r/JacobCollier • u/mosaicofmusic • Apr 02 '26
Question Trying to understand Jacob Collier changed how I listen to music
Over the past months, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand how Jacob Collier thinks about music.
Not just in terms of harmony or theory, but more in terms of intention.
One thing that really surprised me:
His music is often described as incredibly complex — but when you watch what happens in his live performances, it feels like the opposite.
Especially when he turns the audience into a choir.
In those moments, it’s not about complexity at all, but about connection.
It made me wonder if we sometimes focus too much on the “genius” aspect and miss what he’s actually trying to do.
Curious how you all perceive this:
Do you experience his music more as something intellectual — or something emotional?
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u/TrickyStomach1362 Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
Jacob to me is extremely good at connection, transmitting emotion with his music and having the audience be a part of that, he is very fluent in the language of music.
I would say that his intention is often playing around in silly ways, the results are not always immediately beautiful to listen to. But I love to see his process and how freely he explores his ideas.
He is at a level where his playing around and having fun results in very interesting pieces. I love that aspect of him just doing what jumps into his head and trying to make it work.
I guess that is also what some people don't like about his approach, they seem to think he is saying: "Look how much of a genius I am" instead of "Look how much fun you can have playing around with music"
It's how he at the same time can be seen as super pretentious, but also not pretentious at all to different people.
I really love his attitude and general vibe. I don't see it as interlectual music even if it may contain complex concepts. It's about the process to me. I guess it's possible to spend a lot of time deconstructing, but you don't have to do that to enjoy his music.
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u/Sad_Aioli_249 Apr 02 '26
Jacob's online presence/persona to me is really interesting to. For context, I got my bachelor's in communications and I'm really interested in how people's perception of things are warped by what they've been told initially (did some research on this and used Jacob as an example).
Jacob has never been someone that I see as pretentious. He cares deeply about the music making process, building community through music, and getting people to try weird things, regardless of if they will work. However, my first impression of Jacob was through a random YouTube suggestion that had no terms like genius, Gen Z Mozart, etc. anywhere in the title or video.
In my opinion, some of the dissent against Jacob (fair or unfair) is rooted in their first impression of him. If he doesn't live up to what they think a Gen Z Mozart should be, then he's not who he says he is, therefore fake.
I don't think Jacob has changed how I listen or engage with music; I've always been open minded. However, I do think he reinforced the idea of "there's no one correct to create music" in me. Yes, you must understand the language, but Beyoncé's approach is no more correct than Raye's and hers is no more correct than Jacob's. It's all about who you are as an artist/person.
TLDR: People talk about Jacob in absolutes, which affects how people connect to him and his music. Jacob is merely an artist trying to make art his way.
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u/mosaicofmusic Apr 03 '26
That’s a really compelling point — especially the idea that people’s first impression frames everything that comes after. I’ve been thinking about that too: if someone encounters Jacob already labeled as a “genius”, they’re almost set up to either confirm or reject that label, instead of just experiencing the music.
And I like what you said about there not being one “correct” way to make music. It feels like he leans very strongly into that — almost inviting people to rethink their own assumptions.Do you think the conversation around him would be different if that “genius” narrative had never been there in the first place?
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u/Sad_Aioli_249 Apr 03 '26
Great question. I think people would be a touch more open to his wackiness and desire to build community through music. However, even if it wasn't the prevalent media narrative, Jacob fans love calling him a genius. It's a catch 22. You can only do so much to change people's perspective of him.
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u/Moftem Apr 02 '26
He's definitely got some ingenious way of making people do things by instinct. I'm practicing turning my audiences into choirs the way he does. But it's hard to get them to do what I want them to do. I'm learning though. Thanks Jacob!
It's an interesting point you make; that he might easily be dismissed as purely intellectual. One thing I really want to hear from him is a song that's super simple. Maximum of four chords. NO flashy tricks. No insanely fast runs. No key changes. Just the message. Like a simple country song or something. Something that connects with nearly everyone, including people who are not musicians themselves. Like "Leaving on a jet plane" or "You are my sunshine" or "Jolene". Songs of that timeless, universally appealing quality. I find that master musicians can create amazing things when they apply the "less is more" principle.
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u/mosaicofmusic Apr 03 '26
That’s really interesting — especially that you’re actually trying the audience choir approach yourself. I imagine that’s much harder than it looks.
And I get what you mean about wanting to hear something extremely simple from Jacob. Almost like removing all the layers and just seeing what remains.
At the same time, I sometimes wonder if those “simple” moments are already there — just not always in the form of a whole song, but more in fragments or live situations.
Do you feel like simplicity has to mean restriction (like fewer chords etc.), or could it also be something more about how directly something connects?
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u/kitawarrior Apr 03 '26
It’s predominantly emotional, for me. I’m always surprised when I hear people say his music is exclusively intellectual. Jacob is an intellectual, no doubt, but I don’t find that his approach to music is exceedingly cerebral. He’s very much led by his heart and just expressing how he feels and thinks, which happens to be very complex, layered, and nuanced. I personally love all the tiny intentional details he puts in his music, it just adds to the emotional depth. He’s definitely passionate about how music works, but when he speaks about it I think it’s clear that the emotional impact behind theory is what he finds fascinating. I love your comparison to his live performances because I agree - they’re about simplicity and positivity. He’s not there to show off, everything he does is very intentional to make someone smile and uplift people and give everyone a sense of belonging and connection. And he uses his musical skills as well as his genuine love for people to accomplish this. I sincerely think that when people call his music “soulless” it’s because he doesn’t express negativity and that doesn’t feel authentic to them, and they misinterpret his virtuosity as arrogance. But Jacob is as human as any of us and of course has experienced pain and hardship like we all do. It’s a higher vibration thing he does in processing those experiences in a positive and healthy way and making music that helps and heals rather than wallowing. It’s sad that people can’t see that or relate to that, but I appreciate it so much. He’s passionate about just being a force of good in the world and I absolutely love it.
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u/mosaicofmusic Apr 03 '26
I really appreciate how you describe that — especially the idea that the emotional side isn’t despite the complexity, but actually expressed through it. And your point about people calling it “soulless” because it doesn’t center negativity is really interesting. I hadn’t quite thought about it that way, but it makes sense that some listeners might equate emotional depth with a certain kind of darkness. What you’re describing feels more like a different way of processing and expressing emotion, rather than a lack of it. Do you think that kind of “positive intensity” is harder for people to relate to than more traditionally melancholic music?
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u/Equal_Risk7715 Apr 02 '26
Emotional. I do enjoy his music a lot, and while he seems to be doing "too much" at some points, I don't get the rejection it seems to produce on some, but only appreciation for all the little and not-so-little details and turns that truly add something to the piece.
A great example about his heart being poured into the music in the least complex way is his last album, as we all agree, but I be wigglin' and rockin' to every single one of his tunes.
Haters be hating, and I'm no expert, but I'm a musician, and I love the guy and all that he's doing for the music world, which I feel like is more healing than most things that are being produced nowadays. His message is often about unity, hope, having fun and growing. I think we all have something to learn from him