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X Ambassadors | |
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.jpg) X Ambassadors performing in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | |
| Origin | Ithaca,New York, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
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| Past members | Noah Feldshuh |
| Website | xambassadors |
X Ambassadors, also stylizedXA, is an Americanpop rock band fromIthaca, New York, that consists of lead vocalist Sam Harris, keyboardist Casey Harris, and drummer Adam Levin. Russ Flynn is a touring member who plays guitar and bass. Their most notable songs include "Jungle", "Renegades", and "Unsteady". The band's debut full-length album,VHS, was released on June 30, 2015. Their second album,Orion, came out on June 14, 2019. Their third album,The Beautiful Liar, was issued on September 24, 2021. Their fourth album,Townie, came out on April 5, 2024.
X Ambassadors began playing under the name Ambassadors, touring with artists such asLIGHTS.[3] During this time, they self-released their debut EP,Ambassadors, creating a music video for its lead single, "Tropisms."[4] Shortly after, they self-released their second EP,Litost, which included the eponymous song, later to be used in the soundtrack forThe Host. The band signed a record deal in 2012 with SONGS Music Publishing.[5] They launched aKickstarter campaign to fund and shoot two music videos for the EP's singles, "Weight/Lightness" and "Unconsolable", with the latter being re-recorded later.[6] The group was noticed byImagine Dragons while frontmanDan Reynolds was sick in the hospital in Norfolk, Virginia. Reynolds heard an acoustic version of "Unconsolable" on96X WROX-FM and askedInterscope to sign the band as soon as possible.[7][8][9]
X Ambassadors released their debut major-label EP,Love Songs Drug Songs, in 2013. It included the track "Stranger", co-written by Dan Reynolds.[10] In promotion of the album, they toured in support of Imagine Dragons,Jimmy Eat World, andthe Mowgli's.[11][12][13][14] In 2014, the band released their next EP,The Reason. Two of its tracks, "Unsteady" and "Jungle", appeared on their full-length albumVHS, released after a year. In promotion of the new EP, X Ambassadors supportedPanic! at the Disco and Imagine Dragons on their respective tours.[15]
In March 2015, X Ambassadors released the single "Renegades", which appeared on their debut album,VHS, published on June 30, 2015, and featuring collaborations withJamie N Commons and Imagine Dragons. A special edition, titledVHS 2.0 was released on June 10, 2016, with five additional tracks and without the interludes that were included on the original version.
The band collaborated withthe Knocks on the song "Comfortable", from the duo's debut album,55, released in March 2016. They were also featured on the song "Sucker for Pain" from thesoundtrack to the 2016 filmSuicide Squad.
On June 20, 2016, X Ambassadors announced that Feldshuh would be taking an indefinite hiatus from the band to deal with personal issues.[16]
X Ambassadors released four standalone singles in 2017: "Hoping" in March, "Torches" in April, "The Devil You Know" in June, and "Ahead of Myself" in July.[17] They also performed at the2017 National Scout Jamboree. The band was featured in a song byEminem titled "Bad Husband", from his albumRevival. They also collaborated on "Home", a song from the soundtrack for the Netflix filmBright. The track includes pop singerBebe Rexha and rapperMachine Gun Kelly.
X Ambassadors released their next single, "Joyful", on January 26, 2018, originally intended to be the title track of their second record.[18] Pre-orders of the album became available through their website later that day,[19] and it was slated for an April 2018 release. On February 2, 2018, the band issued another single, titled "Don't Stay".[20]
On January 24, 2019, the group put out their next single, "Boom". Three months later, on April 19, 2019, over a year after the announcement ofJoyful, the band stated they had cancelled it in favor of new material for a different record, to be titledOrion, which would include the previously released track "Boom". Vocalist Sam Harris stated thatJoyful was the second iteration of their second album and that they felt like the songs on it did not represent where they were at.[21] That same day, the band issued the song "Hey Child" as the second single offOrion. A third single, titled "Hold You Down", was published on May 31, 2019.[22] The album came out on June 14, 2019.[21]
On April 19, 2019, American rapper and singerLizzo released her albumCuz I Love You, which featured the tracks "Cuz I Love You", "Jerome", and "Heaven Help Me", all co-written and produced by X Ambassadors.[23] The band also wrote the song "Baptize Me" with singer Jacob Banks for theGame of Thrones compilationFor the Throne.
On August 16, 2019, X Ambassadors were featured on a song titled "In Your Arms", fromIllenium's third studio album,Ascend.[24]
On August 23, 2019, the band released a politically charged standalone single called "Optimistic", which centers around gun violence in the United States.[25]
On February 7, 2020, they issued the song "Everything Sounds Like a Love Song",[26] promoted as the lead single from their forthcoming EP,Belong. On February 21, 2020, the band put out a single titled "Great Unknown" for the filmThe Call of the Wild.[27]
Belong came out on March 6, 2020, and included the title track as well as "Everything Sounds Like a Love Song" and "Happy Home". Sam Harris stated that it was a collection of tracks the band wrote that didn't quite fit on their upcoming third studio album, but they loved the songs and wanted to put them out.[28] On May 15, 2020, X Ambassadors released another single, "Zen", withK.Flay andGrandson, about theCOVID-19 pandemic.
On January 14, 2021, X Ambassadors released a single called "ultraviolet.tragedies", a heavily rap-focused song featuringTerrell Hines. It was the first single from the collaborations project(Eg). Sam Harris said that with this project, he wanted to "give a voice to (several) incredible artists that people may not have heard yet, and really let their imagination be at the forefront of everything".[29] On February 7, 2021, the band released a cover of "Blinding Lights" bythe Weeknd.
On February 12, 2021, they released the next single from(Eg), "skip.that.party", featuringJensen McRae. They issued one more single, "torture", on March 12, 2021, featuringEarl St. Clair.
On June 11, 2021, the band put out a song titled "My Own Monster", which was also announced to be the lead single from their third studio album,The Beautiful Liar. "Okay" was released as the second single on July 30, 2021, while "Adrenaline" came out on August 13, 2021. The album was published on September 24, 2021, along with a music video for the song "Beautiful Liar". A tour for the record began in October.[30]The Beautiful Liar is aconcept album that plays out similarly to a radio drama, telling the story of a blind girl whose shadow comes to life. Sam and Casey said that the album was influenced by radio shows that they listened to as children.[31] It tells the story of a blind girl whose shadow comes to life. It has atrap-influenced sound, a contrast from the band's previous releases, and tells its story over the course of 16 tracks. Sam and Casey said that the album was influenced by radio shows that they listened to as children. About the record, Sam said, "I wanted to make an album that felt as unhinged as I did, and as the whole world felt around me. So Adam, Casey and I carved ourselves a space where we could all be as ugly, weird, funny, and f'd up as we wanted to be."[32]
On October 22, 2021, the band released "Water", a song for theBlade Runner: Black Lotus soundtrack. The band was featured on "You'll Get Yours" fromTom Morello's albumThe Atlas Underground Flood, released December 3, 2021. On May 12, 2022, they issued a remix of their song "Palo Santo", featuring ROBI.
On December 9, 2022, the band collaborated with Belgian DJLost Frequencies and singerElley Duhé on "Back to You". A music video for the song was released on January 19, 2023.[33] A deluxe pack was released on March 10, 2023, containing remixes from various DJs.
On May 24, 2023, X Ambassadors released "Happy People", featuringTeddy Swims and Jac Ross, starting season two of(Eg). The next single, released on June 23, was "Friend for Life", featuringMedium Build, followed by "Devastation", featuring PAMÉ, released on September 22, and "Alcohol", featuringBreland, released on October 27.
On November 17, 2023, the band put out the song "Deep End", for the soundtrack toAquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
In late 2023, X Ambassadors began teasing snippets of songs from their upcoming fourth studio album,Townie. The record, published on April 5, 2024, was preceded by four singles: "No Strings", released on January 19, 2024; "Your Town", released on February 16, 2024; "Half-Life", released on March 15, 2024; and "Follow the Sound of My Voice", released on March 29, 2024.[34] The band released the EPTownies alongside the single "Fragile" on October 15.
In January 2025, X Ambassadors opened forthe Script on the Australian leg of their Satellites World Tour.[35]
In July, the band announced that to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its release, they would be issuing a reimagined edition of their debut album,VHS, titledVHS(X). It came out on August 29, and the trio promoted it with a tour.[36][37]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2023) |
X Ambassadors' musical style has been described asalternative rock,[38][39][40][41][42][43][44]indie rock,[45][46][47][48]pop rock,[49][50][51] andalternative pop.[52][53]
The band incorporates various genres into their songs, such as jazz,trap, and R&B. Sam Harris has stated that all of the members grew up listening to hip hop and R&B, but they also appreciated rock music, specifically alternative and indie groups.[54] While writing their second album, he citedsoul influences, includingRay Charles,Joe Cocker,Otis Redding, andthe Band.[55] It has often been noted that Casey Harris beingblind has been a major part of shaping the band's music.[56][57]
On May 5, 2023, Sam Harris released his debut solo album,Why Does Everything Make Me Cry?, under the name Sam Nelson.[58] It contains three singles: "Forever, Now", "Battery Acid", and "Give Me Hell", the latter featuringMadi Diaz.
In January 2017, Sam Harris participated in the official Women's March on Washington after-party.[59][60] He was joined bythe National,Ani DiFranco,Samantha Ronson,Sleater-Kinney, and many others.
In March 2017, X Ambassadors performed a special show to benefitPlanned Parenthood on International Women's Day.[61]
Following the benefit show, the band released the song "Hoping" on March 10.[62][63] All proceeds from the song for the six months following its release were donated to the ACLU.[63]
In June 2017, X Ambassadors announced that they would donate all the proceeds from their Mississippi Coast Coliseum Show to Unity Mississippi—an LGBT charitable organization,[citation needed] following the announcement that the state of Mississippi signed HB 1523 – the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act" into law.[64]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Music: Rock Song | "Renegades" | Nominated | [71] |
| 2016 | Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Best Song – Sci-Fi / Fantasy Film | "Sucker for Pain" | Nominated | [72] |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | Alternative Rock Artist of the Year | X Ambassadors | Nominated | [73] | |
| Alternative Rock Song of the Year | "Renegades" | Nominated | |||
| Billboard Music Awards | Top Rock Artist | X Ambassadors | Nominated | [74] | |
| Top Rock Song | "Renegades" | Nominated | |||
| American Music Awards | Favorite Artist – Alternative Rock | X Ambassadors | Nominated | [75] | |
| 2017 | Billboard Music Awards | Top Rock Artist | X Ambassadors | Nominated | [76] |
| Top Rock Song | "Sucker for Pain" | Nominated | |||
| "Unsteady" | Nominated | ||||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Rock Artist | X Ambassadors | Nominated | [77] |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
