Marshmello
DJ/producer/artist Marshmello took over the stage at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Sunday night. He performed his hit song “Alone,” and he brought out some special guests along the way. First up was singer Bebe Rexha, who joined him during the chorus. Then, pop star Halsey came out to sing alongside him. She even got into it with Marshmello, shouting out her name while performing her new single “Bad At Love.”
The performance marked the second collaboration between Marshmello and rapper Lil Baby, following their track “Wake Up!” off 2017’s Joytime EP. They’re both signed to Republic Records.
Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., is hosting the event, marking the third straight year that the city has hosted the awards show. This is the first time since 2009 that there have been no major changes to the format of the ceremony.
This year, the Billboard Music Awards are set to air live from Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena beginning May 20.
Career
Marshmello began making music in 2015 while attending high school in Orlando, Florida. He had been playing guitar since elementary school, and wanted to pursue music full-time. His father encouraged him to take up engineering and production. After graduating from high school, he moved to Los Angeles to attend college. While there, he worked on his music full-time.
In April 2017, Marshmello signed to Ultra Records, and released his second EP, titled Joytime, on May 5, 2017.
On August 13, 2018, Marshmello announced the formation of his own record label, called Joytime Collective. A few weeks later, he released his third EP, titled Alone.
2016–2018: “Silence”, “Wolves”, “Friends”, and Joytime II
After performing at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April 2017, Marshmello became one of the most popular electronic music artists worldwide. His popularity grew even further when he played at Ultra Music Festival in July 2017. During the festival, Marshmello performed alongside Zedd, Galantis, and Major Lazer. He also performed at Tomorrowland in Belgium in August 2017, making him the first American artist to perform there since Deadmau5 in 2013.
In October 2017, Marshmello released a song titled “Happier,” featuring American singer Khalid. The song debuted at number four on Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the Dance/Electronic Songs chart. Later in November 2017, Marshmello teamed up with Canadian dance producer Martin Garrix to release a remix of Swedish duo Icona Pop’s “I Love It”. The track peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Marshmello released his second studio album Joytime II in February 2018. The album features collaborations with French DJ David Guetta, British DJ Steve Aoki, Australian DJ Flume, and others. Its lead single, “Alone Together”, featuring American rapper Chance the Rapper, peaked atop the charts in multiple countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and United Kingdom. The song went on to win Best International Song at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
On September 7, 2018, Marshmello released the single “Sunset”, featuring American singer Ariana Grande. It was certified platinum in France and double platinum in Canada.
In December 2018, Marshmello performed during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIII.
In January 2019, Marshmello performed the opening set for the Rolling Loud Festival in San Bernardino, California.
The following month, Marshmello headlined the TomorrowWorld festival in Atlanta, Georgia.
2018–present: “Happier”, Joytime III and Shockwave
The track was written by Bastille frontman Dan Smith, and produced by Marshmello. It was released on 25 August 2018, through Mura Masa Records and Ultra Music Group. The song entered the UK Singles Chart at number one and remained there for three consecutive weeks. It peaked within the top ten of charts across Europe, including the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Spain, Italy, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Estonia, Slovenia, Croatia and Turkey. The song reached the top five in several countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. It debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100, making him the second artist to debut at number one since Drake in 2016, following Post Malone’s “Rockstar”. The song stayed atop the chart for seven consecutive weeks. It was later certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of three million units. It was certified quadruple platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales of 280,000 copies. As of July 2018, the song had sold 2.7 million digital downloads worldwide.
In December 2018, the song received nominations for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Song of the Year at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. At the ceremony, it won both awards.
Marshmello collaborated with American rapper Lil Pump on the track “I Love It” in April 2019. He also worked with BTS member RM on the song “Boy With Luv” in May.
In June 2019, he collaborated with English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran on the song “Shape of You” for Sheeran’s upcoming album ÷. The song topped the charts in multiple countries and was certified 4x Platinum in the United Kingdom, 4x Platinum in the US, and Gold in Australia.
On November 22, 2019, Marshmello announced via social media that he would collaborate with French DJ David Guetta on a remix of his song “Hey Mama”. The remix was officially released on November 27, 2019.
Artistry
Marshmello’s stage presence has been described as having a “childlike innocence” and a “wonderful energy.” He often appears onstage without shoes or socks, and he has stated that he does not wear underwear. In interviews, he has mentioned that he enjoys dressing up like a superhero, and he has joked about being a “superhero” because of his ability to play multiple instruments simultaneously.
In a July 2018 article, Billboard magazine called him one of EDM’s most influential artists.
The Guardian wrote that Marshmello “has become synonymous with dance music,” while Rolling Stone described him as “a pop star in the making.” NME named him the best DJ in the world in 2016.