Artist Spotlight: Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens performs “Mystery of Love” from the film “Call Me By Your Name” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

From his first album, 1999’s A Sun Came, to 2020’s The Ascension, American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens has always been open to experimenting with his sound, seamlessly shifting from soft, indie folk to upbeat electropop that keeps his music fresh and innovative. Originally pursuing an MFA in writing with hopes of becoming a novelist, Stevens’ literary background is apparent in his lyrics, masterfully crafting bewitching tales of melancholic memories of his mother in songs like “Romulus” and fleeting childhood romances, like in “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us!”. The tenderness of Stevens’ discography has the unique ability to make you feel as if you’re his confidant, a feeling of intimacy that is unmatched in music today. With the featuring of Stevens’ music in the soundtrack of the hit 2017 film Call Me By Your Name, which garnered him an Oscar nomination, Stevens is more popular than ever now. After the release of his new collaboration album with fellow singer-songwriter Angelo de Augustine titled A Beginner’s Mind, Stevens remains as captivating and boundary-pushing as ever.

  • Carrie & Lowell (2015)
  • The Ascension (2020)
  • Illinois (2005)
  • Michigan (2003)