Gus Dapperton
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Brendan Patrick Rice (born March 11, 1997), better known by his stage name Gus Dapperton, is an American singer and songwriter from
Warwick, New York Warwick is a town in the southwestern part of Orange County, New York, United States. Its population was 32,027 at the 2020 census. The town contains three villages (Florida, Greenwood Lake, and Warwick) and eight hamlets ( Amity, Bellvale, E ...
.


Public image

Dapperton has received particular attention for his fashion style, consisting at some points of a green
bowl cut A bowl cut is a simple haircut where the front hair is cut with a straight fringe (see Bangs (hair), bangs) and the rest of the hair is left longer, the same length all the way around, or else the sides and back are cut to the same short lengt ...
, noticeable
jewelry Jewellery (or jewelry in American English) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment such as brooches, ring (jewellery), rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the ...
, eyeliner, brightly colored clothing, and thick-rimmed glasses. Despite being known for his gender-bending fashion, Dapperton does not believe in "gendered clothing" and says he simply wears what he likes, avoiding concern about gender stereotypes. He also mentions that he sees his appearance and fashion as part of his creative expression and "a form of art on their own". In 2022, he signed with IMG Models and was the face of Celine Homme spring/summer campaign. Dapperton has mentioned that he prefers to go by his stage name rather than his birth name, explaining it as "I sort of referenced those two eras of my life. The start of a new era being me, Gus, this is my music, this is how I’m gonna express myself for the rest of my life, and Brendan being someone who is more neglected and discouraged from that." He also described "Brendan" as someone scared to embrace their own individuality, while "Gus" is closer to his true self.


Career


2016–2017: "Moodna, Once With Grace" and ''Yellow and Such''

Gus Dapperton released his debut single, "Moodna, Once With Grace", in 2016. In 2017, Dapperton released his debut EP, ''Yellow and Such.''


2018: ''You Think You're A Comic!''

In 2018, Dapperton released his second EP, ''You Think You're A Comic!''. In support of the EP, he embarked on both an American and European tour, occasionally joined by his younger sister on the keyboard. Dapperton's song "Of Lacking Spectacle" was featured on the Netflix series ''
13 Reasons Why ''13 Reasons Why'' (also stylized as ''TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY'') is an American teen drama television series based on the 2007 novel '' Thirteen Reasons Why'' by author Jay Asher. Developed for Netflix by Brian Yorkey and with Selena Gomez ser ...
'' and appears on the soundtrack album.


2019: ''Where Polly People Go to Read''

In 2019, Dapperton released his debut album, '' Where Polly People Go to Read,'' described as chronicling the highs and lows of falling in love. On February 9, 2019, he released a self-directed music video for song "My Favorite Fish", shot at his parents house in New Jersey. The 10-track album received positive reviews from critics. In September 2019, he released EP ''In Passing 001,'' a 4-track collaboration with Hayes Bradley, who at the time was using the artist name B.Hayes. Also in 2019, Dapperton featured on the track " Supalonely" by artist
BENEE Stella Rose Bennett (born 30 January 2000), better known as Benee (stylised in all caps; pronounced ) and formerly Bene, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter from Auckland. In both 2019 and 2020, she consecutively won Single of the Year, Bes ...
. The song gained immense popularity on the online video-sharing platform
TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...
in March 2020, gaining more than 6.9 billion plays for the month. The widespread success of the single led to Dapperton performing the song with BENEE on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...
.''


2020–2022: ''Orca''

Dapperton's second studio album, ''Orca'', was released on September 18, 2020. He released four singles, "First Aid", "Post Humorous", "Medicine", and "Bluebird", prior to the album's release. This album features only one artist other than Dapperton, Filipino Australian artist Chela on the track "My Say So", during the bridge and background vocals. Dapperton commented on a shift in his songwriting, saying "In the past, I've written my songs from a place of love and heartbreak. This album is about internal pain and suffering". He also mentioned themes of healing and redemption as key elements to the album. He also elaborated on the album title, ''Orca,'' as a metaphor for pain and suffering stemming from their lives in captivity. Dapperton released a music video for lead single "First Aid" on October 21, 2020. The video was directed by Dapperton and features his younger sister Ruby Amadelle, who also sings on the track. On April 7, 2021, Dapperton released a remix version of "Palms" as the album fifth single, featuring American rapper
Channel Tres Sheldon Jerome Young (born May 26, 1991), known professionally as Channel Tres, is an American rapper, DJ, singer and record producer from Compton, California. Tres is best known for his singles "Controller" and "Topdown". Early life and edu ...
. The remix was included on the deluxe version of the album which was released on June 11, 2021. The deluxe version also includes three new songs: "Sober Up", "Flatline" and "Steady", in which the former was released as the sixth single of ''Orca'' era. Throughout 2020-2022, Dapperton was featured on a series of collaborative singles with other artists, including Surf Mesa's "Somewhere",
Anna of the North Anna of the North (born 8 June 1989) is the solo project of Anna Lotterud, an Oslo-based Norwegian singer-songwriter from Gjøvik. Originally formed as a duo with producer Brady Daniell-Smith in 2014, their debut studio album '' Lovers'' was re ...
's "Meteorite", Spill Tab's "Velcro" and Easy Life's "Antifreeze. He also featured on the track " Pumped up Kicks" on the 10th anniversary deluxe edition of
Foster The People Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. Its members include founder and frontman Mark Foster (musician), Mark Foster and keyboardist Isom Innis. Foster founded the band in 2009 after spending ...
's album
Torches A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end which can be used as a light source or to set something on fire. Torches have been used throughout history and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in jugglin ...
. In August 2022, Dapperton signed with
Warner Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
, releasing a cover of
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...
's "
Landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...
" in conjunction with the news. On the signing, Warner Records released a statement "We are thrilled to have Gus as the newest member of the Warner/LMK Family. He is a singular talent who has laid an incredible artistic foundation on his own terms. Extremely excited to start building his next chapter together."


2023: ''Henge''

In 2023, Dapperton returned with new singles "Wet Cement" and "Horizons", the latter of which was accompanied by a self-directed music video. With "Horizons", Dapperton teased a new album, stating that the music video highlighted "a whole new world for my next project". On April 21, 2023, Dapperton released single "Don't Let Me Down" with long time collaborator BENEE. The single was accompanied with the announcement of Dapperton's third and major label debut album, titled ''Henge'' and scheduled for release on July 7, 2023. The title is in reference to
Manhattanhenge Manhattanhenge, also called the Manhattan Solstice, is an event during which the setting sun or the rising sun is aligned with the east–west streets of the main street grid of Manhattan, New York City. The astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyso ...
, a phenomenon in which the sun aligns with the streets of New York City, creating a glow of light. Dapperton describes it as "a love letter to ''my'' New York City," a formative location for his early songwriting. With beginning and ending tracks "Sunset" and "Sunrise", Dapperton described the album as "more of a concept album" about love and fear in contrast to his previous work, which was "more casual and honest" about depression and healing. Similarly, he described ''Henge'' as production-heavy, while ''Orca'' featured live instrumentation and the songwriting. On June 9, 2023, Dapperton released the lead single "Sunset".


2023: Henge and Headline Tour

On June 9, 2023, Dapperton released the lead single “Sunset” via Warner Records and announced his first North American headline tour in support of Henge The tour kicked off on September 14 in Burlington, VT, and concluded October 21 in Asbury Park, NJ.


2023–2024: Henge Tour Reception and Conceptual Shift

Reviewers described Henge opener “Sunset” as possessing a cinematic, spaghetti-western flair, and highlighted the album’s deeper production complexity End-of-October 2023 saw Dapperton return to New Jersey for a sold-out hometown show at Asbury Park’s Asbury Lanes, joined onstage by his sister Ruby Amadelle; fans praised the high-energy performance and stage interaction.


2024–present: Festival Appearances and Anniversary Reissue

Live reports in 2023–2024 note Dapperton’s eclectic stage presence, combining vintage sound, immersive visuals, and active audience engagement—such as surprise covers and fan participation. In late 2023, Henge earned recognition as one of the Best Albums of 2023, with Business Insider praising its “heavier, brighter, fuller” sound and stadium-ready scope. Additionally, Dapperton commemorated the fifth anniversary of his debut album Where Polly People Go to Read with an official limited-edition vinyl reissue, noted for including acoustic demos and lyric notes, and supported by renewed media coverage of its original thematic introspection. In 2024, he expanded his global tour presence with appearances at major festivals, including Lollapalooza Argentina—confirmed by festival lineups across Chile, Argentina, and Brazil—and other high-profile events (Festival-specific reporting pending). By May 2025, Dapperton quietly previewed a new EP concept via social media teasers featuring urban ambient textures and cinematic motifs—suggesting an impending experimental, spoken-word direction (awaiting formal press confirmation).


Artistry

Dapperton often works by himself, not enlisting help from producers or collaborators. He explained his beginnings as an artist started in computer production on
GarageBand GarageBand is a software application by Apple Inc., Apple for macOS, iPadOS, and iOS devices that allows users to create music or Podcast, podcasts. It is a lighter, amateur-oriented offshoot of Logic Pro. GarageBand was originally released for ...
before he began creating his own vocals and instrumentation, and also stated that he simply prefers to mix and master alone due to the desire to materialize his ideas very quickly. He also frequently answered that he had no dream collaborator, finding it difficult to imagine working with someone he has never met based only on their public image. However, for his second album ''Orca,'' Dapperton enlisted the help of other musicians, which he said added depth and vulnerability to the music as well as growth and positivity to his creative process. Despite his collaboration on "Supalonely" achieving viral success, Dapperton has criticized the idea of "TikTok music" and labeling of artists as "bedroom pop," believing that they are reductive and do not facilitate well rounded artists or listeners. When asked to label his own music as a genre, Dapperton chose "surrealism". Dapperton admits his music would also fall into the "indie" or "alternative" genres, but dislikes "how all those terms have kind of curated a very specific theme or image when you hear those words". Dapperton also admires mainstream pop music and "never denied the pleasures of pop music growing up". He lists
Odd Future Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF or OFWGKTA, was an American alternative hip-hop Musical collective, music collective formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. The group consisted of rap ...
,
King Krule Archy Ivan Marshall (born 24 August 1994), also known by his stage name King Krule, among other names, is an English singer, songwriter, musician, rapper and record producer. He began recording music in 2010 under the moniker Zoo Kid. The foll ...
,
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
, MF Doom,
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
, and
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
as his early influences, and says
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
's "
Love Story Love Story or A Love Story may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres * Romance (love) ** Romance film ** Romance novel Films * ''Love Story'' (1925 film), German silent film * ''Love Story'' (1942 film), Italian drama film * ''Love ...
" is one of his favorite songs. Dapperton directs many of his music videos himself in collaboration with his friend Matthew Dillon Cohen, calling himself "a director as much as a musician". He has said he is very inspired by cinema, is very into film, and has an interest in creating scores in the future. He names the soundtrack to ''
Palo Alto Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. Th ...
'' as one of his favorites and says that his song "Medicine" while imagining a movie and as if it were part of a movie soundtrack. He also states that he cares a lot about his work and sees visuals as very important in his conception of new music, and that he likes to put 110% into his work, including full visuals.


Personal life

Following his 2018 tour, Dapperton lived with his parents in Long Branch, New Jersey before moving to New York City. Dapperton first became interested in music production while in eighth grade when he won a song contest after using GarageBand in his school's new computer lab. He played lacrosse and was a member of the diving team while in high school. He was inspired to pursue music seriously while recovering from an ACL tear and subsequent surgery. Dapperton attended
Drexel University Drexel University is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony Joseph Drexel, Anthony J. Drexel, a financier ...
studying music technology, but took a semester off to go on tour in support of his 2018 EP ''You Think You're a Comic!''. After two years at Drexel he chose not to return, citing a competitive environment in the music department as one contributing factor. He previously dated actress
Barbie Ferreira Barbara "Barbie" Seppe Ferreira (; born December 14, 1996) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Kat Hernandez in the HBO series ''Euphoria'' (2019–2022). Early life Ferreira was born in East Harlem in New York ...
, who appears in his music video for song "Prune, You Talk Funny".


Discography


Studio albums


Extended plays


Singles


As lead artist


As featured artist


Guest appearances


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dapperton, Gus 1997 births Living people American indie pop musicians Songwriters from New York (state) American synth-pop singers Bedroom pop musicians American male pop singers