Cinema NDN: On This Day in Dance Music History: Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü Came Out

Thursday, February 27, 2020

On This Day in Dance Music History: Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü Came Out

Jack Ü delivered their first and only album on February 27th, 2015.

At the apex of the EDM decade, two musical sensations delivered a longform body of work under their much-hyped side project. Diplo and Skrillex began releasing music as Jack Ü in 2014, but their first and only studio-length album arrived in the form of Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü on February 27th, 2015.

Prior to forming their supergroup, both artists had risen to superstar status in EDM. Skrillex (real name Sonny Moore) had effectively set a new standard for bass music sound design with the My Name Is Skrillex EP in 2010, and Diplo (real name Thomas Wesley Pentz) brought international flair to the movement with his band, Major Lazer, in addition to countless hip-hop-leaning solo releases. Combined, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Although they debuted as Jack Ü with a performance at Mad Decent Block Party in San Diego in September of 2013, Moore and Pentz did not release their first single under the project, "Take Ü There" featuring Kiesza, until a year later. When their album finally arrived in early 2015, they had amassed a formidable group of collaborators. 2 Chainz, AlunaGeorge, Snails and Bunji Garlin were among the artists credited on entries of its tracklist. To celebrate the release, they hosted a 24-hour back-to-back performance via Twitch live stream that was shut down after 18 hours.

Perhaps no other song on the album made the impact of "Where Are Ü Now" featuring Justin Bieber, however. It was released at a time when the pop icon faced media backlash while growing into himself post child stardom, and the support from Moore and Pentz helped redeem him in the public eye to a degree. The two producers would go on to collaborate with him on his November, 2015 album, Purpose.

Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü certainly elevated the careers of Moore and Pentz. It sold the equivalent of 14,000 in the first week following its release, and went certified Gold (meaning it sold 500,000 copies) by June of 2016. Whether the two artists' paths continue to cross, their project will remain one of the most recognized brands of the EDM decade.