They (stylised THEY.) is an American R&B duo from

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

, consisting of Dante Jones and Andrew "Drew Love" Neely. The duo started their career in 2015, releasing the debut extended play ''Nü Religion'', which received critical acclaim. That year, they released the commercially successful single "Working for It" in collaboration with Zhu and

Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ and music producer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead sing ...

. In 2016, they began touring with singer

Bryson Tiller Bryson Djuan Tiller (born January 2, 1993) is an American singer and rapper. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he began his career in 2011 with a mixtape entitled ''Killer Instinct Vol. 1''. Tiller initially gained mainstream success in 2015 follow ...

. The following year, the duo released their debut studio album, ''Nü Religion: Hyena''. In 2020, They signed to Avant Garden Records under Island Records and released their second studio album, ''The Amanda Tape'', on October 23, 2020.

Career

2015: Formation and ''Nü Religion''

Dante Jones was born in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

, while Andrew Neely was born in Washington, D.C. The duo was formed in

in 2015. On October 13, 2015, the duo released their debut extended play, ''Nü Religion'', through Mind of a Genius Records and Warner Bros. Records. The project, which includes three songs in its track listing, received favorable reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

. Additionally, the duo began gaining support from record producer

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

. While talking about the project in an interview with ''

The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...

'' magazine, Drew said; "''Nü Religion'' is a new way of thinking. As individuals the way we have approached life and the art of music has always been left of center; even from youth. It's been all about finding a way to incorporate that into a cohesive musical project that we are proud of and that people enjoy. We think we've done that." On October 22, 2015, "Working for It", a collaboration single by They, Zhu and

, was released. The song peaked at number 30 in Australia and number 71 in the United Kingdom. The song appeared in Zhu's EP, ''Genesis Series'' and debut studio album, '' Generationwhy''.

2016–2018: ''Nü Religion: Hyena''

In early 2016, the duo joined singer

as opening act for his Trapsoul Tour. In summer 2016, the duo released the singles, "Say When" and "Deep End", both of which managed to enter the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Twitter Emerging Artists chart. On August 8, 2016, THEY. was named "New band of the week" by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'' newspaper. In October 2016, the duo was included in ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'' magazine's "Best New Musicians in 2016 Across America" list. On February 24, 2017, the duo released their debut studio album, ''Nü Religion: Hyena''. Following the release of their album, They solidified their breakthrough year by performing at the

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...

2018–2019: ''Fireside EP''

In 2018, the duo also joined Grammy-nominated artist

6LACK Ricardo Archibald Valentine Jr. (born June 24, 1992), known professionally as 6lack (stylized as 6LACK, pronounced "black"), is an American singer and rapper. He initially gained notable recognition following the release of his single, " Prblms ...

as an opening act for his From East Atlanta with Love tour. They also released their collaborative EP ''Fireside'' in 2018, which features

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Records, Warner Bros ...

Jessie Reyez Jessica Reyez (born June 12, 1991) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Her 2016 single " Figures" peaked at number 58 on the Canadian Hot 100 in 2017 and was certified triple Platinum by Music Canada and Platinum by the RIAA. Her 2017 EP, '' K ...

Jeremih Jeremy Phillip Felton (born July 17, 1987), known professionally as Jeremih ( ), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. In 2009, he signed a record deal with Def Jam Recordings. Jeremih's commercial debut single, " Birthday Sex" ...

Vic Mensa Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense): ...

Ty Dolla Sign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...

, and Gallant. This project was influenced by 90s R&B,

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became pop ...

trap music Trap is a subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the Southern United States during the 1990s. The genre gets its name from the Atlanta slang word "trap", a house used exclusively to sell drugs. Trap music uses synthesized drums and is ch ...

, and a recent genre of hip hop known as emo rap, in which the instrumental is guitar-driven.

2020–present: ''The Amanda Tape''

They signed to Avant Garden Records and in June 2020, the duo returned for the release of their new single "Count Me In" from their forthcoming album, ''The Amanda Tape'', marking their first official release of 2020. They and

Tinashe Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena as a child to pursue a career in entertainment. Her notab ...

linked up in July for the throwback R&B jam "Play Fight" as the second single from ''The Amanda Tape''.

Influences

The duo is influenced by artists like

Taking Back Sunday Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. The band was formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in 1999. The band's members currently are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, key ...

New Edition New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 19 ...

, Babyface and Kurt Cobain. Their 2018 EP ''Fireside'', which features

, and

Gallant Gallant may refer to: * Gallant (singer) (born 1991), American singer and songwriter * Gallant (surname), people with the surname * Gallant, Alabama, United States * A gallant, or a man exhibiting courage * A gallant, a member of the Parliament o ...

has been influenced by 90s R&B,

, and a recent genre of hip hop known as emo rap, in which the instrumental is guitar-driven.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

Guest appearances

References

External links

* * {{Authority control African-American musical groups American hip hop groups American contemporary R&B musical groups American musical duos Hip hop duos Contemporary R&B duos Musical groups from Los Angeles