About this episodeThe Chainsmokers discuss their career evolution from viral novelty to Grammy-winning artists, emphasizing the …AI summary
The Chainsmokers discuss their career evolution from viral novelty to Grammy-winning artists, emphasizing the importance of mutual motivation in their decade-long partnership and the strategic value of maintaining an inclusive, non-elitist party atmosphere. They share insights on navigating industry skepticism, the unpredictability of hit songs, and the necessity of enjoying the creative process without being paralyzed by the fear of losing momentum.
Key takeaways 6
Partnership Dynamics: The duo attributes their longevity to a lack of ego and a system where they push each other to be better; if one is off, the other compensates, creating a balanced accountability structure that evolved from unequal roles to equal partnership.
Vegas DJ Strategy: Unlike LA or NY scenes that favor niche trends, Vegas requires a 'democratized' approach where DJs must play recognizable hits, throwbacks, and current hype across genres (EDM, hip-hop) to entertain diverse crowds like spring breakers and bachelorette parties.
Song Selection Risk: Playing new, unreleased music carries significant risk; they recall playing 'Roses' in Denver to a confused crowd before it became a massive hit in Europe and at Lollapalooza, highlighting that audience reception can be unpredictable initially.
Industry Skepticism: Early in their career, the industry dismissed them due to their name and viral hit 'Selfie,' with labels refusing to work with them until 'Roses' proved their commercial viability, teaching them to rely on their own confidence.
Handling Negativity: The duo advises focusing on the thousands of positive interactions rather than a single negative comment, suggesting a mental shift where one questions how an anonymous online hater actually affects their real life.
Juice WRLD Collaboration: They describe Juice WRLD as a 'creative genius' who could freestyle entire songs on the fly, often recording vocals in one take while they scrambled to match beats, resulting in four posthumous releases for their upcoming album.
Notable quotes 5AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.
“We're not competitive but we always like motivate each other to just be better and if one of you is off the other one's on and so you're like [ __ ] I gotta live up to that person”
▶ 20:18Explaining how their partnership functions as a mutual accountability system that prevents either member from slacking off.
“In Vegas everyone's just here to have a hundred percent like... people are coming to the club so it's like how do we entertain everybody”
▶ 10:29Describing the specific mindset required for DJing in Las Vegas compared to other music scenes, focusing on broad entertainment over niche curation.
“I think the most important part of any partnership or any like leadership role is just like not having ego... people need to feel heard and acknowledged”
▶ 23:08Drew's advice on maintaining a successful business and creative partnership over ten years.
“You can get a thousand compliments but then you see like the one negative dude and you just want to like trip out about it... how does this person affect my life right”
▶ 40:51Advice on dealing with online hate and social media negativity by contextualizing the impact of anonymous critics.
“Juice WRLD... he'd just like go through it and he'd do like this long stream like stream of consciousness basically this like one long freestyle and then we just go and pick a section and be like that's a hook”
Describing Juice WRLD's incredible speed and creativity during their collaboration sessions.
Chapters & Sections (52)▼
0:00Discussion about Music and Residencychapter2
0:00Discussion about Music and Residency
3:08Friendship and Music Career Discussion
5:45Fan Discusses Tour and Music Selectionchapter3
5:45Fan Discusses Tour and Music Memories
7:17DJ Set Selection Process and Crowd Engagement
8:38DJ Performance and Show Preparation
11:32Balancing Service and Artistic Nerveschapter3
11:32Artist Nervousness about Playing New Songs
13:06Lollapalooza Performance and Career Reflection
14:30Vegas Party Scene and Democratized Music
16:13The Chainsmokers' Party Attraction Secretschapter2
16:13The Chainsmokers' Party Attraction Strategy
17:55Musical Partnerships and Friendship Challenges
20:25Importance of Mutual Motivation in Relationshipschapter3
20:25Importance of Mutual Motivation in Relationships
21:48Dynamic Imbalance in Early Collaborative Relationship
23:08Importance of Humility in Leadership Roles
24:28Record Label System and Artist Managementchapter2
24:28Music Industry Challenges and Labeling Concerns
26:09Business Partnerships and Industry Dynamics
28:28Making a Song for a Nightclubchapter4
28:28Making a Song for a Nightclub
30:08Artist's Struggle with Industry Pressure and Self-Esteem
31:52Bad Prank Goes Viral on Social Media
33:26Countdown Show Host's Sarcastic Commentary
35:05Band's Rise to Success and Grammy Winchapter2
35:05Band's Rise to Success and Grammy Win
37:16Music Industry Challenges and Marketing Strategies
40:16Dealing with Negative Online Feedbackchapter2
40:16Dealing with Negative Online Feedback
42:40Social Media Trolling and Thick Skin
44:56Discussing a New Hydration Beveragechapter3
44:56Review of Hydration Beverage with BCAAs
46:47Constructive Feedback and Investment Decisions
48:05Confused Conversation About Island Boys and Festival
50:19Songwriting Process for 'Closer' Explainedchapter3
50:19Songwriting Process for 'Closer' Song
52:03Song Development and Feature Changes
53:46Collaboration on Song with Halsey and Camille
56:36Regretting Past Decisions and Celebrity Mindsetchapter3
56:36Regretting Past Decisions and Celebrity Mindset
58:29The Chainsmokers Discuss Fear of Losing Momentum
1:00:29The Chainsmokers Reflect on Their Music Evolution
1:02:51Enjoying the Music Creation Processchapter7
1:02:51Enjoying the Music Creation Process
1:04:20Collaboration with a Freestyle Artist
1:05:55Fan Dedication and Friendship Discussion
1:07:29Recalling a Party with a Celebrity Guest
1:09:02Friendship and Shared Experiences
1:10:32Impression of Studio and Career Expectations
1:11:56First Impressions Can Be Misleading Sometimes
1h 36m⏭ 3
1h 51m⏭ 3
54m⏭ 2
1h 8m⏭ 2
1h 22m⏭ 2
1h 26m⏭ 1
1h 18m⏭ 1
1h 33m⏭ 2
2h 22m⏭ 3
49m⏭ 3
1h 16m⏭ 2
1h 13m⏭ 2
2h 30m⏭ 1
1h 32m
1h 42m
1h 49m⏭ 2
1h 7m
1h 6m
1h 4m⏭ 2
1h 29m⏭ 3
1h 15m⏭ 2
2h 11m⏭ 4
3h 3m⏭ 2
1h 30m
1h 43m⏭ 4
11h 54m
11h 54m⏭ 8
1h 0m⏭ 1
33m
6h 26m
9h 11m
3h 54m⏭ 7
46m
3h 59m⏭ 5
54m⏭ 1
1h 16m⏭ 2