Teddy Swims blends soul, country, and pop with emotional candour—turning vulnerability into power as he writes himself anew through heartache, fame and unexpected clarity Underneath the soft glow of a solo spotlight, Teddy Swims, whose real name is Jaten Collin Dimsdale, exists in joyously unsettled musical territory. He was never content to sit still in genre lanes: gospel, R&B, country, rock and pop swirl together in his songs, shaped by a childhood steeped in soul traditions. Born in Conyers, Georgia, the grandson of a Pentecostal minister, Swims discovered his voice in high‑school musical theatre and became a YouTube phenomenon in 2019, posting covers of Shania Twain, Amy Winehouse and more. The “S” in his name—Someone Who Isn’t Me Sometimes—alludes to that fluid identity and the restless searching at his core. Roots and resolve Long before he became a streaming-era soul powerhouse, Swims’s musical education came piecemeal and personal. Raised in a tight-knit community, he credits his father with introducing him to classic soul and rock records—Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Queen. Meanwhile, his grandfather’s church provided an early platform for vocal experimentation, blending gospel fervour with theatrical projection. High school was where it all clicked: after joining musical theatre, Swims developed a stage presence that matched his increasingly raw vocal power. As he later recalled, he never imagined the fame would come from covers, but the process of interpreting others’ pain helped him discover his own voice. That voice, weathered, elastic, and unmistakably human, has since become his calling card across genres. That restless energy crystallised with Lose Control in 2023, a raw confession that ballooned into international consciousness. Peaking in the US top ten and celebrated across continents, the track propelled him toward mainstream pop stardom while keeping that blue‑collar beat of genuine feeling. Following the song’s release, charts confirmed its unusual longevity. “Lose Control” climbed not just to US number one but remains one of the longest-charting songs on the Billboard Hot 100, a record that underlines Swims’s rare blend of emotional gut-punch and mass-market staying power. In recent interviews, Swims has described Lose Control not merely as a hit but as therapy. It captured a moment of reckoning: a breakup, addiction, sleepless nights haunted by past shadows. Raw emotion, refined sound Swims’ debut album, I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1), came in 2023, weaving introspection and healing through layered production across Los Angeles, Nashville and London. By early 2025, its sequel arrived—Part 2—offering diptychs in pain and recovery. Between these volumes, both vulnerability and artistry evolved. The sequel leaned into brighter emotional territory. Featuring songs like Bad Dreams, Guilty, and Funeral, it reflected his emerging peace, and achieved No. 1 in Australia and Croatia, while landing him multiple charting spots across Europe and the US. It also carries a silver BPI certification in the UK. “I wasn’t numbing anymore,” he said of writing Part 2, acknowledging the transformation from self‑destruction to self‑reflection, a shift he credits in part to therapy, love and the anticipation of fatherhood. That turn toward healing was deliberate. Swims admitted he finally embraced professional help while working on his debut, encouraged by his partner, and later entered couples counselling to build a strong foundation for their new family. He has spoken about therapy becoming an essential tool, no less necessary than physical treatment, and used it to challenge stigma around mental health. Bridging communities On stage, Swims is part soul preacher, part pop star, part small‑town troubadour. His tours have taken him from headline arenas to intense festival crowds. Notably, he halted a Brisbane show mid‑song when a scuffle broke out, reaffirming his “golden rules” of audience care and community. He invited a young boy onstage and resumed the set with sweeping emotion, a moment of warmth in the spotlight. Between 2022 and 2025, Swims toured the world in support of his therapy project, following an earlier EP, Tough Love (2022), and headline performances that saw him open for Greta Van Fleet and tour internationally. During his 2025 world tour in support of Part 2, Swims expanded into sweeping production upgrades, featuring new stage design and backing vocalists that elevated the live experience into “a whole new elevation and wonderful time,” according to touring insiders. Reviews of his June 2025 Red Rocks Amphitheatre show captured the emotional charge: fans were moved close to tears, his voice wrapping the audience in a warm, near-spiritual embrace. Observers noted how live settings had become vessels for shared emotional release—not spectacle, but communion. All the while, Swims avoided fame’s mirror. Even at major awards shows, he stayed grounded. In a recent reflected moment, he acknowledged the potential for fame to spiral if it had come at a younger, less mature age, heeded as a warning against chasing buzz instead of being ready for consequence. This summer, he’s embarked on the “I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy” world tour, with dates across North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the UAE. It includes landmark venues such as Red Rocks, Radio City Music Hall, Qudos Bank Arena, and a major set at the Isle of Wight Festival. Swim’s standing in the pantheon is assured, and growing. Currents of influence What sets Teddy Swims apart is his respectful disregard for category—one moment he channels Marvin Gaye or Otis Redding, the next he’s rooted in Americana sadness or pop clarity. He’s an artist who seems driven less by ambition than by necessity—to feel, to expose, to connect. Reflecting on his rise, Swims acknowledged that early fame might have been his undoing. “If I’d had this success two years earlier”, he admitted, “I’d have put it straight to my liver.” Instead, he waited, enveloped in maturity, and arrived ready to hold himself accountable for his voice and his actions. This wide dialogue across styles also extends to his artistry: Part 2 features collaborations with Giveon, Muni Long, Coco Jones, and GloRilla—voices from soul, R&B, and hip‑hop—affirming Swims’s willingness to share the space and blur genre borders. He’s also been intentional about the sonic texture of his releases. Tracks like “The Door”—a 2024 single about escaping an abusive relationship—emerged as uplifts in airplay charts across Eastern Europe and the UK, extending his emotional reach while diversifying his stylistic palette….
