Anyone who listens to Gnash's music will find that he has no problem wearing his heart on his sleeve. Whether it's his vulnerable new single "Fear" or his pained breakout hit "I Hate U I Love U," Gnash makes it easy for fans to get to know him through his candid lyrics.
But the 26-year-old singer/producer wants fans to get to know him on a different musical level, as he dedicates his Takeover Tuesday playlist to the "songs that make me."
A variety of artists are included in Gnash's 18-song playlist, from Frank Sinatra to J. Cole. The "Hungover & I Miss U" singer shared some insight to his picks, revealing his favorite Beatle, the song he jams to in the shower, and the artists he considers "life architects for me."
One of those singers is Jack Johnson, who Gnash declares is "without a doubt my favorite artist." But judging by the way he talks about all of the songs on his playlist, Gnash feels a strong connection to several of his fellow musicians -- and above all, he's a fanboy just like the rest of us.
Check out all of the songs that make Gnash who he is, as well as comments from the singer himself, below.
Gnash, "Fear": It’s about things I think about often, but I'm usually too afraid to share, which has kinda become a theme of all my new music. That being said, I’m excited to share it with you, because I’ve learned the harder it is to share it, the more we need to hear it.
The Beatles, "Here Comes the Sun": The Beatles have always been a huge part of my life, and I’ve gotten more into George Harrison’s music as of late. The songs he wrote during his time with them stand out in a new special way to me.
Bob Marley, "Is This Love": Welcome to my every morning. I’d say about three to five days a week I start with a Bob Marley sing-a-long off the Beats Pill in the shower. Everything he says helps and heals me, even if I don’t align with the subject matter. he's got a special way with vocals and feeling.
Frank Sinatra, "Come Fly With Me": Welcome to my usual "alone on a Sunday afternoon." Many a decompression Sunday is set to Frank Sinatra on the Sonos, sitting at the dining room table with my Postmates order. I’ve always loved Frank, and I like to think it connects me with my grandparents. when I sing these songs, I know they’re listening.
Sublime, "What I Got": Sublime has always been there for me and is responsible for a lot of the music I’ve grown to love. I really dig this song because it’s cool to see most people remember Bradley by his words here. He was such a great songwriter and a master of blending musical worlds.
Death Cab For Cutie, "Cath…": Literally if I could have included half of this album I would have. I’ve been a death cab fan since I can remember, but I never dove in on Narrow Stairs because the singles were so experimental to me as a teen. As I’ve grown, I’ve gained a new appreciation for this album, and it’s probably tied for favorite with Transatlanticism and Kintsugi.
Triangle Park, "Free My Mind": This is my buddy Sean! We went to middle school together but always stayed close friends. My first vocals ever recorded were at his house, and my first band was a duo between him and I called Bend. We’ve toured the world together with him as my keyboardist, only concluding with his decision to take up a musical theatre masters degree at NYU. I love this guy and his songs are great too.
Kendrick Lamar, "Love (feat. Zacari)": Growing up in L.A. and after some 10 years of listening to Kendrick from mixtape days early on, this is surprisingly probably my favorite song of his. I know it’s down the middle and became massive, but off top I knew this song was special and I listened to it on loop for like three days, lol. So many feelings.
Gnash, "The Broken Hearts Club": An actual classic. I honestly can’t believe I wrote it. Thankful for my buddy Jimmy Robbins for writing this with me in three hours on my first trip to Nashville. Sometimes they’re easy when they’re great.
J. Cole, "Lights Please": J. Cole is probably my favorite storyteller. The way he orchestrates an image in my mind is super fantastic to watch. Also inspired me to be my own producer since the beginning. I saw him for the first time at a frat party at USC when I was a senior in high school, and I’ve been a fan ever since.
Mac Miller, "Youforia - Live": What I love about this song is that you can really feel the performance here. It’s not perfect, and that’s okay. Also a beautifully written song. I love how much he grew during his time here. I love Mac’s music and I miss him every single day.
Frank Ocean, "Self Control": I’ve listened to an unhealthy amount of Frank Ocean since Nostalgia, Ultra dropped, and I have a massive amount of love and respect for everything he does. I think he’s fantastic, and if I ever meet him I will panic silently. I’m even nervous he’s reading this right now -- if so, hi Frank, I hope you like my playlist.
Bon Iver, "Blood Bank": The feeling of this song is incredible. Justin Vernon has always been a favorite songwriter of mine, and I love his tonal mood and sound selection. I always aspire to be more like him when it comes to the progress of my live sound.
The Postal Service, "Nothing Better": Ben Gibbard blows my mind. His songwriting is astronomically good, and I actually found The Postal Service first before Death Cab and didn’t know it was the same guy for years, lol. This song pretty much single-handedly inspired my love for duets and the Us EP.
George Harrison, "All Things Must Pass": George Harrison has grown to be my favorite Beatle, mostly because of his work post-band. This song and this whole album has some amazing energy, but I’m grateful I found this song in particular because I predict it will help me a lot now and throughout my life, and inspires me to make songs that do the same for people moving forward.
Jason Mraz, "Sleeping to Dream (Live at Montalvo Arts Center)": I was shown Jason Mraz's Waiting For My Rocket to Come in 5th grade by my best friend, and his work has always stuck with me. I would really like to spend some time with him on his farm and just talk. Him and Jack Johnson are definitely life architects for me.
Gnash, "Hungover & I Miss U": My other new song, written and produced by my buddy Grant Averill. This song taps into some feelings I haven’t felt in a long time, but for some reason I kinda miss writing songs about. If you fell asleep to this playlist, I hope this song wakes you up and is always there for you when you need it.
Jack Johnson, "Losing Keys": Jack Johnson is without a doubt my favorite artist. Hard to pick one, but I’ve become a fan of this song specifically probably because I've burned out the albums and felt the need to dive deeper into the deep cuts. I find myself referring to it a lot in sessions lately because its simplistic life metaphors help put seemingly big ideas into perspective so easily.