Singer and songwriter Darren Criss released his brand-new EP Masquerade via BMG available HERE. Listen to his newest single “let’s” HERE.
The five-track EP is a diverse collection of music which showcases Darren’s versatility as an artist. From the rock n’ roll anthem “f*kn around” to the glam “i can’t dance” to the most recently released “for a night like this,” each track allows Darren to explore different personas. Darren will perform songs from the EP live for the first time at Elsie Fest on August 29 in NYC as part of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Full track listing of Masquerade can be found below.
About the EP, Darren shared on Instagram, “Acting and music are, at their core, the same to me. It’s all about identifying an idea and somehow transforming it into an experience, by way of breathing life into a specific masque. As an actor, I’ve always sought to be consistently inconsistent with the masques I put on, and so I seek to follow suit with the music I make. In the same way a ‘role’ can be different from story to story, each piece of music should be treated like a different ‘part’ in a different play. Masquerade is a small collection of the variety of musical masques that have always inspired me. They might not always sound or feel the same, but they are inevitably and undeniably me behind each masque. And that’s the kind of eclecticism that not only makes for a successful masquerade ball- but what makes me, me.”
Billboard described “f*kn around” as “a slick alt-pop single built around a wiggly bass line.” MTV News praised, “With synthy distortions and a banging guitar loop, the song echoes the sharper edges of contemporaries like Shawn Mendes and Justin Timberlake’s with a theatrical flair fans have come to expect from Criss.” Darren made his late-night television performance debut with the single on The Late Late Show with James Corden alongside Este Haim of HAIM on bass, The Pocket Queen on drums, frequent collaborator and San Fermin frontwoman Charlene Kaye on guitar, and the track’s co-writer CJ Baran on keys.
Music has always played an integral role in Darren’s artistry. As a solo artist, his 2017 EP Homework debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Album chart. Criss has toured to sold-out audiences around the world including headlining the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival with multi-GRAMMY Award nominee and renowned DJ Steve Aoki. In 2019, he also headlined the Balmain Music Festival for the Balmain men’s spring 2020 show. He has been featured on the cover of numerous magazines including such music publications as Billboard and American Songwriter.
As a songwriter, Darren has penned songs for the comedy musical Royalties, for which he was also the creator and executive producer. He received his first Emmy nomination for songwriting in 2015 for Best Original Music and Lyrics for the song “This Time,” which appeared on Glee’s series finale. In addition to collaborations with fellow artists including Rufus Wainwright, Sabrina Carpenter, Bonnie McKee, Jordan Fisher, and many others, he has also written for Apple’s animated series Central Park.
About Darren Criss
Darren Criss is a multi-faceted artist with an illustrious career spanning television, film, music and stage. As an actor, his portrayal of Andrew Cunanan in Ryan Murphy’s award-winning series American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace was met with widespread critical acclaim, earning him a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors’ Guild Award and Critics’ Choice Award. Having previously portrayed Blaine Anderson on FOX’s global phenomenon Glee for five seasons, he received an Emmy Award nomination for songwriting in 2015 for best original music and lyrics for the song “This Time.” Criss’ songwriting has also seen #1 spots on the cast album charts for music he wrote for YouTube sensation Team Starkid (A Very Starkid Album, Me and My Dick and Starship) which he co-founded in 2009. His 2017 EP entitled “Homework” debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Album chart. In the same year, he introduced his indie-pop band Computer Games with his brother Chuck and released their first album Lost Boys Life EP. Computer Games was nominated as one of Macy’s iHeartRadio Rising Stars.
