Jordan Edward Benjamin[1][2] (born October 25, 1993),[3] known professionally as Grandson (stylized in all lowercase as grandson),[4] is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and musician currently signed to Fueled by Ramen. He released his major label debut EP, A Modern Tragedy Vol. 1, on June 15, 2018, and released the follow-up A Modern Tragedy Vol. 2 on February 22, 2019. The initial EP featured the single "Blood // Water", which appeared on several Billboard charts in the United States and Canada. Benjamin's music focuses on modern-day issues that are less recognized by the media and public. On December 4, 2020, he released his debut studio album, Death of an Optimist.
Grandson | |
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![]() Grandson performing in 2018 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Jordan Edward Benjamin |
Born | (1993-10-25) October 25, 1993 (age 29) Englewood, New Jersey, United States |
Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 2014–present |
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Website | grandsonmusic |
Benjamin was born to a Jewish family[5] in New Jersey, United States, but when he was 3 years old his family moved to Toronto, Ontario, where his maternal relatives lived[6] (he holds dual citizenship of both countries).[7][8] He has two sisters.[9] Benjamin grew up largely in the Eglinton West area of Toronto.[7][8][10] He attended Northern Secondary School in Toronto and, after graduation, enrolled in McGill University in Montreal. There, he studied education with the initial goal of becoming a teacher.[8][11] He also spent a great deal of time DJing and playing shows in Montreal while at McGill.[12] After two years, he transferred to Concordia University, another Montreal institution. He studied communications there briefly before dropping out and moving to Los Angeles in 2014 to pursue a music career.[4][8]
Benjamin began releasing music under the pseudonym Grandson, stylized as grandson, in late 2015.[10] In 2016, he released several singles that accrued millions of streams, including "Bills", "Things Change", and "Bury Me Face Down".[7][13] In 2017, he was signed to RCA Records, and continued releasing singles, including "Best Friends" and "Kiss Bang".[4][11] He also performed at North by Northeast that year (among other festivals).[10]
In April 2018, it was announced that grandson had signed to the Fueled By Ramen record label.[14] He had also released two new singles, "Blood // Water" (a song about political corruption that would go on to appear on multiple Billboard charts) and "Thoughts & Prayers", which offered a critique of American gun laws in the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.[7][15] He released his first EP on Fueled by Ramen, A Modern Tragedy Vol. 1, in June 2018.[15][16] That EP also featured the song "6:00" which discussed police brutality.[17] Also in June 2018, grandson was featured on Mike Shinoda's song "Running from My Shadow", taken from his debut album Post Traumatic; the track was released also with an accompanying music video in May 2018.[18]
Throughout 2018, grandson toured with acts like Hobo Johnson, Joywave, Nothing But Thieves,[16][17][19] Smashing Pumpkins,[20] and Young the Giant.[2][21] He also appeared on an episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers in August 2018, performing "Blood // Water".[22]
In February 2019, he released a new single, "Apologize", and announced his second EP, A Modern Tragedy Vol. 2, which was released on February 22, 2019.[8][23] In late May, grandson released a cover of Rage Against the Machine's "Maria", a song featured on the 1999 album The Battle of Los Angeles.[24]
In June 2019, he won the SOCAN Songwriting Prize for his song "Blood // Water",[25] while in September 2019 the singer released A Modern Tragedy Vol. 3, the final installment of the Modern Tragedy trilogy EPs;[26] the record features the lead single "Rock Bottom", which peaked at No. 38 on the Canadian Rock Chart.[27]
On September 23, 2020, grandson announced on his Facebook page that his debut full-length album Death of an Optimist would be released on December 4, 2020. Death of an Optimist is grandson's debut album, being his first record to have a heavier tone since the release of the last a modern tragedy EP, a modern tragedy vol. 3. The album gained a lot of publicity and recognition through his social media. He announced a new album in May 2022.
Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
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US Heat. [28] | ||
Death of an Optimist |
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7 |
Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
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US Heat. [28] | ||
A Modern Tragedy Vol. 1 |
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— |
Broken Down Vol. 1 |
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— |
A Modern Tragedy Vol. 2 |
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23 |
No Apologies Live |
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— |
A Modern Tragedy Vol. 3 |
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— |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAN AC [29] |
CAN Rock [30] |
LTU [31] |
US Alt [32] |
US Main [33] |
US Rock [34] | ||||||
"Bills" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |||
"things change" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Bury Me Face Down" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Kiss Bang" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"Best Friends" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"War" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Blood // Water" | — | 19 | 93 | 20 | 17 | 19 | A Modern Tragedy Vol. 1 | ||||
"Overdose" | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"Thoughts & Prayers" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||||
"Apologize" | 2019 | — | 5 | — | 34 | 20 | —[upper-alpha 1] | A Modern Tragedy Vol. 2 | |||
"Maria" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rock Sound Presents: Worship And Tributes Vol. 2 | ||||
"Despicable" | — | — | — | — | — | — | A Modern Tragedy Vol. 1 | ||||
"Rock Bottom" | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | A Modern Tragedy Vol. 3 | ||||
"Oh No!!!" (original or with Vic Mensa & Masked Wolf) |
— | — | — | —[upper-alpha 2] | — | —[upper-alpha 3] | |||||
"Happy Pill" (with Moby Rich) | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||||
"Peaches (Text Voter XX to 40649)" (with K.Flay) | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Text Voter XX to 40649 Collection | |||
"Whole Lotta (Text Voter XX to 40649)" (with DREAMERS) | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"How Bout Now (Text Voter XX to 40649)" (with phem) | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Again (Text Voter XX to 40649)" (with Zero 9:36) | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Identity" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Death of an Optimist | ||||
"Riptide" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Dirty" | 50 | 6 | — | 10 | — | —[upper-alpha 4] | |||||
"One Step Closer" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Spotify Singles | ||||
"We Did It!!!" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Death of an Optimist | ||||
"Zen" (with X Ambassadors and K.Flay) |
9 | 24 | — | —[upper-alpha 5] | — | — | Non-album single | ||||
"Rain" (with Jessie Reyez) |
2021 | — | 31 | — | 26 | — | 49 | The Suicide Squad (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |||
"Drop Dead" (with Kesha and Travis Barker) |
— | 46 | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||||
"KULT" (with Steve Aoki feat. Jasiah) |
2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
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CAN Rock [30] |
US Alt [32] |
US Rock [34] | |||||||
"Running from My Shadow" (Mike Shinoda featuring grandson) |
2018 | — | — | — | Post Traumatic (Deluxe Version) | ||||
"All in My Head" (Whethan featuring grandson) |
2020 | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||||
"Heat Seeker" (DREAMERS featuring grandson) |
— | 28 | — | ||||||
"Lost Cause" (KennyHoopla featuring grandson) |
— | — | — | ||||||
"Cash Machine (Remix)" (Oliver Tree featuring Dillon Francis and grandson) |
— | — | — | ||||||
"Hold the Line" (Tom Morello featuring grandson) |
2021 | — | — | — | The Atlas Underground Fire | ||||
"Until I Come Home" (Two Feet featuring grandson) |
— | — | — | Non-album singles | |||||
"GOOD MOOD" (DE'WAYNE featuring grandson) |
2022 | - | - | - | Non-album singles | ||||
"CHOKE" (The Warning featuring grandson & Zero 9:36) |
- | - | - | ||||||
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Title | Year | Director(s) |
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"Bills" | 2017 | Joe Cappa |
"Blood // Water" | 2018 | Miggy & Morgan |
"6:00" | Gus Black | |
"Apologize" | 2019 | Jordan Wozy & Lucas Taggart |
"Stigmata" | Rosco Guerrero | |
"Rock Bottom" | Seth Michael Stern | |
"Oh No!!!" | Galileo | |
"Identity" | 2020 | Karl Jungquist |
"Riptide" | ||
"Dirty" | ||
"Rain (From The Suicide Squad)" | 2021 | — |
"Drop Dead (ft. Kesha and Travis Barker)" | Andrew Sandler |
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Studio albums | |
EPs |
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Singles |
Winners of the SOCAN Songwriting Prize | |
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English |
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French |
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General | |
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National libraries | |
Other |
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