Teddy Swims is swimming upstream – right up the charts.

Swims (real name Jaten Collin Dimsdale) seems to have come out of nowhere. Another artist I’d never heard or heard of (that I know of). But when I first heard “Lose Control,” with Swims’ smooth, commanding, gravelly voice, I thought I was listening to sn old-school, seasoned veteran. I wasn’t…but then again, compared to how young most chart toppers are these days, Swims may as well be, clocking in at 31 years of age.

But age ain’t nuttin’ butta numba when it comes to keeping your cool and staying in control, and it appears America (and the rest of the world) is loving “Lose Control”‘s story of a man who just can’t take being alone anymore: “I lose control when you’re not next to me (when you’re not here with me). I’m fallin’ apart right in front of you, can’t you see?” And if America wants to live vicariously through this tale, they want Teddy Swims to tell the story.

Teddy didn’t fly out of the gate a superstar, or even a social media star. His hard work in 2019 seemingly paved the way for success (remember that great year? The one before 2020, when the world was forever different than it is today?). Swims joined bands and made a name for himself as a multi-genre vocalist. From what I read, he could sing it all: hardcore, alt rock, metal, R&B, soul…you name it. He joined local bands and sang whatever they wanted him to, regardless of genre. But the smart move was launching his YouTube channel in the summer of ’19, posting clips of various covers from a variety of genres and artists. And as you’ve read so many times here at Pop Gazette, social media did the deed: Swims built a large following, was eventually recognized and got a contract, leading to the release of some scattered singles over the next couple years.

But it wasn’t until the release of “Lose Control” in June 2023 that he finally broke through, the song chosen as the second single from his debut studio album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1), which dropped a few months later, in September of ’23.

“Lose Control” topped at least three Billboard charts, including reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100 on the chart dated March 30, 2024. And with lyrics like this, it’s easy to see why so many music lovers around the world are digging it: “Problem is I want your body like a fiend, like a bad habit. Bad habits hard to break when I’m with you.”

It’s smooth, milky and silky, and Swims’ voice is a keeper for radio listeners and fans of modern, mature soul pop.