Jacob Collier - An Absolute Genius

Jacob Collier (born 2 August 1994) is an English musician. His music incorporates elements from many musical genres, and often features extreme use of reharmonisation. In 2012, his split-screen video covers of popular songs, such as Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing", began to go viral on KZbin.
In 2014, Collier signed to Quincy Jones' management company and began working on his one-man, audio-visual live performance vehicle, designed and built at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2016, Collier released his debut album, "In My Room", which was self-recorded, -arranged, -performed and -produced in the small back room of his family home in Finchley, north London.
In 2017, Collier was awarded Grammy Awards for his arrangements of "Flintstones" and "You And I". In 2018, Collier began working on Djesse, a four-volume, 50-song album featuring more than two dozen artists and ensembles. The first volume, which features the Metropole Orkest, Djesse Vol. 1, was released in December 2018. The second, Djesse Vol. 2, uses more acoustic instrumentation, and was released in July 2019. In 2020, Collier won Grammy Awards for his arrangements of "All Night Long" from Djesse Vol. 1 and "Moon River" from Djesse Vol. 2, respectively. The third volume, Djesse Vol. 3, which Collier describes as being based in electronic sounds, was released on 14 August 2020.

[@jessekang380]

Bro this is the only guy who is a jack of all trades, and also a master of all

[@bluxpretion]

Not far I think

[@janfyhrholdt2788]

"this is the only guy who is a jack of all trades, and also a master of all" He should just "jack of" and forget "all trades".

[@ScarletPoet]

Ehm, no

[@jessekang380]

@@ScarletPoet nice!

[@deuteriumjones]

Most people: dress for the job you want. Jacob: pajamas and no shoes then

[@aubreywarneck7227]

And mukluks or crocs.

[@TheRhythmInside36]

This is what life is about. Jacob gets it. What a beautiful creator.

[@FANNIX-]

I believe what makes him so great is that he is not forcing to be complex or show off his abilities. It is not about being better than someone else. It is way more about the music than it is about him. He just let's his abilities express naturally to explore music and it's possibilities. And of course he has genius abilities which then get displayed. But his creation is not about his abilities. If this apprach wouldn't be there and he just wanted to show off or try to be better than someone else, he would still be a genius with great abilities - but his genius wouldn't flower like it does.

[@yianko2090]

So interesting that so many ppl think it’s necessary to post that they don’t like Jacob over and over, as if it will take his genius away. I learned about him from a musician friend of mine, one thing I noticed is that all pro musicians are in awe of him, and that already says a lot, and quite often, the one that gets the most praised by the general public, isn’t the best in the professional’s eyes. I personally don’t have the best music taste, but I see he is doing things that nobody else can, and he’s doing it insanely well. Not all of his songs are my fav, but I appreciate the creativity nonetheless. We honestly don’t need more empty pop singers who just look pretty, but we do need one Jacob Collier.

[@annaflore7098]

This guy is so interesting, everything he does, everything about it

[@skyfall2511]

he is so painfully underrated

[@illumination_0109]

He isn't just that its hard to appreciate or enjoy his music because its so out of what we are used to but with time some will perhaps enjoy it but there will definitely be people who can't enjoy it

[@aubreywarneck7227]

Music IS LAYERS!!

[@g1g243]

Not only is he brilliantly genius creating unique arrangements, he is also a master of many of his crafts. Out of the world! ❤

[@NordpeakConsulting]

many people are obviously negative in their comments below and showing dislike to Jacob's art. Why should I even be surprised... history teaches us that the greatest artists of all times were rarely appreciated and understood by their generation during their lifetimes... Thank You God for the gift of Jacob

[@persjogren-gulve8563]

Love + liberation❣🎈 in the light of supreme talent🙏💞🎈

[@onedayatagirl]

The motion of a genius on his own ride of creativity.

[@ximenafaundezaraneda6542]

Un genio a nivel dios!!! Valioso aporte a la música y a la sociedad actual...y tan joven...🤦‍♀️ Y yo, en este lado del mundo escuchando reggeton🙄

[@sillygirlcentral]

Mozart reborn. Seriously.

[@ophello]

Better than Mozart by an order of magnitude.

[@Mus34679]

@@ophelloHell no. Not even close.

[@PaulMacklinAmazing]

Yes I agree he’s definitely a WAM reincarnation 😊

[@illumination_0109]

@@Mus34679 He is arranging things more complex than what the classical composers are ever doing experiment with notes beyond just the one swe have in microtones and etc. I'd say he might even be far beyond those but i won't deny they are the ones that paved the way for geniuses like Jacob to explore further

[@herrroin6867]

@@illumination_0109Arranging musical notes in the most complex way doesn’t make him a genius. I‘d say music should generally have some emotional impact, which can be prevented by overdoing complexity. True geniuses find a way to balance complexity with simplicity, which Mozart mastered compared to Jacob imo

[@oliviagambito9407]

A living music

[@Wolfadorian]

Nice video!

[@tboorer]

Collier is without a doubt a genius, but the one aspect I’m not a fan of is his solo voice. It’s just personal preference and everything else in his musical tool box is bordering on the genius of Mozart!

[@janfyhrholdt2788]

Nothing wrong with Colliers voice, even if I don't agree with what he says or sings for that matter. I take it you prefer Mozart's voice.

[@simonwild428]

Check out his cover of Björk’s ‘Hyperballad’ on the Mahogany yt channel, his voice is creamy

[@demoncanondllyf]

3:30 partie orchestre cool,

[@pameliemusic]

But all night long performance was a live concert?when? I messed up...

[@Ccvanl4]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6TRdmSBrKuto7M + kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpfQkqSEfdasfK8

[@lovewavesdriftingforever]

Everyone’s a potential Einstein.. Given the opportunity... Go check out the street musicians. They play for love..

[@ophello]

Eeehh no. Not everyone. We aren’t all blank slates when we’re born, totally dependent on our upbringing. We come into this world with gifts and curses.

[@janfyhrholdt2788]

"Everyone’s a potential Einstein.." Yes, look at me, I am already God. I believe in myself. BTW, the street musicians, where I live, they are not exactly middleclass so they play for money.

[@imdabigdilfdondodah5689]

Only problem is now i dont wanna play cuz he’s just gonna do it better

[@Lieturon92]

Yes but he's not going to have your ideas :)

[@bossalicious6821]

Let him inspire you to express your own truth through music, which is unique to everybody :)

[@FANNIX-]

It is not about being good or bad. 🌱

[@bloophero]

The outro made me cry, at 10:13 on a Saturday morning... Weird! ❤️

[@daanfischer9816]

10:13??

[@bloophero]

@@daanfischer9816 I meant nearly quarter past 10 in the morning, rather than 10 mins and 13 seconds into an 8 minute or so video. 😆

[@Alex-si5te]

I like everything he does except his voice

[@ophello]

I just saw him perform. He belted out solid vocals.

[@sebastianmartinsson8243]

I agree, I dislike his vocals

[@100kynoT]

Incredible vocals

[@MIDIPipe]

Putumayo Mood Strikes Again

[@TheHonestTake]

Holy shit someone else knows about sam amidon? I found him years ago!

[@demoncanondllyf]

you're paid by Sam Amidon to make this advertisement?

[@TheHonestTake]

@@demoncanondllyf Yes I know him personally

[@henkdevries2002]

@@TheHonestTake All his music is pure gold

[@mauriciosalamancag3581]

GOD OF MUSIC I loved music, and then came Jacob All music went silent All instruments lined up in front of him. Music was whitened Jacob then started singing with each human on the planet As he was the God of music, he touched all hearts and sang all harmonies He was the music, shaped in a body, walking and talking like a human being And his soul was beauty

[@cristianocasaretto]

mumber one in the whole world....everything else is pure envy....enjoy it and don't be frustrated....if you don't understand the greatness of this guy, take some time to study seriously, because you are not connoisseurs of genius...

[@johnjennings8500]

and does it really matter if he's a genius or not. You can let yourself enjoy and learn from it. He definitely has a unique perspective and seemingly infinite attention to detail.

[@ScarletPoet]

What you call greatness, I call lack of musicality

[@dixieflatline1189]

Musically brilliant multi instrumentalist, seems a nice guy. But his singing......

[@ScarletPoet]

Man yawns

[@ophello]

Is this the second coming of Jesus Christ? JC? Is that you?

[@bluxpretion]

😅

[@janfyhrholdt2788]

I am God and Jacob Collier is not my son. He is Antichrist. He is not Jesus Christ (JC). Or JFC for that matter. Look at the second and third letter in his first name JACOB. It spells AC. Means AntiChrist. He used to play in AC/DC before. The other members where literally possessed by him. That's how they got inspiration for their songs.

[@cheeseheadfiddle]

He is undeniably brilliant and a prodigy. But why devote this much energy to All Night Long? Not like the most interesting song in the world.

[@RyanMonty]

Was interesting enough to win him another Grammy.

[@wtwrush]

Yeah it’s a great video but I’m confused as to why they put in like 2 minutes of call and response

[@loud7739]

Its a jam

[@UnjustifiedRecs]

His voice is the exact posh voice I do when I'm taking the piss out of posh people...... But that's the only bad thing I can say about him lol.

[@PeterMasalski93]

I like Jacob Collier as an individual and I'm certain he's a prodigy musical genius. He reminds me of my old biology professor who was nominated for Nobel Prizes several times. The university was basicly treating him like a prince and he raised the university's prestige, but he couldn't teach at all. He kept talking to 1st year students as if we were seasoned peers with doctorates and 15 years of experience in the field. He was basicly the worst teacher I have ever had. That's what Jacob Collier is, he's your favorite musician's favorite musician. Most people I have seen praising him are other expert musicians. He's not good for mainstream listeners.

[@markbrown6978]

I'm so glad having watched him teach, so many times, in so many different settings, how much he's loved as a teacher, so I'm glad to say, you're in error, but it's for a good cause!!

[@buzzedhoneysinc7487]

Yep JC had so much promise at 15, but now that he’s 20, it’s pretty clear he has no real career ahead of him. I hope he has a back up plan. Or maybe we give the guy a minute to grow into his own abilities?

[@beejoutbush3322]

Agreed.

[@scottdavis7730]

Yeah, nobody cares about the least common denominator; mainstream listeners. Mainstream listeners hated Mozart, Stravinsky, etc. If we let people who know nothing about anything set the bar, it tends to be a bit low. I'll take genius over mediocre any day of the week.

[@PeterMasalski93]

@@scottdavis7730 How do you define genius? Jason Pollock was randomly throwing paint onto a canvas. Please define genius vs non genius. You are going to have a hard time proving objective genius. But please try!

[@gerbennoordhuis8156]

I notice a lot of people almost worship Jacob for his skill and knowledge, Jacob has a lot in his portfolio and probably still has a lot to prove. That said it should not be important to force yourself to like someone's music because someone is "genius". In my personal opinion a true musical genius resonates with the overall audience, Jacob is not capable in that regard, only for the musical elitists that force themselves down his musical rabithole. Jacob really is an aqcuired taste. I showed my mom, my dad, my girlfriend and friends/relatives his music, they all disliked it.

[@santogysi]

He‘s considered a genius because he masters music as creatively as hardly anyone before. If you don‘t like it this doesn‘t make him less of a genius.

[@gerbennoordhuis8156]

@@santogysi All I am trying to say is that Jacob is not my cup of tea. The fact that he is briliant in his own ways doesn't mean he has no musical flaws at all. Everyone has them. A lot of people seem to glorify everything he does. Without even putting it to question. And the average listener doesn't care.

[@FANNIX-]

Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it is lacking. @@gerbennoordhuis8156

[@garton7471]

​@@gerbennoordhuis8156 Thats not what you were trying to say. You said that the music resonates with musical elitists forcing themselves down his musical rabbithole which is an unfair judgement. I like Jacob's music because it makes me feel good and I'm sure many people feel the same way. Nothing elitist about it.

[@nathanstell5665]

Yeah I’m not buying it. This guy is a true genius and master of the craft and it has nothing to do with whether or not people like or “get” him. Something isn’t true just because people agree it is, truth is truth and he is truthfully music incarnate.

[@luizasankowska6600]

Przerażająca pustka kościoła.

[@nathanreiber6819]

jesus he desperately needs someone to write his lyrics for him.

[@lebabouneux]

Fact. But in his defense, it's maybe the only thing we can say against him.

[@nathanreiber6819]

@@lebabouneux agreed

[@SonusCosmos]

No!

[@ophello]

“I’m a scrooge with nothing interesting to say.”

[@nathanreiber6819]

@@ophello lol.

[@bachelorgamer8001]

cheesy he's no Quincy Jones

[@bachelorgamer8001]

yeah him and is long list of hits @@hundredfireify

[@jesperjee]

True. Quincy only plays the trumpet.

[@bachelorgamer8001]

Quincy only gave us timeless music@@jesperjee

[@jesperjee]

@@bachelorgamer8001 Yeah? What's your point?

[@scottdavis7730]

Funny that Quincy would disagree with you. "The great Quincy Jones, Colliers' defacto manager and early mentor added, "I have never in my life seen a talent like this." Cry me a river.

[@sophiafakevirus-ro8cc]

He still hasn't written a great song

[@ChickenNugsRL]

in your opinion

[@ScarletPoet]

Goes to show you that they are handing Grammys to everyone these days. All the technical knowledge and not a song I can listen too longer than 10 seconds💀💀💀

[@ChickenNugsRL]

@@ScarletPoet nice opinion, you don’t like his music and that’s fine😭

[@taon2004]

Good musician and multi instrumentalist. Knows a lot of music theory. Charming and clever. Too bad he's a mediocre song writer, his music is not bad just mostly boring and immemorable. And you cannot call someone a genius who's biggest hits at the age of 25 are cover songs of the actual geniuses.

[@elinemay]

Well those hits scored him 4 grammys. And let me tell you that Jacob is a massive storyteller with a lot of feeling. His music is just not meant for everybody.

[@henkdevries2002]

But he's just starting with the songwriting. He does a lot of covers and reharmonization because that's how he learned about music and harmony. I do think that he has already written a lot of great songs. ''in the real early morning'', ''Hideaway'', ''Hajanga'', ''Once You'', ''Time to Rest Your Weary Head'', ''Make Me Cry'' to name a few. That''s just my opinion though.

[@justdontdie22]

@Lucas Wang Reggaeton appeals to the masses. Is that "genius"music then? 🤣

[@valerierosehuggins145]

A lot of people HATED bitches brew. Does that make it bad. I think if Herbie Handcock and Quincy Jones are able to say he's a genius then it's say to say he's pretty talented

[@toddhardnipples8565]

@Lucas Wang so your basically saying that because he doesn’t make pop music he’s not a genius.

[@zedudli]

He’s so full of himself

[@jesperjee]

As well he should. Better than being full of shit ( or jealousy)

[@davidmcmahon6862]

The problem with Jacob is that he's absolutely right to be full of himself 😂😂😂

[@congareel]

I was at one of his gigs at a relatively small venue in the UK when the jury was still out on whether his performances could scale up. The security guard at the venue was standing next to me. He looked so distracted by what was going on, I leaned over and asked 'What do you think?' he said 'I've never seen anything like it, is this some kind of club? Like do you all know each other?' (he actually thought that the whole audience was a group and that the guy on stage was just the band leader or something) This guy looked like he was about as far away from a JC fan as possible he was basically the only person in that 100 person venue that didn't join in the singing, but he was just in awe, like, 'What am I seeing/hearing?'. Seeing it from that perspective I realised that this music transcends genres and gets to the root of all music, togetherness. Jacob is a vessel for this and yeah that vessel is overflowingly full of itself and the music of which he is made. We are all incredibly fortunate to live in a world where a musical genius like Jacob can truely share his talents with the world.

[@illumination_0109]

If you had that ability to do what he does you would be too XD

[@wtwrush]

@@congareelwhat an amazing story. I was at his first ever gig, near MIT in 2016 and the vibe was so similar

[@hugocormerais]

I respect his talent and "genius" but his music suck

[@hugocormerais]

@@fr0nk3nst31n Hard question, I think the smiths, bob marley and bill evans

[@illumination_0109]

idk bout suck but definitely out of the norm and very explorative. There is no music that sucks really only music you don't like. Saying it sucks is just a ignorant insult

[@hugocormerais]

@@illumination_0109 It suck for me

[@illumination_0109]

@@hugocormerais like i said ignorant comment, you could've said it just didn't suit your taste instead of saying it sucked. If you wanna say it sucks atleast justify it so others can understand if not its just pure ignorance...like how does it suck? He played poorly? He sang flat? what mistake did he do to warrant it sucks rather than I just don't like his music?

[@hugocormerais]

@@illumination_0109 Get a life

[@jasoncharles9481]

🙄🙄Overkill times 1,000. We get it. You know lots of chords. Doesn’t mean play all of them.

[@gustavomartinez4281]

Not sure that’s how Jacobs mind operates at all. If anything he arranges from a very emotional perspective. Definitely an artist that deserves all the recognition he gets.

[@deikay5414]

:|

[@coragon42]

Playing random chords wouldn't get you to playing with Herbie Hancock.

[@jasoncharles9481]

@@coragon42 I’m not saying he’s not a genius or a great player, he clearly is a musical genius. My point is that everything he puts out is overkill, musically and harmonically. This is not a new concept, in fact record producers try to safeguard against this and it’s one of their main jobs. I just think his music will be even better once he learns to have some restraint. Less is usually more.

[@jaydoebud]

Artists "throw" paint at a canvas until they find what they're searching for. Who are we to say what limit they should be restricted by. Should he set a strict boundary because you want him to? What if every artist distracted their work with comments like yours?

[@Freudimpala]

Cringy forced voice in singing

[@ez_is_bloo]

Sure nitpick even more because you're jealous

[@JB-jt6oq]

Envy is funny

[@Freudimpala]

He sings so fucking bad!

[@bizzer1145]

Lol, u have to be a master at singing to say it

[@LearnCompositionOnline]

@@bizzer1145no, he only needs to be an experienced listener

[@JB-jt6oq]

​@@LearnCompositionOnlineThe most he can say is that the timbre doesn't please him, but it's a fact that he can sing.

[@janfyhrholdt2788]

He looks good, but sounds bad. He is nice to, but his music is ridiculous and obsolete. Not to mention his audiance which I dislike more than the so called music. Althought he represents my worst enemies and every sick opinions related, I must say he is the most beautiful looking musician I have seen so far. And his personality is perfect. However Im more interested in music than in peoples look and personal properties. If there are, by any chanse, other fascists like me, hating this terrible so called music, and the audiences sound as well. Then I must advice them to simply turn off the sound and just watch the beautiful visual appearance of Jacob Collier. I wish he was a fashion designer, a stylist, a model, a hairdresser, and an actor instead of a musician. He have creativity and talent, but definitely not in music, or in anything else intellectual. He is just very good looking, and that doesn't qualify him to be called a "genius". In addition, I must point out that his greatest property is this: He is not a woman. Not being a woman is unique in this female world of today. I would like to see him as the new James Bond. Then he can keep his musicianship as a hobby.

[@wozniakowski1217]

you are insane

[@timstaffell]

You confuse your own tribal/political frustration with what you imagine is a valid musically appreciative comment. It isn't. You are lost on a wild ocean of uncertainty...

[@janfyhrholdt2788]

@@timstaffell If your comment is a chord of words, then you should do poetry instead of music. BTW I find you and your music (not Jacob Collier's) as an average of averages of the middle of the middle. Or pastiches of pastiches if you will.Its a black hole of boredom from which not even sound can escape. No one can hear you screm. For a moment I thougt there was a trace of 10CC and Graham Gouldman, but I may be mistaken.Keeping a sound (as in healthy) distance, I might hear it in a restaurant, no more. Or inside an elevator in a low rise building. Jacob Collier's music on the other hand is so genuinely bad it makes me so extremely angry and makes me hate his music and his fans even more. The hate itself not only keeps me alive to the degree of immortality, but also, taking the obvious inferiority of this subculture into account give me confirmation of my own divine superiority. I call myself "God" already but sometimes Im afflicted with doubt in my faith. But now, after witnessing Antichrist in the shape of Jacob Collier I am no longer lost in this "wild ocean of uncertainty" you saw me in. Satan Hallelujah and Amen in hell! Im speaking in tongues. There is no higher being than Me. Period. However, maybe all this is not about music as such, but instead stage acting. Im leaning in that direction more and more. What about artificial reality? Where some parts are played with physical persons, and some other parts with AI? Maybe they are all pretending, just like actors in a movie, That there is a "new Mozart", "genius" with most talent in history. If something is too good to be true its probably not true. When something obviosly is too good to be true, then it must be false. A fake. Staged acting, where everybody are actors. Just like The emperors new clothing, but music instead of clothing. The emperor Jacob's clothes are even more than real. The thick layers upon layers of the most visible textil I ever seen. While the music is beyond non existence like a negative vacuum. Im a purist when it comes to music, and I mistakenly believed it was about music for the most part. Instead its a joke. The clothes Jacob Collier wears is a clown costume. The music sucks, and still the middle class applause. That make sense if other dimensions beside music comes into play. Another thing is the political correctness in the form of "there is no such thing as good and bad music" Its not "political" as you suggested, but instead against the laws of nature. You can have any political opinion as long you respect the laws of nature. Music is mathematics and physics as everything else. Survival is what matters, then JC is a weapon of mass destruction more or less, depending if he is a clown or a composer. Good music prolongs life. Since 99,9 percent of the music today is bad, only the hate of music keeps me busy. Hate, for the most part is the driving force for everything. The hate of music and (almost) everything else keeps me alive.

[@wozniakowski1217]

@@janfyhrholdt2788 penis balloon

[@timstaffell]

@@janfyhrholdt2788 I'll take average, and thank you! It is the highest compliment of all. For, there is ONLY average for any human; you hate yourself for it, this is evident, but you cannot escape it. Collier is only producing pop music, and that is all it is. If he has an unusual adeptness to shuffle the cards in the process, it makes no difference, it is still just pop music. And it too, is average. All human life is an average. You are a product of the acquisitive consumer delusion. Nothing else can explain your disenfranchised frustration. There is no need to invoke Deities, they are not there, they will not help you. You hate because you know you are average and unremarkable, and that you cannot escape.