Jack Stevens
| Jack Stevens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Jack Stevens December 23, 1979 London, England |
| Occupation | Singer · Songwriter |
| Years active |
2005-2010 2020-2022 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Pop |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | |
| Signature |
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Jack Stevens (born December 23, 1979) is one of the most successful male recording artists in chart-history, he is known for hit songs such as ‘Shame On You’, ‘Reverend Stevens’, ‘Hands Up! Pants Down!’ and 'Masc For Masc' He has sold more than 20,000,000 records since 2004 and has achieved twenty two number-one singles. He has also received several accolades, including being the highest selling act in the world in 2008 and winning eight Urapopstar Awards.
In 2005, Stevens signed a recording contract with Inner'Sense Records after being spotted by label executives while working on-site as a tradesman. He subsequently released his debut album ‘Ambition & Ego’ which topped the charts alongside it’s singles ‘Shame On You’, ‘Scared’ and ‘First, Last & Only’ a duet with Lucreacia. The album was a surprise success and was certified multi-platinum.
After being tied-up in record label contracts and politics, Jack released his second album ‘Electropop Therapy’ in 2007, as part of a new recording contract with Ensemble Entertainment. The album peaked at number one and was certified diamond for sales in excess of 1,400,000 copies and earnt the star a further four number one singles. Just a year later, Jack released the follow-up, his third album ‘Filthy! Dirty! Sexxxy! Audio!’ which was again certified diamond for sales of over 1,400,000 copies and produced five further number one singles. Also in 2008, Jack released his first greatest hits collection ‘Broken Records’ which was certified platinum and also topped the charts upon release.
In 2009, Jack released his most successful album to date ‘Affirmative’, which sold in excess of 1,600,000 copies and produced a further four number one singles. The success of the album was marred by problems in Jack’s personal life including the breakdown of his marriage to Andre Cassenove of Indigo Peak. It would be Jack’s final studio album for a decade as he retired from public life. In 2010 Ensemble released a singles collection ‘The Master’, which was launched by the number one single ‘Jack For Justice’, Jack didn’t support the release and it was a commercial failure.
In 2020, a decade since his last music release, Jack supported a re-release of his back catalogue being issued by Blush Recordings who had purchased the rights to his music. Launched by the single ‘Nothing In Common’, the album ‘Popstar By Numbers - Greatest Hits’ charted at number two and has been certified gold. After a brief period of silence following the success of the hits collection, Jack announced the release of his fifth studio album ‘Close Encounters’ in November 2020, the album was launched by the single ‘Masc For Masc’ which sold 113,000 copies in it’s first week and became Jack’s 22nd number one single, the album has topped the charts and sold in excess of 1,950,000 copies and produced the hit singles 'Last Romeo', 'The Money Shot' and 'How London Used To Be'.
In 2022, Jack released a collection of his biggest hits reimagined by a full the legendary Metropol Orkest 'The Orchestra's Call' which charted at number one and included a new version of 'Future Ghost' with Emily Henning. Jack announced a second musical hiatus in 2022.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Ambition & Ego (2005-2006)[edit | edit source]
Stevens was born in London, England to his parents Mary and Jeremy Stevens. Unlike many Jack had never courted a popstar lifestyle and was working as a tradesman in the offices of Inner'Sense Records when he was invited to audition for label boss Eve Robinson, aka 4tune. Speaking of the signing to Music Week in 2020, 4tune commented “He could just about hold a tune, but looked hot with his top off, we were on to a winner”. Jack’s debut single was ironically titled ‘My Farewell’ which was a moderate hit, charting within the top five but failed to generate much buzz amongst music fans and critics. Material recorded so far was scrapped and Jack instead began work on a second draft of his debut album with an up and coming London based production team ‘Knobfeelers’ and released his second single ‘Shame On You’ and the album Ambition & Ego in Q4, 2005 with both charting at number one. Jack released one further single from the album, the haunting winter ballad ‘Scared’ which topped the charts in November 2005. In early 2006, Jack released a duet with Lucreacia called First, Last & Only it would mark her last appearance on the charts. The album was certified multi platinum.
Electropop Therapy (2006-2007)[edit | edit source]
After the success of his debut album, Jack became unhappy with the direction Inner'Sense Records were taking his career and became embroiled in a hostile split that left him under contract and unable to release music, after being left in musical limbo, the label folded and Jack was free to find new representation and signed a three album deal with Ensemble Entertainment. Jack launched the next era of his career with a stand-alone single in the Summer of 2006, ‘Popstars By Numbers’ which debuted a bold, edgy new electropop sound and scored him his fifth number one single. Jack returned in early 2007 to launch his second album ‘Electropop Therapy’ which once again was produced by Knobfeelers and was preceded by the lead single ‘Electropop Discosound’ which unexpected track written by infamous rock chick Buffi. The album was a huge success and was certified diamond for sales in excess of 1,400,000 copies and also produced the chart-topping singles ‘Foreign Birds’ and ‘Anonymous Girls’.
Fresh from the success of his second album, Jack was approached to record the official Children In Need single for 2007, he teamed up with friends and labelmates Jake and Jon Farley for what would become his biggest selling single to date and a track that would define all three’s careers and become a cultural talking point. ‘Trendy Pop Boys’ sold in excess of 600,000 copies and it’s 90’s dance rave sound became the focus point for Jack’s third album ‘Filthy! Dirty! Sexxxy! Audio!’ which would be released in 2008.
Filthy! Dirty! Sexxxy! Audio! & Broken Records (2008)[edit | edit source]
Jack launched his third studio collection in March 2008, one year after the release of his second album. Jack launched the album with one of his most infamous singles ‘Reverend Stevens’ a bonkers, balls to the wall pop anthem that reached the top spot, shortly before the album ‘Filthy! Dirty! Sexxxy! Audio!’ did the same. The album was once again produced solely by Knobfeelers and saw Jack work with a range of co-writers including Alesha and Shell Ruin who would go on to become long time collaborators. Jack’s third album was a huge success for him and was certified diamond for sales in excess of 1,400,000 copies.
In 2008, Jack was crowned the world’s biggest selling artist partially for the fact he released so much material. A side from his own singles, he also released chart-topping duets with London and Shell Ruin before launching his first Greatest Hits collection ‘Broken Records’ for Christmas 2008 and as a celebration of breaking the record for most number ones by any Urapopstar act, a title he no-longer holds. The collection included two further chart-topping singles ‘Something Kinky’ and ‘The Wolves’. The album was a huge success being certified mutli-platinum and received rave reviews for the strength of his back catalogue.
Affirmative & The Master (2009-2010)[edit | edit source]
Despite the immense pace of his career and the pressure of releasing four albums in four years beginning to affect his health, Jack began work on his fourth studio collection ‘Affirmative’ in 2009 working alongside Knobfeelers, Alesha and Shell Ruin on the record which was launched by the chart-topping Comic Relief single ‘Hands Up! Pants Down!’. Jack embarked on a huge promotional tour to support the album release, making TV appearances in the UK, Europe, Australia and for the first time America, where he had received minimal success. Jack’s hard work paid off with the album topping the charts across several territories. However, rumours began to circulate Jack was struggling with the pressure of fame, his behaviour had become increasingly erratic with several cancelled appearances and a shotgun wedding to Andre Cassenove of Indigo Peak in Las Vegas. Jack became increasingly missing in action, but his label ploughed on with the campaign releasing a follow up single ‘Mannequin Do…’ the single became Jack’s first single to miss the top spot since 2005 when it charted at number four and broke his run of sixteen consecutive number one singles.
The fall out of the single’s relative underperformance as huge and after more reports of concerning behaviour from a struggling Stevens, Jack was checked into a mental health facility in the Summer of 2009. The album campaign continued with the release of follow up singles ‘Captain Jack’ (#1) and ‘Late Night Safari’ (#2). While the press had a field day on the star’s so-called fall from grace rumours circulated that his first world tour, which would support the album would be cancelled.
Jack launched his ambitious ‘Affirmative World Tour’ in late Summer of 2009, which saw him perform around the world until the final show on New Year’s Eve, Jack played to packed out arenas across the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia while also releasing two further singles from a repacked edition of the ‘Affirmative’ album, ‘Alright Dynamite’ and ‘The Siren’s Call’ penned by Alesha and Shell Ruin both reached the top spot. Although a commercial success, the ‘Affirmative World Tour’ was marred by terrible reviews for Jack’s constant miming, numerous set list changes and difficulties in Jack’s personal life, with his marriage to Andre crumbling and leaving him devastated.
'Affirmative has gone on to become Jack’s most successful album to date with sales in excess of 1,600,000 copies and the tour would become the highest grossing tour of that year through ticket sales and advertising sales, despite it’s well documented problems. As the curtain fell on Jack’s final performance on December 31 2009 in Sydney Australia, Jack waved a tearful goodbye to the stage, little did fans know it would be a full ten years until he would perform again.
Jack released a singles collection in early 2010 entitled ‘The Master’, the album was launched with the single ‘Jack For Justice’ and although both reached the top spot, the release was a relative commercial failure, with fans feeling short-changed at a collection so soon after the release of ‘Broken Records’ just 18 months prior. Jack filmed a video for the single but otherwise did not support or acknowledge it’s release. Jack then retired from the music industry and lived in relative seclusion for ten years.
Close Encounters (2020 – 2021)[edit | edit source]
In the Spring of 2020, as the world was gripped by the coronavirus pandemic, Jack completed a number of secret recording sessions from his home studio, alongside Shell Ruin and a number of former members of his collaborative team Knobfeelers. Jack admits he had no agenda for the tracks and no plans to ever release them but simply enjoyed the opportunity to be creative and reconnect with old friends. After playing the tracks to long-time friend Emily Henning, she encouraged him to return to the music industry, but this time on his own terms with a sub-label on her successful record label Blush Recordings, a reluctant Jack agreed and his deal began with Blush Recordings buying the rights to all of his old material and allowing the tracks to be added to streaming services for the first time, supported by a new Greatest Hits collection ‘Popstar By Numbers - Greatest Hits’ which would be launched by a new stand-alone single ‘Nothing In Common’ a cover of an old Richard X demo that Jack had recorded during his secret spring studio sessions.
Jack returned with much fanfare across social media and online forums, but reception became muted when it was confirmed it would be another hits collection as opposed to new material. Jack recorded a video for the track in Venice, Italy shortly before the world was taken into complete lockdown and the single and album were both released in August 2020. Although initial reception to the track was muted, charting at number four – the track has become a slow and steady seller and has been certified Gold for sales of over 400,000 copies and the album certified silver and has sold over 430,000 copies spending 18 weeks to date on the album chart.
Despite the success of the comeback, Jack was still reluctant to make a full-time comeback, even posting a since deleted goodbye message from his social media accounts. However, in late September 2020 Jack was offered a huge mega money deal with Live Nation to headline his own UK & Ireland Stadium Tour in Summer 2021. The ‘Close Encounters Tour’ as announced in October 2020 with tickets put on sale the next day, impressed by initial sales of the tour, Jack committed to a releasing new music and put the finishing touches to the tracks he’d worked on earlier in the year with Shell Ruin and Knobfeelers to craft his fifth studio album ‘Close Encounters’ which was released on November 27, 2020.
Jack launched the album with lead single ‘Masc For Masc’ to huge acclaim from fans and music critics alike, the track debuted at number one on the official singles chart after its release in November 2020 with sales of over 113,000 in the first week and has since been certified Silver. Jack promoted the album with a huge promotional campaign that saw him perform at the MTV European Music Awards and BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing as well as high-profile interviews on The Graham Norton Show (UK), The Jonathan Ross Show (UK), Breakfast (UK), This Morning (UK), The Late Late Show (US) and Sunrise (Australia) as well as headline his own live virtual streaming experience ‘The Masc-uerade Ball’. Close Encounters debuted at number one the official album chart on December 4, 2020 with sales of 179,911 copies.
Also during this time Jack launched his first podcast in supprot of the album the 'Close Encounters Podcast' which saw the star interview a number of his peers including, Syd Wolfe, Paul, Gabriel Dresden and Romo on a number of subejects including mental health, the pressures of navigating the global pandemic of 2020 and was lauded by critics for showing a side to the stars we have never seen in interviews before. The podcast ran for one series in 2020 with Jack confirming he hopes to record more episode in 2021.
'Last Romeo' was the official second single from the album and was released in February, 2021 debuting at number 2 in the Official Singles Chart with sales in excess of 100,000 copies. As of May 2021 'Close Encounters' has been certified Diamond and sold over 1,500,000 copies in the UK and produced two further single releases 'The Money Shot' (#2) and 'How London Used To Be' (#1).
In 2022, following the release of his classical Greatest Hits album 'The Orchestra's Call' (#1) Jack announced a second hiatus from music.
Personal Life[edit | edit source]
Jack is married to Andre Cassenove of Indigo Peak and the father of Tiger.
Jack is a close personal friend of Emily Henning.
Discography[edit | edit source]
Main Article: Jack Stevens Discography
Albums[edit | edit source]
Studio Albums[edit | edit source]
| Title | Album details | Chart Peak | Certifications | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambition & Ego |
|
#1 | Diamond | 1,000,000+ |
| Electropop Therapy |
|
#1 | Diamond | 1,400,000+ |
| Filthy! Dirty! Sexxxy! Audio! |
|
#1 | Diamond | 1,400,000+ |
| Affirmative |
|
#1 | Diamond | 1,600,000+ |
| Close Encounters |
|
#1 | Diamond | 2,421,541 |
Compilations and Extended Plays[edit | edit source]
| Title | Album details | Chart Peak | Certifications | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broken Records |
|
#1 | Gold | 250,000+ |
| The Twelve Inches Of... |
|
#3 | — | -— |
| The Master |
|
#1 | Gold | 250,000+ |
| Popstar By Numbers - Greatest Hits |
|
#2 | Silver | 490,916 |
| The Orchestra's Call |
|
#1 | Gold | 575,723 |
Awards[edit | edit source]
Urapopstar Awards[edit | edit source]
Urapopstar Awards 11
- Best Album – 'Ambition & Ego' (Nominated)
- Best Male (Nominated)
- Best Pop/Dance (Nominated)
Urapopstar Awards 13
- Best Male (Nominated)
Urapopstar Awards 14
- Best Male (WINNER)
- Best Promotion (WINNER)
- Best Single – ‘Electropop Discosound’ (Nominated)
- Best Album – ‘Electropop Therapy’ (Nominated)
- Best Pop/Dance (Nominated)
- Best Live (Nominated)
Urapopstar Awards 15
- Best Collaboration – ‘Trendy Pop Boys’ (WINNER)
- Best Male (WINNER)
- Best Single – ‘Anonymous Girls’ (WINNER)
- Best Video – ‘Trendy Pop Boys’ (WINNER)
- Best Pop/Dance (Nominated)
Urapopstar Awards 16
- Best Male (WINNER)
- Best Album – ‘Filthy! Dirty! Sexxxy! Audio!’ (Nominated)
- Best Live (Nominated)
- Best Pop/Dance (Nominated)
- Best Single – ‘Reverend Stevens’ (Nominated)
- Best Video – ‘Reverend Stevens’ (Nominated)
Urapopstar Awards 17
- Best Male (WINNER)
- Best Album – ‘Affirmative’ (Nominated)
- Best Live (Nominated)
- Best Pop/Dance (Nominated)
- Best Single – ‘Hands Up! Pants Down!’ (Nominated)
Urapopstar Awards 18
- Best Male (Nominated)
- Best Collaboration – ‘Jack For Justice’ (Nominated)
- Artist Of The Decade (Nominated)
Critics Choice Awards[edit | edit source]
1st Critics Choice Awards[edit | edit source]
- Artist Of The Year (Nominated)
- Best Male Artist (WINNER)
- Best Pop/Dance Artist (Nominated)
- Best Promotional Campaign ((Masc For Masc) (WINNER)
- Comeback Of The Year (Nominated)
- Single Of The Year (Masc For Masc) (WINNER)
URAPS Rate[edit | edit source]
- URAPS Rate 10 – Runner Up (2nd Place)
- URAPS Rate 11 - Winner
Records[edit | edit source]
Current Records[edit | edit source]
- 'Most Number #1s for a Male Act' (22)
- 'First act to chart on downloads alone'
Former Records[edit | edit source]
- 'Longest Gap between number one singles' (10 years 10 months between 'Jack For Justice' and 'Masc For Masc') (Pteviously Held)
- 'Most #1s for a Urapopstar Act' (Previously Held)
- 'Most Consecutive #1 Singles' (Previously Held)
Tours & Concerts[edit | edit source]
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