Justin Jesso
{{short description|American singer and songwriter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| birth_name = Justin Stein
| origin = Chicago, United States
| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}}
| image = Justin_Jesso_press_pic.jpg
| caption = Singer and songwriter Justin Jesso
| website = {{URL|https://justinjesso.com}}
| years_active = 2016–present
| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|piano}}
| associated_acts = {{hlist|Kygo|Ricky Martin}}
}}
Justin Jesso (born Justin Stein) is an American singer and songwriter.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3310338/|title=Justin Jesso|website=IMDb|access-date=5 August 2019}} He has written songs for Hrvy, AJ Mitchell, The Backstreet Boys and Armin van Buuren. He was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2017 Latin Grammy Awards for co-writing Ricky Martin's single "Vente Pa' Ca" (2016).{{Cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/881397/2017-latin-grammy-awards-complete-list-of-nominations|title=2017 Latin Grammy Awards: Complete List of Nominations|date=September 27, 2017|publisher=E!|access-date=30 June 2019}} He is a co-writer and featured artist on Kygo's "Stargazing" (2017).{{Cite web|url=http://www.cloud9music.nl/news/2018/kygo-justin-jessos-stargazing-hits-170-million-streams/|title=Kygo and Justin Jesso's Stargazing hits 170 million streams|last=Zwart|first=Marc|date=January 4, 2018|website=Cloud 9 Music|access-date=30 June 2019}}
Early life
Jesso grew up in a northern suburb of Chicago. As a youngster he wrote his own songs and also performed on stage in various theatres across Chicago performing his breakout hit, "Lose Control." In later life, he studied songwriting at the Clive Davis Institute in New York.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/justin-jesso-s-journey-from-writing-for-ricky-martin-to-radio-play-1.757382|title=Justin Jesso's journey from writing for Ricky Martin to radio play|website=The National|access-date=30 June 2019}}
Career
Jesso has written for many artists, including HRVY, The Backstreet Boys and AJ Mitchell.
In 2016, he co-wrote the Ricky Martin song "Vente Pa' Ca" featuring Maluma, which was nominated for Best Song at the 2017 Latin Grammy Awards. It lost out to "Despacito".{{Cite web|url=https://www.entertainment-focus.com/music-section/music-news/interview-justin-jesso-discusses-new-single-let-it-be-me-and-working-with-kygo/|title=Interview: Justin Jesso discusses new single Let It Be Me and working with Kygo|date=June 7, 2019|website=Entertainment Focus|access-date=30 June 2019}}
In 2017, Justin co-wrote "Stargazing" for Kygo with Stuart Crichton and Jamie Hartman. In 2018, he supported Kygo on his sold-out arena tour in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.{{Cite web|url=https://blendednyc.com/music/2018/5/11/blended-exclusive-interview-with-stargazing-singer-songwriter-justin-jesso|title=Blended Exclusive: Interview with "Stargazing" Singer-songwriter Justin Jesso|website=BLENDED|access-date=30 June 2019}} More recently, he co-wrote "The Way It Was" for The Backstreet Boy's latest album DNA.{{Cite web|url=https://istandardproducers.com/backstreet-boys-dna-album-credits-and-streams/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630080007/https://istandardproducers.com/backstreet-boys-dna-album-credits-and-streams/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 30, 2019|title=Backstreet Boys – DNA Album Credits and Streams|date=January 25, 2019|website=[istandard]|access-date=30 June 2019}}
Jesso released an EP, Let It Be Me in December 2018. The lead single "Getting Closer" was written after he toured with Kygo, and was about the loneliness of life on tour. The video, which was directed by Kyle Cogan, shares real footage of Jesso's time spent on tour.{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/8493653/justin-jesso-getting-closer-video-premiere|title=Justin Jesso Fights to Keep Love Alive on Belting Ballad 'Getting Closer': Video Premiere|website=Billboard|access-date=30 June 2019}} The song was popular in Europe, and was a top ten radio hit in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It also charted at 11 in the German iTunes chart.{{Cite web|url=http://www.itunescharts.net/ger/artists/music/justin-jesso/songs/getting-closer/|title=iTunesCharts.net: 'Getting Closer' by Justin Jesso (German Songs iTunes Chart)|website=itunescharts.net|access-date=19 July 2019}}
In February 2019, Jesso supported Tears for Fears on the European leg of their Rule The World tour.{{Cite web|url=https://tearsforfears.com/category/uncategorized/|title=Uncategorized Archives|website=Tears For Fears|access-date=30 June 2019}} Jesso embarked on his first headline tour in North America in April 2019, where we played to venues in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.
In June 2019, he released the title track, "Let It Be Me", a duet with Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt.{{Cite web|url=https://celebmix.com/justin-jesso-nina-nesbitt-team-up-for-new-single-music-video-let-it-be-me/|title=Justin Jesso & Nina Nesbitt Team-Up For New Single & Music Video "Let It Be Me"|date=June 8, 2019|author=Currinn, Jonathan|website=CelebMix|access-date=30 June 2019}}
In March 2022, he was announced as the representative of Illinois for the inaugural American Song Contest, set to begin later in the month.{{cite web |title=American Song Contest: Michael Bolton, Macy Gray & Jewel among acts |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/american-song-contest-acts |website=Eurovision |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=3 March 2022 |date=3 March 2022}} He competed in the fifth episode and did not qualify for the live semi-finals.
On Saturday, January 29th 2023, Justin sang the National Anthem at Gulfstream Park before the three Pegasus Stakes races.
Discography
= EPs =
| class="wikitable"
!Title !Year !Track listing |
| Let It Be Me
|2019 |
|
| Finding the Opposite of Loneliness
|2022 |
|
= Singles =
| class="wikitable"
!Title !Year |
| "Lovin' You" (Glowinthedark ft. Justin Stein)
|2016 |
| "Better" (Atomic ft. Justin Stein)
|2016 |
| "Stargazing" (Kygo ft. Justin Jesso)
|2017 |
| "My Body"
|2018 |
| "Stitch Em Up" (Frank Walker ft. Justin Jesso)
|2019 |
| "Getting Closer"
|2019 |
| "Let It Be Me" (with Nina Nesbitt)
|2019 |
| "As Far as Feelings Go" (Alle Farben ft. Justin Jesso)
|2019 |
| "Bigger Than" (Seeb ft. Justin Jesso)
|2019 |
| "If You're Meant to Come Back"
|2020 |
| "Best of Us" (as part of the artist project WIER)
|2020 |
| "Too Good to Lose"
|2020 |
| "The End"
|2020 |
| "They Don't Know Me" (Papa Zeus ft. Justin Jesso)
|2021 |
| "Spinnin'" (Lovra ft. Justin Jesso)
|2021 |
| "Under" (Sebastian Fitzek ft. Justin Jesso)
|2021 |
| "Clarity"
|2022 |
| "Come Clean" (Adventure Club & Prince Fox ft. Justin Jesso)
|2022 |
| "400 Trillion"
|2022 |
| "Lifeline" (for American Song Contest)
|2022 |
| "Lose ya"
|2022 |
| "I'll Be There" (Andrea Berg ft. Justin Jesso)
|2022 |
| "Me Without Us" (Matisse & Sadko, Raiden ft. Justin Jesso)
|2022 |
| "Time Machine" (Petey Martin ft. Justin Jesso)
|2023 |
| "Beautiful World" (Michael Bolton ft. Justin Jesso)
|2023 |
| "Sound of Freedom" (Sound of Freedom Soundtrack)
|2023 |
== Songwriting credits ==
| class="wikitable"
!Title !Artist !Year |
| "Vente Pa' Ca"
|Ricky Martin ft. Maluma |2016 |
| "Batman & Robin"
|Cazzi Opeia & Jin X Jin |2017 |
| "Critical Beauty"
|2017 |
| "Frontiers"
|2017 |
| "I Don't Think About You"
|HRVY |2017 |
| "I Won't Remember You Tomorrow"
|Alli Simpson |2017 |
| "Say Hi"
|Codeko & Austin Mahone |2017 |
| "Somebody Like You"
|2017 |
| "Stargazing"
|Kygo ft. Justin Jesso |2017 |
| "Summer Something"
|2017 |
| "Weigh Me Down"
|2017 |
| "Crazy 4 U"
|2017 |
| "What U Do?"
|Exo |2017 |
| "Convince You"
|Dominique |2018 |
| "Getting Closer"
|Justin Jesso |2018 |
| "Got A Little Drunk"
|2018 |
| "I Don't Want You Back"
|2018 |
| "I Will"
|Justin Jesso |2018 |
| "My Body"
|Justin Jesso |2018 |
| "One Good Reason"
|Justin Jesso |2018 |
| "Let It Be Me"
|Justin Jesso & Nina Nesbitt |2019 |
| "Phone Down"
|Armin van Buuren & Garibay |2019 |
| "Stitch Em Up"
|Frank Walker ft. Justin Jesso |2019 |
| "The Way It Was"
|2019 |
| "Cause It's You"
|2022 |