Ava Max
Topic is a German DJ, music producer, and songwriter of Croatian descent. The musician’s real name is Tobias Topic. He was born on March 23, 1992, in Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Topic gained international recognition through melodic electronic music that combines dance rhythms with emotive vocals and a melancholic pop aesthetic. The artist describes his style as melancholic dance music. His best-known works include Home, Breaking Me, Your Love (9PM), Kernkraft 400 (A Better Day), Forget You, and I Adore You.
Background and Early Years
Tobias Topic was born and raised in Germany. His mother is German, while his father is of Croatian descent. The musician’s surname originates from the Croatian spelling Topić, although he uses the internationally accessible form Topic in his professional career.
His interest in creating music emerged during his teenage years. At approximately 16, a teacher introduced Tobias to Logic Studio, after which he began independently studying arrangement, electronic production, and sound processing. Topic later recalled that it was a schoolteacher who first showed him how to create music using a digital audio workstation.
During his early years, he focused primarily on studio work rather than DJ performances. Topic produced music for online creators and emerging performers, established creative connections through YouTube, and gradually built his own catalog. The internet became not only a means of distributing his work, but also the environment in which his professional career began.
First Releases
Topic’s first notable solo release was the house track Light It Up, issued in late 2014. The song received a significant number of views on his YouTube channel and helped the musician transition from producing for other performers to developing his own artistic project.
In the summer of 2015, Topic released his debut studio album, Miles. The record contained 16 tracks and included both vocal and instrumental works positioned at the intersection of house, dance-pop, and melodic electronic music. The album entered the charts in Germany and Austria, reaching No. 70 in the Austrian ranking.
Miles differs from Topic’s later international hits. His signature formula had not yet been fully established, but the album already revealed his interest in melancholic harmonies, pop vocals, and accessible dance structures.
Home and the First International Success
In December 2015, Topic released Home, featuring vocals by Nico Santos. The single became the musician’s first major commercial success.
In Germany, Home reached No. 12 and remained on the national chart for 33 weeks. The song also became widely popular in Australia, where it entered the upper section of the national ranking and received platinum certifications.
The collaboration with Nico Santos proved important for both artists. Their creative partnership continued in later years through songs such as Like I Love You, In Your Arms (For an Angel), and other projects.
It was the success of Home, rather than Breaking Me, that first demonstrated Topic’s ability to reach audiences beyond the German market.
The Album Period and the Development of His Signature Style
Following the success of Home, Topic continued releasing vocal electronic music. His work from this period included Find You with Jake Reese and Break My Habits with Swedish singer Patrik Jean.
In 2016, Topic was nominated at the MTV Europe Music Awards as a contender for Best German Act. The nomination reflected his growing recognition several years before the global success of Breaking Me.
In 2018, he recorded Perfect with Ally Brooke, a member of Fifth Harmony. The track received a Teen Choice Awards nomination in the Choice Electronic/Dance Song category.
During the same period, Topic experimented with different languages and musical styles. These releases included the Spanish-language track Sólo Contigo, created with Juan Magán and Lena Meyer-Landrut.
Breaking Me
The defining release of Topic’s career was Breaking Me, recorded with Swedish singer and songwriter A7S, whose real name is Alexander Tidebrink.
The single was released on December 19, 2019. Its international breakthrough came in 2020, when the song began spreading rapidly through radio stations, streaming services, social platforms, and dance playlists.
Breaking Me combined a soft house rhythm, a deep bassline, A7S’s expressive vocals, and a melancholic melody. Its lyrics explore an emotionally unequal relationship in which one person continually gives more and is gradually broken from within.
The track entered the Top 10 in Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, and several other countries. In the United Kingdom, it reached No. 3 and remained on the main singles chart for 34 weeks. In the United States, the song climbed to No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 and entered the Top 10 of the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
Breaking Me transformed Topic from a successful European producer into a global artist and became his defining signature track.
Collaboration with A7S
The success of Breaking Me marked the beginning of a long-term collaboration between Topic and A7S. Their creative partnership is based on the combination of Topic’s melodic production and the Swedish singer’s recognizable voice.
In August 2020, they released Why Do You Lie to Me, which also featured American rapper Lil Baby. The song combined European vocal electronic music with elements of contemporary hip-hop.
Their next major collaborative success was Your Love (9PM), recorded with German producer ATB. The track is built around the melody of ATB’s classic 1998 trance hit 9 PM (Till I Come).
The new version was released in 2021, reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart, and received a BRIT Awards nomination for International Song of the Year.
In 2022, Topic and A7S continued revisiting the legacy of earlier electronic music with Kernkraft 400 (A Better Day). The song reinterpreted the famous melody from Zombie Nation’s Kernkraft 400, combining it with new vocals and a contemporary dance arrangement.
Successful Releases of 2021
Following Breaking Me, Topic significantly expanded the range of performers with whom he collaborated. Several international projects were released in 2021.
He recorded Chain My Heart with American singer Bebe Rexha. He also released Drive with British group Clean Bandit and singer Wes Nelson, with the single reaching No. 17 in the United Kingdom.
Another notable release was British singer Becky Hill’s My Heart Goes (La Di Da), on which Topic served as producer and co-performing artist. The track reached No. 11 on the main UK Singles Chart and topped the country’s official dance ranking.
These releases demonstrated that Topic could not only work within his own established artistic formula, but also adapt his production style to the individual character of each guest vocalist.
In Your Arms (For an Angel)
In 2022, Topic joined forces with Robin Schulz, Nico Santos, and German trance pioneer Paul van Dyk to record In Your Arms (For an Angel).
The song reinterpreted the melody of For an Angel, one of Paul van Dyk’s most famous works. Topic and Robin Schulz transformed it into a contemporary vocal dance-pop track while retaining the recognizable trance foundation of the original.
The release became an example of Topic’s characteristic approach: he uses the musical legacy of the 1990s and early 2000s not as a simple quotation, but as the foundation for a new pop composition.
Forget You and the Releases of 2023
In February 2023, Topic released Forget You, a collaborative single with German duo FAST BOY. The track continued his exploration of emotional dance music, combining the theme of a painful breakup with a light club rhythm.
Other releases from the same period included:
- Saving Me with Sasha Alex Sloan;
- Lucid Dream;
- All or Nothing with HRVY;
- other vocal and club-oriented releases.
These tracks confirmed Topic’s transition from a predominantly deep- and tropical-house sound toward a broader form of melodic dance music incorporating pop, trance, and festival-oriented electronic production.
I Adore You
In 2024, Topic collaborated with French producer HUGEL, Swedish-Iranian singer Arash, and vocalist Daecolm on I Adore You.
The track combines melodic house, afro-house, pop music, and vocal elements designed for an international audience. The song entered the charts in several countries and reached No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. It remained on the UK Singles Chart for ten weeks.
I Adore You marked another expansion of Topic’s musical palette. While the early part of his catalog was primarily associated with European deep house, this release demonstrated his growing interest in African-influenced rhythms and global dance-pop.
WILD KID
In 2024, Topic launched his own record label and party series, WILD KID. The new imprint’s first release was the track Peakin’.
WILD KID was created as a platform for the more club-oriented and unrestricted side of Topic’s work, as well as for music by other producers. The project combined the functions of a label, an events brand, and a creative community.
The launch of his own organization expanded Topic’s role within the industry. He began working not only as an artist and producer, but also as a release curator and organizer of music events.
Further Development
In 2025, Topic continued working with artists from different musical cultures. Together with Daecolm, he released Control of Me, continuing the collaboration that had begun during the creation of I Adore You.
Albi, recorded with Mougleta and French performer Vegedream, combined English, Arabic, and French vocals with elements of afro-house and dance-pop. Its title translates from Arabic as “my heart.”
On Body, Topic reunited with Nico Santos and also worked with Nigerian artist Fireboy DML. The release continued his movement toward international vocal house.
In 2026, his catalog expanded with Missing You, created with A7S and South African producer Shimza. The track combined Topic’s characteristic emotional melodies with a deeper afro-house rhythm.
Within an evergreen biography, these releases should not be presented as a “latest news” section, but rather as evidence of the musician’s gradual stylistic expansion from European melodic house toward a more global dance sound.
Musical Style
Topic most frequently works at the intersection of melodic house, dance-pop, deep house, and commercial electronic music. Individual tracks may also incorporate elements of tropical house, trance, Eurodance, and afro-house.
His production is characterized by:
- melancholic minor-key harmonies;
- expressive vocal performances;
- deep but carefully controlled basslines;
- concise dance rhythms;
- short and instantly memorable melodic hooks;
- a contrast between emotionally heavy lyrics and energetic arrangements.
Topic’s defining quality is his ability to create dance music from emotionally difficult narratives. His songs frequently address dependency within relationships, separation, memories, the inability to forget another person, and inner loneliness.
For this reason, the description melancholic dance music defines his work more accurately than the general label of “commercial EDM.”
Working with Vocalists
Topic rarely builds his tracks exclusively around an instrumental drop. In most of his best-known works, the voice of a guest performer occupies the central position.
Artists with whom he has collaborated include:
- A7S;
- Nico Santos;
- Bebe Rexha;
- Becky Hill;
- Ally Brooke;
- Lil Baby;
- Clean Bandit;
- Wes Nelson;
- ATB;
- Robin Schulz;
- Paul van Dyk;
- FAST BOY;
- Sasha Alex Sloan;
- HUGEL;
- Arash;
- Daecolm;
- Fireboy DML;
- Vegedream.
This collaborative approach allows Topic to retain a recognizable production foundation while changing the language, genre direction, and emotional character of each release.
Live Performances
Following the international success of Breaking Me, Topic began performing regularly at major clubs and festivals. The COVID-19 pandemic coincided with his global breakthrough and temporarily prevented the musician from fully developing the song’s live momentum.
He later performed across Europe, Asia, the United States, and other regions. In 2024, Topic appeared on the anniversary edition of Tomorrowland Belgium, performing on The Library stage curated by Tomorrowland Music.
His festival sets differ from his radio-oriented singles: they feature heavier basslines, accelerated versions of his own songs, club remixes, and elements of melodic and progressive house.
Claims that Topic specifically performed at Ultra Music Festival Miami are best avoided unless a particular year and stage can be identified, as no reliable confirmation of such an appearance was found in the available official festival archives.
Awards and Chart Achievements
Topic’s main achievements include:
- an MTV Europe Music Awards nomination for Best German Act;
- a Teen Choice Awards nomination for Perfect with Ally Brooke;
- a Billboard Music Awards nomination for Breaking Me;
- a BRIT Awards nomination for Your Love (9PM);
- Breaking Me reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart;
- Breaking Me entering the Billboard Hot 100;
- several international platinum and gold certifications;
- My Heart Goes (La Di Da) reaching No. 1 on the UK dance chart;
- entry into the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs ranking.
In 2022, Topic entered the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs ranking for the first time at No. 69. In the 2025 edition, he placed at No. 99. The publication describes his style as melodic house and notes the multibillion-stream cumulative audience of his catalog across digital platforms.
Selected Discography
Studio Album
- Miles — 2015
Main Singles
- Light It Up — 2014
- Home — featuring Nico Santos, 2015
- Find You — featuring Jake Reese, 2016
- Break My Habits — featuring Patrik Jean, 2017
- Perfect — with Ally Brooke, 2018
- Breaking Me — with A7S, 2019
- Like I Love You — with Nico Santos, 2020
- Why Do You Lie to Me — with A7S and Lil Baby, 2020
- Your Love (9PM) — with ATB and A7S, 2021
- Chain My Heart — with Bebe Rexha, 2021
- Drive — with Clean Bandit and Wes Nelson, 2021
- My Heart Goes (La Di Da) — with Becky Hill, 2021
- In Your Arms (For an Angel) — with Robin Schulz, Nico Santos, and Paul van Dyk, 2022
- Kernkraft 400 (A Better Day) — with A7S, 2022
- Forget You — with FAST BOY, 2023
- Saving Me — with Sasha Alex Sloan, 2023
- I Adore You — with HUGEL, Arash, and Daecolm, 2024
- Control of Me — with Daecolm, 2025
- Albi — with Mougleta and Vegedream, 2025
- Body — with Fireboy DML and Nico Santos, 2025
- Missing You — with Shimza and A7S, 2026.
Significance
Topic belongs to a generation of European producers that brought electronic music closer to streaming-era pop culture. He retained club-oriented rhythms while placing vocals, emotional narratives, and melody at the center of his compositions.
His career differs from that of an artist who became famous through a single accidental viral hit. Before Breaking Me, Topic had already released an album, achieved international success with Home, and spent several years working as a songwriter and producer.
Topic is a German DJ and music producer who developed a recognizable style at the intersection of melancholic pop and electronic dance music. His catalog demonstrates a gradual evolution from house and deep house toward melodic dance, trance, and afro-house, while his continuing collaborations with vocalists from different countries have made him one of the most notable figures on the international electronic music scene.
