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Jack Ü

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Jack Ü
Background information
Also known asSkrillex and Diplo
OriginLos Angeles, California, United States
Genres
Years active2013–2016
Labels
Past members

Jack Ü was an American electronic dance music duo consisting of electronic music producers Skrillex and Diplo, formed in 2013.[1] They released their first official single, "Take Ü There", featuring vocals from Kiesza, on October 4, 2014. They released their first and only album, Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü, on February 27, 2015.[2]

Jack Ü performed at Ultra Music Festival Miami in 2014. They also performed at Ultra Music Festival in 2015 with the entire "Jack Ü crew", featuring live contributions from CL, Kai, Diddy, Kiesza and Justin Bieber.

According to Skrillex, the collaboration is called 'Jack Ü' because it refers to how the music "jacks you up" with its high energy beats and bassline. The Ü (U with umlaut) letter appears in titles of all of its singles and is usually stylized to look like a smiley.

History

[edit]
Jack Ü members Skrillex and Diplo

On September 15, 2013, Jack Ü's debut performance took place at Mad Decent Block Party in San Diego with 3 original tracks: a dubstep-juke hybrid track known as "Shark Patrol",[3] "Bounce it",[4] and a very early version of their collaboration with AlunaGeorge that would later be released as "To Ü"[5][6][7]

Diplo announced the project by releasing the Mad Decent Block Party lineup with Jack Ü playing at multiple stops on the tour. After some guessing by many of who Jack Ü was, Diplo finally came out to reveal that "Jack Ü ... means Skrillex and Diplo together".[6] The two have worked with each other on assorted projects over the past five years starting with Skrillex singing and playing guitar on a record for Major Lazer, one of Diplo's other projects. In 2011, Diplo also worked on a song with Skrillex titled "Amplifire" (though it was never completed or released) for Bangarang.[8]

On March 30, 2014, Jack Ü was given an hour-long slot to play at the Ultra Music Festival. The set included a wide variety of genres featuring songs from Skrillex's then newly released first studio album, Recess, and including some old school hip hop with DJ Kool's "Let Me Clear My Throat". They later played at the 2015 Ultra Music Festival.

They collaborated on a song that combines trap and dubstep elements and features vocals from Korean pop artists CL and G-Dragon titled "Dirty Vibe" for Skrillex's album Recess.[9] When asked about how the two ended up forming Jack Ü, Diplo stated that Skrillex "was one of the first producers I met when I moved to LA...we just [have] always been really close musically with our ideas." The two get together in downtown LA or in hotel rooms when on tour to make their songs.[8]

Jack Ü live at Utopía Festival 2016

On December 31, 2014, Jack Ü headlined a concert at Madison Square Garden. Besides their (Diplo and Skrillex) performance, other performers included ASAP Ferg, Rudimental, and Yellow Claw. The concert was broadcast live on Yahoo.

On February 27, 2015, the group released their debut album.[10] They commemorated the event by streaming a 24-hour live DJ set on Twitch, which was shut down 18 hours into the set.[11] By the end of 2015, Jack Ü had over 9.6 million Shazams. That same year, Jack Ü performed at a Clippers half-time show along with Kai, Fly Boi Keno (also known as Keno Kamino) and several other celebrities and dancers, later releasing an official video in December.

On August 28, 2016, Skrillex wrote on his Twitter page that Jack Ü is done touring "for a long long time", a tweet that was shortly deleted.[12] In March 2017, Diplo described in an interview the difficulty of working with Skrillex while Skrillex is signed to a "major label", Atlantic Records.[13]

Controversy

[edit]

On September 1, 2014, Seth Troxler, was set to play his set at the Robot Heart stage at the Burning Man Festival. However, due to some of his entourage not being allowed to join him behind the DJ decks, Troxler refused to play. Those in charge of the Robot Heart stage needed someone to fill in for Troxler and they asked Skrillex to help. Skrillex played for about half an hour before inviting Diplo to come onto the stage for them to perform as Jack Ü for the rest of the set.[14]

Some of the Robot Heart crowd were unhappy, because Skrillex and Diplo are mainstream producers, and the Robot Heart stage is more about underground artists and songs.[15] To finish up their set Diplo mixed the song "Africa" by Toto into DJ Snake and Lil Jon's platinum record "Turn Down for What" as "an inside joke".[14][15]

Rumors later surfaced that the two were booed off the stage and forced to end their set early due to playing "Turn Down for What" at a stage that was meant for underground music.[16] Diplo linked to a long statement on his Twitter, saying that "there was no booing... no bad vibes... Everything we did there was good fun and all the people that attended know it".[14]

Releases

[edit]

Jack Ü's hit debut single, "Take Ü There", was released on September 17, 2014. In an interview with Zane Lowe of BBC's Radio 1 station, Skrillex explained that the making of the song had a unique process; they were set to play a show in Ibiza, Spain when they saw Canadian pop singer Kiesza perform ahead of them. Impressed with her singing, they asked her to do the vocals for a song. They recorded her vocals in their hotel room and finished the song in one night.[17]

During a set at Camp Question Mark of the Burning Man festival (one of eight different sets they played over the course of the festival), the duo played "Take Ü There" along with demo versions of "To Ü", of the electro and future bass genres, featuring vocals from AlunaGeorge. "Beat Knockin'" (Originally titled Beat Steady), which features vocals by New Orleans bounce artist Fly Boi Keno, being some of the first mainstream DJ's to display New Orleans bounce music publicly. In late 2014, Jack Ü played a mix for BBC Radio 1xtra. They played numerous demo versions of tracks and an unreleased song in a two-hour takeover mix including "Febreze" featuring 2 Chainz, "Jungle Bae", "Cumbia Trap" featuring Maluca and "Holla Out" with Snails. "Febreze", "Jungle Bae" and "Holla Out" are all included on their debut record, with "Cumbia Trap" excluded from the album's release.[18] Diplo has also discussed an upcoming Jack Ü mixtape, however no official release date has yet been announced.[8] Skrillex has also mentioned that Jack Ü has "got five songs that we made that aren't even released, and we'll end up releasing in 2014".[19]

On February 27, 2015, after attempting to livestream a 24-hour DJ set on Twitch, which was shut down by local authorities at the 18-hour mark, Skrillex and Diplo released their debut collaborative album entitled Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü on iTunes. Alongside the previously announced six tracks, the album's release included unannounced songs "Where Are Ü Now" with Justin Bieber, "Mind" featuring Kai, "Don't Do Drugs Just Take Some Jack Ü" and a remixed version of "Take Ü There" featuring Missy Elliott.

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
US
[20] 		US
Dance/
Elec.
[21] 		AUS
[22] 		CAN
[23] 		NZ
 UK
Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü 26 1 12 23 15 131

Singles

[edit]
List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[25] 		US
Dance
Club
[26] 		US
Dance/
Elec.
[27] 		AUS
[22] 		CAN
[28] 		NOR
[29] 		NZ
[30] 		SWE
[31] 		UK
[32] 		UK
Dance
[33]
"Take Ü There"
(featuring Kiesza) 		2014 — 37 14 — — — — — 63 16 Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü
"Where Are Ü Now"
(with Justin Bieber) 		2015 8 32 1 3 5 12 3 6 3 1
"To Ü"
(featuring AlunaGeorge) 		— — 28 83 — — — — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other charted songs

[edit]
List of other charted songs, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
Dance/
Elec.
[27]
"Beats Knockin"
(featuring Fly Boi Keno) 		2015 35 Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü
"Febreeze"
(featuring 2 Chainz) 		27
"Jungle Bae"
(featuring Bunji Garlin) 		37
"Mind"
(featuring Kai) 		24

Remixes

[edit]
Title Year Artist(s) Album
"7/11"[40] 2014 Beyoncé Non-album single

Music videos

[edit]
List of music videos, showing year released and directors
Title Year Director(s)
"Take Ü There"[41]
(featuring Kiesza) 		2014 Kyle dePinna, Dillon Moore, & Daniel Streit
"Where Are Ü Now"[42]
(with Justin Bieber) 		2015 Brewer
"To Ü"[43]
(featuring AlunaGeorge) 		AG Rojas
"Beats Knockin"[44]
(featuring Fly Boi Keno) 		Edward John Drake
"Mind"[45]
(featuring Kai) 		2016 Liam Underwood

Production credits

[edit]
Title Year Artist(s) Album
"16" 2016 Craig David Following My Intuition
"Get It Right" 2018 Diplo
(featuring MØ) 		Give Me Future
"Light Me Up" RL Grime
(featuring Julia Michaels & Miguel) 		Nova

Awards and nominations

[edit]

American Music Awards

[edit]
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2015 "Where Are Ü Now" (with Justin Bieber) Collaboration of the Year Won

Grammy Awards

[edit]
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2016 Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü Best Dance/Electronic Album Won
"Where Are Ü Now" (with Justin Bieber) Best Dance Recording Won

International Dance Music Awards

[edit]
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2016 [46] "Febreze" (with 2 Chainz) Best Rap/Hip Hop/Trap Dance Track Nominated
"Where Are Ü Now" (with Justin Bieber) Best Dubstep/Drum & Bass Track Won
Best Commercial/Pop Dance Track Nominated
Best Featured Vocalist Performance - Title, Vocalist/Artist Nominated
Best Music Video Nominated
Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü Best Dubstep/Drum & Bass DJ Nominated
Best Artist (Group) Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards

[edit]
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2015 "Where Are Ü Now" (with Justin Bieber) Best Visual Effects Won
Best Art Direction Nominated
Best Editing Nominated
Song of the Summer Nominated

NRJ Music Awards

[edit]
Year Awards Category Recipient Outcome Ref
2016 NRJ Music Awards Best Collaboration of the Year Skrillex & Diplo Nominated [47]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Diplo and Skrillex Team as Jack U". Pitchfork. May 1, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  2. ^ "Skrillex And Diplo Finally Release Jack Ü Album, And It's Incredible". We Got This Covered. 2015-02-26. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
  3. ^ "Why didn't 'Shark Patrol' make the final cut on Jack Ü's album? - Dancing Astronaut". www.dancingastronaut.com. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
  4. ^ Lombardo, Scott (2016-04-15). "Could Jack U's "Bounce It" Be Nearing Release? - EDMTunes". Retrieved 2016-09-03.
  5. ^ "Diplo & Skrillex Debut Jack U Project, New AlunaGeorge Track: Watch Clip Here". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
  6. ^ a b "Diplo And Skrillex Reveal Their Surprising New Group: Jack Ü". MTV. May 1, 2013. Archived from the original on May 26, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  7. ^ Marmor, Jacob (2013-09-16). "Skrillex and Diplo Premiere 5 JACK U Tracks". Your EDM. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
  8. ^ a b c "I am DIPLO. AMA!". 29 July 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  9. ^ "Skrillex: Recess". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  10. ^ "Skrillex And Diplo Finally Release Jack Ü Album, And It's Incredible". 27 February 2015.
  11. ^ "Skrillex And Diplo Surprise- Release Debut Album". Pitchfork. 27 February 2015.
  12. ^ "Skrillex Says Jack Ü Are Done Doing Festivals For A Long, Long Time - GDE". GDE. 2016-08-29. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  13. ^ "Diplo Talks about Jack U and the Problem with Major Labels". EDM.com. 2017-03-18. Archived from the original on 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  14. ^ a b c "Diplo Claims JACK Ü Was Not Booed Off Stage at Burning Man". September 2, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  15. ^ a b "JACK Ü Was Booed Off Stage at Burning Man 2014". September 1, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  16. ^ "Diplo Booed Off Robot Heart Decks At Burning Man". September 2, 2014. Archived from the original on March 11, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  17. ^ "TAKE Ü THERE (FEAT. KIESZA) ZANE LOWE RIP by Jack Ü". Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  18. ^ "Watch Jack Ü Preview Unreleased Material at Burning Man". September 11, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  19. ^ ""It's not all dubstep:" One-on-one with Skrillex". January 8, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  20. ^ "Diplo Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  21. ^ "Diplo Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Peak positions in Australia:
  23. ^ "Diplo Chart History (Billboard Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  24. ^ a b c d e "American certifications – Skrillex & Diplo". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  25. ^ Peak positions for singles in the US:
  26. ^ "Diplo Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  27. ^ a b "Diplo Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  28. ^ "Diplo Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  29. ^ "Norwegian Singles Chart". Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  30. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  31. ^ "Swedish Singles Chart". Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  32. ^ Peak positions in the United Kingdom:
  33. ^ Peak positions for the Dance singles in the UK:
  34. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  35. ^ "British certifications – Skrillex and Diplo". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 31, 2022. Type Skrillex and Diplo in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  36. ^ "Sverigetopplistan – Skrillex" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  37. ^ "Norwegian certifications – Jack Ü" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  38. ^ "Canadian certifications – Skrillex & Diplo". Music Canada. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  39. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Skrillex and Diplo feat. Justin Bieber – Where Are U Now?". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  40. ^ "Jack U take on Beyonce for '7/11′ remix". 25 December 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  41. ^ Jack Ü - Take Ü There feat. Kiesza [OFFICIAL VIDEO], 24 November 2014, retrieved 2023-06-16
  42. ^ Skrillex and Diplo - "Where Are Ü Now" with Justin Bieber (Official Video), 29 June 2015, retrieved 2023-06-16
  43. ^ Skrillex & Diplo - To Ü ft AlunaGeorge (Official Video), 25 October 2015, retrieved 2023-06-16
  44. ^ Jack Ü Ft. Fly Boi Keno 'Beats Knockin' by Edward John Drake, 2015-11-28, retrieved 2023-06-16
  45. ^ Jack Ü - "Mind" feat. Kai (Official Video), 27 February 2016, retrieved 2023-06-16
  46. ^ "31st Annual International Dance Music Awards - Winter Music Conference 2016 - WMC 2016". Archived from the original on 2016-06-30. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  47. ^ "Palmares NRJ DJ AWARDS 2016 - Meilleurs DJs". NRJ.fr (in French). Retrieved 2016-11-14.
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