The Chainsmokers - Biography and discography, all albums and songs

The Chainsmokers are an American electronic duo consisting of Drew Taggart and Alex Pall. The project was formed in New York and evolved from club-oriented EDM and online remixes into one of the biggest pop-electronic acts of the second half of the 2010s. The Chainsmokers’ music combines EDM, pop, electropop, future bass, progressive house and elements of alternative electronic music. Sony describes their sound as existing at the intersection of indie, progressive and pop.

The lineup consists of Andrew “Drew” Taggart — producer, songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist — and Alex Pall — DJ, producer and co-creator of the project. One of the defining features of The Chainsmokers has been their gradual transformation from a traditional DJ duo into a pop group in which Taggart began performing lead vocals, while their live shows developed elements of a full live-band format.

They achieved global recognition with the viral single #SELFIE in 2014, but their long-term career was truly established after the releases of Roses, Don’t Let Me Down and Closer. The latter spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Don’t Let Me Down earned the duo a Grammy.

Formation of The Chainsmokers

The history of the project began even before the current lineup was formed.

Alex Pall performed in New York under the name The Chainsmokers together with DJ Rhett Bixler. They played extended club sets, but Bixler eventually left the project. Pall decided to continue The Chainsmokers and, through manager Adam Alpert, met Drew Taggart. The modern lineup of the duo was formed in 2012.

At the time, Pall combined DJing with a job at an art gallery in New York. Taggart studied music business at Syracuse University and had been producing his own electronic music before moving to New York. Their professional skills complemented each other well: Pall already had club experience and connections within the New York scene, while Taggart was more focused on studio production.

Adam Alpert became not only the project’s manager but later also played an important role in building the infrastructure around the duo — including Disruptor Records, launched as a joint venture with Sony Music.

Early remixes

Before achieving international fame, The Chainsmokers systematically released remixes of tracks by independent artists.

Their strategy was unusually disciplined: the musicians searched for new songs that were beginning to gain attention on music blogs and Hype Machine, quickly created their own versions and sent them to editors and bloggers.

Pall later explained that the process essentially ran in continuous two-week cycles: Taggart handled production, after which Pall focused on distributing the finished remix while the next one was already being created. This routine continued for around two years.

One of their notable early remixes was a version of Daughter — Medicine, which became popular on Hype Machine.

At the same time, they also began releasing original material, including the collaboration with Priyanka Chopra on Erase.

#SELFIE

The first international breakthrough came in 2014.

#SELFIE was originally conceived as an ironic commentary on the club and social-media culture of the Instagram era: over an EDM instrumental, a young woman delivers a monologue about photos, relationships and social-media posts.

The track unexpectedly became a viral hit.

#SELFIE reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped Hot Dance/Electronic Songs.

The success made The Chainsmokers widely recognisable, but it also created a problem: the project began to be perceived mainly as the creators of a novelty hit.

The following years were largely spent proving that #SELFIE did not define the duo’s musical potential.

Transition to a more melodic sound

After #SELFIE, The Chainsmokers gradually moved away from the comedic EDM formula.

The turning point came with Roses, recorded with singer ROZES.

The song differed significantly from their earlier material: it featured a calmer tempo, emotional vocals, melodic electronic production and a less aggressive drop.

In the United States, Roses reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Pall later described the song’s success as the moment when the duo finally understood their own direction.

In October 2015, they released their first EP, Bouquet, which included Roses, New York City, Until You Were Gone, Waterbed and Good Intentions.

Don’t Let Me Down

In February 2016, The Chainsmokers released Don’t Let Me Down with Daya.

The track combined pop vocals with future-bass and trap-oriented EDM production. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the major electronic hits of the year.

In February 2017, Don’t Let Me Down earned The Chainsmokers their first and, to date, most important Grammy — Best Dance Recording.

At the same ceremony, the duo was nominated for Best New Artist, while Closer received a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Closer

On 29 July 2016, The Chainsmokers released Closer with Halsey.

The song was important for another reason as well: the lead male vocal was performed for the first time by Drew Taggart. Before that, The Chainsmokers had mainly built their songs around guest vocalists.

Closer was much closer to electropop and future bass than to classic festival EDM. Its lyrics told a nostalgic story about two former lovers, while the arrangement was built around a simple synthesizer hook rather than a traditional massive EDM drop.

The result became the biggest commercial success of the duo’s career.

Closer spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song became the longest-running U.S. No. 1 of 2016 and definitively moved The Chainsmokers from the EDM industry into the global pop mainstream.

Collage

On 4 November 2016, the duo released their second EP, Collage.

It included:

• Setting Fires
• All We Know
• Closer
• Inside Out
• Don’t Let Me Down.

By the time of its release, four previously issued songs from the project had already accumulated more than one billion streams, demonstrating the scale of the duo’s rapid growth.

Collage reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200.

Paris

In January 2017, The Chainsmokers released Paris.

Unlike many of the duo’s earlier tracks, the official title did not list a featured artist at all. The main vocal was performed by Taggart.

The song continued the direction established by Closer: electronic music increasingly became the foundation for full-scale pop songwriting rather than the central focus of the track itself.

Something Just Like This

In February 2017, The Chainsmokers teamed up with Coldplay for Something Just Like This.

The song was first performed during the BRIT Awards and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It became one of the biggest examples of festival-oriented electronic production merging with the aesthetic of a stadium pop-rock band.

Memories...Do Not Open

On 7 April 2017, The Chainsmokers released their debut studio album Memories...Do Not Open.

The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

It included:

• The One
• Break Up Every Night
• Bloodstream
• Don’t Say
• Something Just Like This
• My Type
• It Won’t Kill Ya
• Paris
• Honest
• Wake Up Alone
• Young
• Last Day Alive.

This album fully established The Chainsmokers’ model as a pop-electronic act: electronic production, songs about failed relationships, youth, parties and emotional instability, and the increasingly prominent vocals of Taggart.

Memories...Do Not Open was not merely a successful EDM album — it firmly established The Chainsmokers among the biggest mainstream acts of their era.

Live transformation

After the success of Closer and the debut album, the format of their performances also changed.

The Chainsmokers gradually began moving away from the classic “two DJs behind the decks” model. Taggart started singing live and playing guitar and keyboards, while drummer Matt McGuire became part of the touring lineup.

As a result, the show evolved into a combination of DJ set, electronic performance and elements of a pop-rock concert.

This hybrid model allowed them to perform both club-oriented material and songs such as Closer, Paris or Something Just Like This, which required a more traditional live structure.

Sick Boy

In 2018, the next stage of the project began.

Instead of a traditional album campaign, The Chainsmokers used a model that Sony later described as a building album: songs were released gradually throughout the year and eventually formed a full-length project.

The album Sick Boy was released in December 2018.

Among its most notable tracks were:

• Sick Boy
• Everybody Hates Me
• Somebody
• Side Effects
• This Feeling
• Beach House
• Hope.

The lyrics became noticeably darker and more self-reflective. The romantic nostalgia of Closer gave way to themes of the pressure of fame, social media, self-esteem and the artist’s relationship with public image.

Sick Boy demonstrated that the duo was willing to consciously change the mood of its music even after the enormous commercial success of its previous formula.

This Feeling and Hope

One of the biggest songs from the period was This Feeling with Kelsea Ballerini.

Another important track was Hope with Swedish singer Winona Oak. This collaboration would continue almost eight years later — in 2026.

World War Joy

In 2019, the same gradual release model was used for the third album, World War Joy. Sony explicitly notes that Sick Boy and World War Joy were built through the sequential release of individual songs.

The album included:

• Who Do You Love
• Kills You Slowly
• Do You Mean
• Call You Mine
• Takeaway
• Push My Luck
• The Reaper
• Family
• P.S. I Hope You’re Happy
• See the Way.

Featured artists included 5 Seconds of Summer, Bebe Rexha, ILLENIUM, Lennon Stella and blink-182.

During this period, The Chainsmokers continued moving away from pure EDM toward a more song-oriented pop/electronic format.

Takeaway

Takeaway, recorded with ILLENIUM and Lennon Stella, occupies a special place on World War Joy.

The track combined the more melodic side of The Chainsmokers with ILLENIUM’s emotional future-bass approach and became one of the album’s most recognisable songs.

The biggest commercial period

By the end of the 2010s, The Chainsmokers had become not only an enormously successful streaming act but also one of the largest touring electronic groups.

In 2019, Forbes ranked The Chainsmokers No. 1 among the world’s highest-paid electronic artists of the year, estimating their pre-tax income at $46 million. They ended a six-year run by Calvin Harris at the top of the ranking.

International tours and years of club work in Las Vegas played a major role in their commercial success.

Break after 2019

After an extremely intense period, The Chainsmokers decided to temporarily reduce their public activity.

At the beginning of 2020, the duo effectively stepped away from social media and stopped releasing music on a regular basis, focusing instead on creating their next album.

The break coincided with the pandemic, but the decision to step away from the constant content cycle was also a creative move. When they returned in 2022, Pall and Taggart spoke to Billboard about entering a more mature stage of the project.

So Far So Good

On 13 May 2022, The Chainsmokers released their fourth studio album So Far So Good.

It was their first full-length album after a three-year break and the first following their conscious withdrawal from the constant media cycle.

Key tracks included:

• Riptide
• High
• iPad
• Maradona
• Solo Mission
• Something Different
• I Love U
• If You’re Serious
• Channel 1.

So Far So Good topped the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

The album relied less heavily on guest pop stars than the duo’s previous work and focused more strongly on Taggart and Pall’s own songwriting.

Summertime Friends

In 2023, The Chainsmokers continued actively releasing new music and presented their fifth studio album, Summertime Friends. Billboard and Apple Music classify it as a full-length album release by the duo.

The project included material released throughout the year.

Notable tracks from the period included:

• Summertime Friends
• See You Again
• My Bad
• Celular
• Jungle.

On Jungle, The Chainsmokers collaborated with Alok.

At this stage, their sound once again became less uniform: mainstream pop existed alongside house, melodic dance and lighter festival-oriented material.

Party Never Ends

In August 2023, the duo staged a major show titled The Party Never Ends at Los Angeles State Historic Park.

According to Billboard, the event set an attendance record for the venue.

The Party Never Ends name later continued to be used as part of The Chainsmokers’ live brand.

No Hard Feelings

On 10 May 2024, the duo released the EP No Hard Feelings.

The project marked another move toward more club-oriented electronic material after the relatively pop-focused Summertime Friends. Sony includes No Hard Feelings in the group’s main contemporary discography.

One especially notable release was Addicted, recorded with Brazilian producer Zerb and featuring Ink. Apple Music and current catalogues continue to list it among The Chainsmokers’ most popular recent tracks.

During this period, they also released Friday, Bad Advice, Tennis Court and No Shade at Pitti.

Breathe

In 2025, another release cycle began.

Following the singles White Wine & Adderall, Helium, Spaces and Smooth, the EP Breathe was released on 24 October.

Apple Music identifies it as The Chainsmokers’ sixth EP. The eight-track project combines pop, electronic dance music, UK garage and more melodic branches of contemporary electronic music.

Particularly symbolic was the return of Daya on the track Veins — almost ten years after the Grammy-winning Don’t Let Me Down.

Love Is Kind

In 2026, The Chainsmokers returned to another long-standing creative partnership.

On 8 May, they released the collaborative EP Love Is Kind with Oaks, formerly known as Winona Oak. The Chainsmokers’ official website describes it as the project’s current new release.

The EP contains five tracks:

• Echo
• Already Know
• Five Past Three
• Love Is Kind
• Wild.

The project became the first major collaborative cycle between The Chainsmokers and Oaks since their work on Hope in 2018. Apple Music describes Love Is Kind as an energetic and emotional dance release built around romantic themes.

Thus, by 2026, the group continues to release new music more than a decade after #SELFIE.

The Chainsmokers in 2026

The project continues to maintain an active international touring schedule.

In May 2026, The Chainsmokers performed at EDC Las Vegas, followed by a Mainstage appearance at Tomorrowland Belgium in July. Apple Music released official DJ-mix recordings of both sets.

At the same time, their residency and club activity in Las Vegas continues. Their current concert calendar includes regular appearances at Encore Beach Club and EBC at Night.

Musical style

The Chainsmokers cannot accurately be described exclusively as a future-bass duo.

Their sound has changed significantly throughout their career.

Early period

During the #SELFIE period, the main styles were:

• electro house
• progressive house
• festival EDM

Roses and Collage

From 2015–2016 onward, the following became central:

• future bass
• melodic EDM
• electropop
• trap-influenced electronic pop

This is the period that includes Roses, Don’t Let Me Down and Closer. Apple Music specifically highlights the transition toward trap-influenced future bass in these works.

Memories...Do Not Open

In 2017, their music moved closer to mainstream pop and songwriting, while electronic production remained the foundation.

Sick Boy and World War Joy

The sound became darker, with elements of alternative pop, pop-rock and more experimental electronic music.

So Far So Good

After the hiatus, the duo returned to melodic electronic pop, placing greater emphasis on album cohesion and Taggart’s own vocals.

2023–2026

Summertime Friends, No Hard Feelings, Breathe and Love Is Kind demonstrate a freer model: house, UK garage, melodic dance, electropop and festival electronic music coexist within the same project without an attempt to be tied to a single subgenre.

Drew Taggart as a vocalist

One of the most important changes in the group’s history was Drew Taggart’s decision to sing on their own songs.

Before Closer, The Chainsmokers generally relied on guest vocalists. Closer became the first major proof that Taggart could function not only as a producer but also as a frontman.

After that, his voice became a permanent part of the catalogue.

This decision significantly changed the project’s identity: The Chainsmokers stopped depending exclusively on featured singers and gained a recognisable frontman.

Songwriting

Song structure is one of the key characteristics of The Chainsmokers.

Despite their EDM origins, their most successful tracks are usually built not around a technically complex drop but around:

• a simple vocal hook;
• conversational lyrics;
• themes of relationships and breakups;
• nostalgia;
• self-irony;
• an easily recognisable synthesizer motif.

The musicians themselves have summarised their approach very simply: the song has to come first. Apple Music quotes Taggart describing songwriting as the main starting point of their work.

Disruptor Records

The professional history of The Chainsmokers is closely connected with manager Adam Alpert.

In 2014, Alpert launched Disruptor Records in partnership with Sony Music. Key releases by The Chainsmokers were subsequently issued through Disruptor / Columbia Records.

This structure made it possible to combine management, A&R, recording and marketing around a single team.

Kick The Habit Productions

In 2018, Pall and Taggart expanded their activities beyond music by founding Kick The Habit Productions.

The company was launched to develop film, television and digital projects. One of its first announced projects was a film inspired by the song Paris.

Thus, The Chainsmokers began developing not only as a music brand but also as an entertainment production company.

Mantis VC

Another business direction appeared in 2019, when Pall and Taggart became co-founders of the venture capital company Mantis VC.

The fund invests in technology startups across fintech, machine learning, e-commerce, gaming, healthcare and cybersecurity. WIRED noted that by 2023 Mantis had built a broad portfolio of technology investments.

The project exists separately from The Chainsmokers’ music activities, but it is a notable part of Pall and Taggart’s business careers.

Awards and achievements

Among The Chainsmokers’ main achievements:

• Grammy — Best Dance Recording for Don’t Let Me Down;
• Grammy nomination for Best New Artist;
• Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Closer;
• Closer — 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100;
• Memories...Do Not Open — No. 1 on the Billboard 200;
• Roses — No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100;
• Don’t Let Me Down — No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100;
• Something Just Like This — No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100;
• The Chainsmokers — No. 1 on Forbes’ list of the highest-paid electronic artists in 2019.

Sony also lists the Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards and MTV VMAs among the duo’s major awards.

Main discography

Studio albums

• Memories...Do Not Open — 2017
• Sick Boy — 2018
• World War Joy — 2019
• So Far So Good — 2022
• Summertime Friends — 2023.

Main EPs

• Bouquet — 2015
• Collage — 2016
• No Hard Feelings — 2024
• Breathe — 2025
• Love Is Kind — with Oaks, 2026.

Selected tracks

• #SELFIE
• Roses
• Don’t Let Me Down
• Closer
• All We Know
• Paris
• Something Just Like This
• Sick Boy
• Everybody Hates Me
• This Feeling
• Hope
• Who Do You Love
• Call You Mine
• Takeaway
• High
• iPad
• Summertime Friends
• Jungle
• Addicted
• Friday
• White Wine & Adderall
• Spaces
• Veins
• Echo
• Love Is Kind.

The Chainsmokers emerged at a time when American EDM had already developed into a mass-scale festival industry. They therefore were not founders of EDM or future bass. Their significance lies in a different stage of electronic music’s evolution.

After the viral success of #SELFIE, the duo managed to almost completely reinvent its musical image. Roses shifted the emphasis from novelty EDM toward melodic electronic songwriting, Don’t Let Me Down combined pop songwriting with future bass, while Closer ultimately erased the boundary between a DJ project and a pop group.

This period helped make minimalist, emotional electronic pop one of the dominant commercial sounds of the second half of the 2010s.

At the same time, The Chainsmokers did not remain tied to a single peak era. Sick Boy and World War Joy changed their approach to album releases, So Far So Good followed a conscious creative break, while Summertime Friends, No Hard Feelings, Breathe and Love Is Kind continued to expand their catalogue throughout the 2020s.

The history of The Chainsmokers is therefore best understood as a transition from a New York DJ project and online remixes to a global electronic-pop duo that learned to combine club production, pop songwriting, its own vocals and large-scale live performance.