute and a half long, being a symbol for a friend of Zucker’s he “knew in college/he just died on a plane.”
Zucker is also able to easily match the rhythm’s tones to the lyrics of his songs. “supercuts” involves a toxic breakup and how he’ll have to avoid his ex’s mom when he sees her out in public. This indie-pop has a snappy bassline that further amplifies the angst. Chimes and fingersnaps contrast the self-sabotage of “selfish,” where Zucker sings about being too selfish with wanting to keep his partner to himself and how he “just can’t help it.”
The epitome of anger comes forth with “HONEST” as Zucker calls their partner out on how they casted them “out with the cynics” and comparing them to “a runaway truck” while their “a guy on a bike.” The teen emo-pop song “18” is reminiscent of the early 2000s as Zucker describes a relationship where the boy is a 16-year-old in high school while his girlfriend is “18 and she does what she likes.”
Zucker’s ability to flow passionate songs with hard beats to soothing songs that could be sung around a campfire appeals to a wide ranging audience from angsty teens and hopeless romantics. His music has both a nostalgic retro-feel while still sounding fresh among the synth-filled club anthems and heavy-bass rap music. From powerful prose to fresh rhythms, Zucker’s music should be here to stay.
Photo Caption: Platinum-Certified singer, songwriter, and producer Jeremy Zucker in a portrait for Office Magazine when his awaited sophomore album, CRUSHER, dropped in 2021. (Courtesy of Office Magazine)
Write to Emma Johnson at emma.johnson.5@mnsu.edu