- 5 weeks ago
Magnus Ferrell breaks down how “Asleep Talking” went viral, what it’s been like hitting the road for festivals and shows, and why he’s leaning fully into an R&B/soul sound. In this Billboard News interview, he explains how the track came together fast, why he tries not to obsess over streaming numbers, and what he thinks actually makes a song connect once it finds its moment.
He also talks about his musical roots and how they shape his vocals and groove, why he released an acoustic version of “Asleep Talking,” and what he’s building next — including new music like “Flower After Rain.” Plus, Magnus reflects on big live milestones like Blue Note and Outside Lands, and shares what it’s like receiving unexpected support — including a shout-out that connected back to the Michelle Obama Podcast — as his audience grows in real time. Finally, Magnus addresses the “nepo baby” conversation head-on: acknowledging the privilege of opportunity while emphasizing the work he’s put in and his focus on making music that stands on its own.
He also talks about his musical roots and how they shape his vocals and groove, why he released an acoustic version of “Asleep Talking,” and what he’s building next — including new music like “Flower After Rain.” Plus, Magnus reflects on big live milestones like Blue Note and Outside Lands, and shares what it’s like receiving unexpected support — including a shout-out that connected back to the Michelle Obama Podcast — as his audience grows in real time. Finally, Magnus addresses the “nepo baby” conversation head-on: acknowledging the privilege of opportunity while emphasizing the work he’s put in and his focus on making music that stands on its own.
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MusicTranscript
00:00What do you have to people that might be like,
00:01oh, he's just a nepo baby or something like that
00:03when those conversations come up?
00:05I have to acknowledge the position I'm in to begin with
00:08because I have been gifted this opportunity
00:12to pursue a dream that some people just will never have.
00:16Hi, I'm Magnus Farrell, and this is Billboard News.
00:29I feel like you've been pretty busy lately.
00:32The song is jumping off, and you are, I feel like,
00:35all over the country, running around.
00:37So how has it been to have all this energy right now
00:40and be playing festivals and playing shows
00:42and getting the people into your music?
00:44I mean, dude, it's all I've ever dreamed of, to be honest.
00:49Um, since, I don't know, I was like a kid.
00:52Like, this is all I've been wanting to do for my whole life.
00:55So it's been super special to get to experience it
00:59for, like, the first time this last, like, month or so.
01:02It's been insane.
01:03Yeah, I mean, that's crazy even you saying this last month or so
01:06because it feels like it's been a long time
01:09and a lot of things happening, but you're like,
01:10it's only been a month.
01:11It's only been a month.
01:12Get ready for more.
01:14And the sleep talking, I mean,
01:15tell me about the creation of that song
01:16because that, obviously, is the one that's going viral
01:18and everybody's loving, so.
01:26What do you think it is about that song
01:27that is, like, connecting with people?
01:29It was pretty effortless when we made it.
01:34And I say that as in, like,
01:36it really was what you hear with the song
01:38is pretty much what you heard in the first day.
01:43We wrote it in maybe, like, three, four hours.
01:46We had to make some changes, of course, coming back to it,
01:48but for the most part, the vibe of the song
01:51is the vibe of the song when it started,
01:53so I think that's what kind of makes it special.
01:56I think what's so interesting is you say, you know,
01:58it hasn't changed that much,
01:59but even with, like, taking off in the way that it has,
02:02is that something that you, like, watch or pay attention to?
02:05Like, are you watching the streaming numbers
02:06and being like, wait, more people are listening now
02:09and watching how that journey is kind of going?
02:12I try not to.
02:14I try to keep myself at a distance.
02:16I believe that if you make something
02:18that connects with 10 people,
02:22you can make, like, that same thing
02:23can connect with 100, 200, 1,000.
02:26It doesn't matter, like, the number.
02:28And with the Sleep Talking, I mean,
02:30we put it out in April,
02:31and so it took a while to, like, get some traction,
02:34but I don't know, I just knew the song just needed a moment,
02:39and it needed its, like, spotlight for it to take off.
02:43And it definitely has,
02:44and you said this has been, like, a dream of yours
02:46since you were a kid,
02:47so talk to me about, like,
02:48what made you decide you wanted to be a musician
02:51and jump into this industry?
02:52Yeah, I mean, it was a combination of a few things.
02:55I was just always in music growing up as a kid,
02:59and my mom had me in piano lessons.
03:02That turned into, like, high school jazz band,
03:05where I met, like, one of my closest buddies
03:08and my closest collaborators.
03:10My grandfather also, he played organ and piano
03:14for the Righteous Brothers and saxophone,
03:16the Righteous Brothers for the longest time.
03:18So he was always up, like, we were always doing blues
03:20and playing stuff at any sort of family events,
03:23so he was a huge influence,
03:24and I always, like, just had this presence
03:27to give me advice and wisdom,
03:29and just at the end of the day,
03:31we always just kept it fun.
03:32That's dope that it was already kind of a family thing.
03:35And I like that you were talking about, like,
03:37the blues and stuff there,
03:38because I even think about us talking,
03:39you have the acoustic version.
03:41Mm-hmm.
03:48Is that something you're more interested in as a musician,
03:50like, doing more acoustic versions of songs,
03:51or, like, how are you deciding, like,
03:53who you are as an artist?
03:54I just have listened to a style of music
03:57for a very long time,
03:59and that's the style of music that I want to make,
04:01which is kind of this R&B soul thing.
04:05That's just the sound that I've gravitated towards.
04:07I'm not sure why.
04:08I just really love it.
04:09In terms of the acoustic version,
04:11we put that out because we wanted to highlight
04:15Asleep Talking as a song, first of all,
04:17and also just to kind of show the vocal a little bit more.
04:23And I think without drums, without, like, a real bass,
04:27you kind of take away the groove,
04:28and then you have only the song
04:31and, like, the vocals to latch on to.
04:33So, yeah, I definitely think that more acoustic stuff
04:36is in my future.
04:37I kind of weirdly started off making
04:40very bedroom, sad boy pop stuff
04:42when I first began.
04:44Oh, really?
04:44Yeah, yeah.
04:45It's in my future, I think.
04:47And listen, everybody can't do an acoustic song
04:50and show off their vocals.
04:51So that's a good thing that you have the voice to do that.
04:54And, I mean, just to even acknowledge, like,
04:56the elephant in the room sometimes when it comes to R&B,
04:58people can be really protective over R&B.
05:01Absolutely.
05:01They're like, oh, here's this white boy
05:02coming and singing R&B, you know what I mean?
05:04So how do you feel about, like,
05:05do you think about that when you're, like,
05:07creating music and you're making pop
05:09versus R&B versus acoustic?
05:10Like, does what other people think
05:12or you just do what feels naturally to you?
05:14I think it's, I think I have to just keep doing
05:17what feels natural to me
05:18because I can't control what other people
05:21are going to say about the music.
05:23I didn't control, really,
05:24what the audience response was
05:26through asleep talking.
05:27And I am just so lucky
05:29that the R&B community has, like, welcomed me in.
05:32It's crazy.
05:33I think, like, it's the hardest community.
05:37Like you said, they're very protective
05:38and rightfully so.
05:40So I'm just very grateful.
05:41Yeah, I mean, I like talking to you
05:42because it's, like, to me,
05:43it's so interesting to think about somebody
05:46developing themselves as an artist,
05:47like, kind of in the moment.
05:49Like, you're, like, coming up with who you are
05:50and what you're doing.
05:51So how do you take that approach to visuals?
05:54Like, what do you want to do visually as an artist?
05:55Yeah, I mean, everything with visuals,
05:57I think that, and honestly,
06:00I think it goes, you can zoom out even farther.
06:03You can zoom in.
06:03You can zoom out with, like, the clothes I wear,
06:05how I hold myself.
06:07Everything should kind of feel,
06:09in terms of visuals,
06:10the visuals should look like
06:12what the sound of the song is
06:14and what the sound of, like, my music is.
06:16Same thing with the styling, you know?
06:18I just think it all has to have, like,
06:19a cohesive world and story that you're telling
06:22because that's all it is.
06:23I'm, like, living these experiences
06:25and writing about them
06:26in literally this garage.
06:31And, yeah, you just gotta be as honest
06:34as you possibly can.
06:35You just made me laugh because I'm thinking,
06:37there was a meme, I swear to God,
06:38I'm gonna find it in this interview.
06:40That was like,
06:41where are the guys in the garage making music?
06:43Dude, no.
06:43Leave them back.
06:44This studio I work in is literally a,
06:48it's a garage that got converted to a studio.
06:51I swear to God.
06:52Hey, people have been asking
06:53for people to go in the garage and make music.
06:55Yeah, bro.
06:55Thank God you're giving them one-to-one.
06:57And you talk about telling a story,
06:58so I'm sure that's probably part of an EP
07:01or something that might be dropping this year.
07:03So tell me about putting together
07:05an entire body of work
07:06and what do you want it to say?
07:07I just want to double down on,
07:09you know, the first vibes.
07:11Obviously, talking,
07:12I think that there's so many offshoots
07:14and, like, different stories
07:16that I've kind of experienced
07:18and there's some up-tempo stuff,
07:20there's some mid-tempo stuff,
07:21there's some in-between,
07:22and I'm just like,
07:24all the music we've been working on,
07:25we've been loving,
07:26and I'm so excited to share it.
07:28It's gonna be great.
07:29Talk about sharing.
07:29Flower After Rain.
07:31Okay, tell me about that song.
07:39It's a higher energy version of a sleep talking,
07:41but it's not quite super high energy.
07:44It's like a mid-tempo,
07:45nice groove feel
07:46that I think it has a bigger chorus,
07:49it's a little bit fatter of a sound,
07:52but it still kind of is holding that feeling,
07:55and it has, like, the breathy vocals
07:57that I've made sure to keep,
07:59and it has, like, the light
08:01and kind of vulnerable tone of my vocal
08:04over, like, this kind of R&B soul instrumentation
08:07with that kind of chord progression and whatnot, so.
08:11And let's talk about live music, man.
08:12Yes, sir.
08:13So you've been having a lot of cool shows,
08:15most importantly, Blue Note.
08:16Yes, sir.
08:17Which is insane, by the way.
08:23Like, how crazy.
08:26The first time I ever was in that building
08:28was Sienna Spyro.
08:29Oh, my gosh.
08:30Which blew my mind.
08:30Oh, she's incredible, yeah.
08:31And so many other legends have played there,
08:33so have you seen shows there
08:34before you've played?
08:35I saw Charlie Puth.
08:36That, like,
08:38that was, like,
08:39one of the most unbelievable shows
08:40I've ever seen in my life.
08:42The musicianship is just elite.
08:45That was the,
08:46that was,
08:46wait, no,
08:47I saw,
08:47who else did I see?
08:48Oh, Emily Bear.
08:49I was a part of that night
08:51that she did.
08:51That was really fun.
08:52She's also an incredible musician.
08:54It's just, like,
08:56that's some hallowed ground, bro.
08:58It is.
08:59So, tell me,
09:00talk to me about performing there.
09:01How has it been for you?
09:02It was definitely,
09:03the first show was definitely
09:04a little bit nerve-wracking
09:05because it was my first, like,
09:07headline show I'd had
09:10in, like, three years
09:13because I'd been used to, like,
09:14doing a 30-minute opening set
09:16for the last three years.
09:17That's kind of all we'd been doing.
09:19So that was a little bit scary,
09:20but, like,
09:21once we got through
09:22the first set,
09:23it was like,
09:23oh, okay,
09:24we can do this
09:25and now we can just
09:26stick with this set
09:27and I just started,
09:29I just started having
09:30more and more fun with it
09:31and it's just been,
09:34like,
09:34a dream come true.
09:35Yeah,
09:36I mean,
09:36that's the intimate version
09:37of a set.
09:38But then you also have
09:39outside lands?
09:41Yeah.
09:41Like, festivals?
09:42Yes, sir.
09:42Like, so talk to me
09:43about outside lands
09:44because I heard
09:44it was really cold up there.
09:45One, it was cold.
09:46It was a huge stage.
09:48It was one of the biggest
09:48stages I've done.
09:49We got to bring out,
09:50like, the horns.
09:51We got a whole live
09:52arrangement thing,
09:53which we're going to bring
09:54to the blue note,
09:54by the way.
09:55I don't know.
09:56It felt like playing the set
09:58and playing the songs
09:59as they were always
10:00meant to play
10:01or meant to be played.
10:03That's how it felt
10:04at outside lands
10:05and the crowd there
10:06was so engaged
10:07and I don't know.
10:09I always want to make it
10:10feel like we're at
10:11Studio 54,
10:12but it's like a live version.
10:13I just can't wait
10:14to do more.
10:15Magnus is singing now.
10:18Wow.
10:18Yeah, he's got music
10:21out there.
10:21Magnus Ferrell.
10:22Way to go.
10:23He's got music out.
10:24He's got, yeah.
10:25What's his genre?
10:26Can I play you
10:27a little something?
10:28Please.
10:29Right?
10:29Yes.
10:30Is that okay?
10:30Yes.
10:31Okay.
10:32Sorry.
10:32Proud dad.
10:33I love it.
10:34Yes.
10:35So proud.
10:35Talk about a shout out.
10:36Your dad on the
10:37Michelle Obama podcast
10:39because obviously
10:40that's something normal
10:41you hear.
10:41How has this
10:42supported your career
10:43and what was it like
10:43to hear him talk
10:44to Michelle Obama
10:45about you?
10:46You know,
10:47I think the most
10:48important part
10:49has been
10:51his patience with me.
10:53I think like
10:54letting me develop.
10:56I've been doing
10:57and putting up music
10:58for five years now
10:59and so
11:00I appreciate
11:02him letting me
11:04do things
11:04the right way
11:05and like
11:05taking the right steps
11:07to grow
11:08and develop
11:09as an act
11:11and I appreciated
11:13him waiting
11:14this long
11:14to really like
11:16show off the music.
11:17I forgot that
11:18he was going to do it.
11:19He told me that
11:19he was going to do it.
11:20You knew it.
11:21I knew that he was going to
11:22but I completely forgot
11:24because he had told me
11:25three weeks before
11:25he came out
11:26and whatever
11:26and I just forget everything
11:28and so it was a little bit
11:29of a shock to see that
11:30but it was even more
11:32of a shock to see
11:32the response.
11:34If you told me
11:35Michelle Obama
11:35would be liking
11:36one of my songs
11:37three years ago
11:38I think it would have
11:39like punched you in the face.
11:41Yeah, no
11:42it's just
11:43it's just unbelievable.
11:45She's one of the
11:45coolest people ever
11:46so.
11:47Yeah, I mean
11:48getting a shout out
11:48for your dad
11:49Michelle
11:49that's one thing
11:50but that's not it bro
11:51you've gotten a lot
11:52of great support
11:52Justin Timberlake
11:53Jimmy Fallon
11:55Heidi Klum
11:56so like
11:56how does it feel
11:58to kind of get that support
11:59and know that
11:59people are genuinely
12:01enjoying the music?
12:01It's like I'm in a weird dream
12:03like it almost doesn't feel real
12:05and I'm still processing it
12:07each live show I've played
12:09it's felt more and more real
12:10because I can see
12:11like the human beings there
12:13and I can see
12:14like people's reactions
12:16to when the show starts
12:18how I have to like
12:19kind of convince people
12:21to like be a part of it
12:22and then you see people
12:23starting to get
12:24a little bit more into it
12:25and like
12:26not super shy about
12:28you know
12:29the groove
12:29and following along
12:31and by the end of the show
12:32you hopefully have flipped
12:33all those people
12:34into being like fans
12:36and I don't know
12:37that's the biggest
12:38that's had the biggest impact
12:39on me for sure
12:40Okay but you do have to tell me
12:42like what artist
12:43or person in general
12:45could slide into your DM
12:46that you would be like
12:47so honored
12:48they like your music
12:49who would give you
12:50that stamp of approval
12:51that you want?
12:53I don't know
12:54I don't know
12:55if anyone would
12:57necessarily give
12:58a stamp of approval
12:59because at the end of the day
12:59I'm just doing it
13:00for myself
13:01but I think
13:03I definitely get starstruck
13:05and whatnot
13:06I've been a huge
13:08Tom Misch fan
13:08since like
13:09I was a teenager
13:11so if he like
13:12if I saw that in my DMs
13:14that would make me go crazy
13:15I love that
13:17so you know
13:18kind of a wild one
13:19or like Leon Thomas
13:20you know
13:21Mutt is just crazy
13:23yeah we still
13:24me and my buddy
13:25were just talking about
13:25those drums the other day
13:26and he's still like
13:28is banging his head
13:28against the wall
13:29how do I get that sound?
13:30man you and Leon
13:31would actually make great music
13:32I'm just saying
13:34now I'm throwing that out there
13:35I'm like hey guys
13:35let's make it happen
13:36let's get us on a song together
13:38I'm in
13:38I'm in
13:39and then you also went viral
13:40with you and your dad
13:41at like the DJ set
13:46is that something you guys planned
13:47or did he just decide
13:48to join you?
13:49I just like
13:50I lobbed it to him
13:52as like an offer
13:54like you can do this
13:55if you want to
13:55but you don't have to
13:56do you want to come
13:56to Parents Weekend
13:57and he was like
13:58yeah sure
13:58and I'm like
13:59would you want to
14:00pretend to DJ?
14:00and he was like
14:01yeah sure
14:02so that just kind of happened
14:03he pulled up
14:04did the thing
14:05and got his ass out of there
14:06oh man
14:07the Epic Parents Weekend
14:08and I mean
14:08of course the conversation
14:09is going to be there
14:10what do you have
14:11to people that might be like
14:12oh he's just a Nepo baby
14:13or something like that
14:14when those conversations come up
14:15I have to acknowledge
14:16I have to acknowledge the position
14:17I'm in to begin with
14:18because I have been gifted
14:22this opportunity
14:23to pursue a dream
14:24that first of all
14:26some people just will never have
14:29and second of all
14:31there's a lot of people out there
14:33who are so talented
14:34and work on their craft constantly
14:37and deserve to be in the spotlight
14:39that just will never get the opportunity to
14:41so I'm lucky and grateful for that
14:45but I have put in a lot of work
14:47and I don't think that there would be
14:49this type of reaction
14:50if the music wasn't of quality
14:53there you go man
14:54I like that
14:55you are making quality stuff
14:56thank you
14:57so good job on that
14:58and like for the people
14:59that are jumping in right now
15:00know nothing about you
15:01watching this interview
15:02like what do you want people
15:04to know about you
15:04as a musician
15:05I just love music
15:07I live and breathe it
15:08I am obsessed with it
15:10and I make music for no other reason than that
15:16without the support of you all
15:19like this is not happening
15:21so you know I do it for myself
15:23but I also do it
15:24because I think music can make a really profound impact
15:28on the world and human beings
15:31and so that's just kind of my why
15:34and I think that's important for people to know
15:36yeah kind of my why
15:37I like that man
15:37well thanks so much for hanging out with me today
15:39thank you
15:39appreciate it
15:40good night
15:40thank you