Jack Stauber

American musician and animator

Jack Stauber (born April 6, 1996)[2] is an American musician, animator, and YouTuber from McKean, Pennsylvania[3][4] who now lives in Pittsburgh.[2] He is known for his strange lyrics and accompanying music videos on YouTube used as internet memes. Stauber has been a member of the bands Joose[5] and Zaki.[6] In 2020, he won the Shorty Award for Best in Weird.[7]

Jack Stauber
Born (1996-04-06) April 6, 1996 (age 28)
OriginMcKean, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • drums
  • guitar
Years active2007–present
LabelsPlopscotch Records
Websitejackstauber.com
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2013–present
Genres
Subscribers3.02 million[1]
Total views425 million[1]

Last updated: April 16, 2024

His first album, Finite Form (2013), was released when he was 16. Inspired by folk music, his second album, Viator (2015), was released two years later. Stauber's third studio album Pop Food (2017) experimented with pop, lo-fi, and a 80s and 90s aesthetic. The first two tracks, Buttercup and Oh Klahoma, went viral on TikTok, and have a combined 354 million Spotify streams as of May 2021. His latest album, HiLo (2018), has elements of funk, pop, and rock.

Stauber first published on YouTube in 2013. His website was launched in late 2017. The website mostly has links to other content such as his social media and merch stores.[8] Stauber also has a Patreon, where he releases unreleased songs and videos monthly. He also releases full versions of short songs found on his YouTube channel. These full versions are usually released later under "Jack Stauber's Micropop".[source?]

Early life

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Stauber grew up in McKean, Pennsylvania. He has one sister, named Kharly.[4][9] He majored in marketing and minored in studio arts[3] at the University of Pittsburgh.[10] In an interview, Stauber showed his favorite cartoon is Rugrats, and liked the art style, stating "Take some time to watch a minute of the pilot of Rugrats if you haven’t seen that before. The art style is beyond incredible."

Buttercup and Oh Klahoma

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Stauber's most famous work, Buttercup, is the first song released on his 2017 album Pop Food. The song, along with remixes and covers of it, became a popular internet meme, especially on TikTok,[11] which helped with its success. The song currently has 279 million Spotify streams as of May 2021. Stauber did not release an official music video for it. The song has been described as "bubbly, dramatic pop with Panda Bear-esque vocals."[12] YouTuber lisuga made a popular fan made video using clips from the Japanese film, "Kick-Heart". It is the most viewed Jack Stauber-related video on YouTube, with 191 million views as of May 2021.

Oh Klahoma, the second track from Pop Food, also became popular. The song currently has 74 million Spotify streams as of May 2021. The song is most famously used as background music to a TikTok trend called #ghostphotoshoot, where creators dress up as ghosts and take photos of themselves, sometimes wearing sunglasses and other fashion accessories.[11][13] However, the trend has become controversial, with critics saying the bedsheet costumes used look like KKK robes.[14]

Stauber's visual style is known to be different, with some YouTube videos being dedicated to attempting to replicate the aesthetic that he utilizes in many of his videos. Stauber himself commented under one such video, expressing that he was impressed with the result. Meg Fair of Pittsburgh City Paper highlighted Stauber's knack of "pulling unrelated sounds and influences into [his] music" and liked his ability to switch styles quickly.[15] Jenna Minnig of PennState CommMedia compared Stauber's music to Ariel Pink's; as both have hypnagogic-pop styles and have similar voices, but believed it was not needed to compare the two.[10] Fans of his music include American rock musician Jon Bon Jovi,[16] actor, rapper, and comedian Andy Milonakis,[17] actor Verne Troyer,[18] indie singer-songwriter Sidney Gish,[19] and model Paris Jackson.[20]

Animations

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Along with music, Stauber is known for his animations. They are usually separated into three styles: "surreal", characters with odd and striking facial expressions and frequently part of his claymations, "colorful", which usually are featured in his VHS animations and music videos, and "Stauber faces", light-skinned characters with cartoon noses.[21] Stauber is also well known for his frequent use of teeth in his videos and animations.[9] He usually uses detailed resin teeth on his clay characters, although he has used real teeth.[21][22] He has encouraged fans to send him teeth for him to use in his videos.Jack stauber also considers his style of art as "weirdcore". [22][23]

To make his animations, Stauber uses Microsoft Paint for the drawings. He then sequences the frames in Adobe Premiere Pro, and then runs the finished video through a VHS tape.[2]

Awards and nominations

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Year Organization Award Recipient Result Ref.
2020 Shorty Awards Creative & Media: Best in Weird Jack Stauber Won [7]

Discography

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Albums

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Stauber has four albums on both his Bandcamp and Spotify. Stauber uses the Plopscotch Records label to put copyright on his music.

Title Details
Finite Form[24]
  • Released: March 18, 2013
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: digital download, streaming
Viator[25]
  • Released: September 18, 2015
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: Digital download, streaming, CD
Pop Food[12][24][26]
  • Released: March 27, 2017
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: Digital download, streaming, CD, vinyl
HiLo[15][27][28]
  • Released: April 14, 2018
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: Digital download, streaming, CD, vinyl

Extended plays

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Title Details
Reviator[29][note 1]
  • Released: September 18, 2017
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: digital download, streaming

Singles

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Title Year Album
"Christ Potion" 2015 Viator
"Oh Klahoma" 2017 Pop Food
"Dead Weight" 2018 HiLo
"Gettin' My Mom On"

Jack Stauber's Micropop

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Stauber also publishes under the name "Jack Stauber's Micropop", releasing longer versions of short songs found on his YouTube channel. These songs are less popular than his songs and albums released under his main name, Jack Stauber. These extended versions are often released early for Stauber's Patreon supporters. Under the Micropop name, Stauber has released six EPs and one compilation album, along with two soundtracks for his works with Adult Swim.[21]

Albums

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Title Details
Micropop
  • Released: June 29, 2019
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: digital download, streaming
Shop: A Pop Opera
  • Released: March 12, 2020
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: digital download, streaming
Jack Stauber's OPAL (Original Soundtrack)
  • Released: November 6, 2020[note 2]
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: digital download, streaming
Title Details
Inchman / Two Time
  • Released: June 4, 2018
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: digital download, streaming
Cheeseburger Family / Fighter
  • Released: August 6, 2018
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: digital download, streaming
The Ballad of Hamantha / Today Today / Al Dente
  • Released: November 5, 2018
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: digital download, streaming
Baby Hotline / Tea Errors
  • Released: March 21, 2019
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: digital download, streaming
Deploy / Those Eggs Aren't Dippy / Out the Ox
  • Released: November 4, 2019
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: digital download, streaming
Dinner Is Not Over / There's Something Happening / Keyman / Cupid
  • Released: February 7, 2020
  • Label: Plopscotch Records
  • Format: digital download, streaming
  1. Reviator is only viewable on Stauber's YouTube channel. It consists of three remade tracks from Viator, for its two-year anniversary.
  2. also released under Adult Swim Smalls

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "About JackStauber". YouTube.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Zistler, Andrew (July 20, 2018). "An Interview With Jack Stauber". NewRetroWave – Stay Retro! | Live The 80's Dream!. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Glitz, Henry (April 13, 2017). "Jack Stauber". Pitt News. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "FRIDAY Magazine Jack Stauber". Imgur. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  5. "Music | Joose". Bandcamp. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  6. "Music | zaki". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "jackstauber - Weird - The Shorty Awards". Shorty Awards. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  8. Stauber, Jack. "jackstauber.com". jackstauber.com. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  9. 9.0 9.1 "Jack's sister just posted this on Instagram". Reddit. October 3, 2019. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Minnig, Jenna (April 18, 2018). "Jack Stauber - HiLo Album Review". commmedia.psu.edu. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Serra, Maria (2020-11-05). "10 artists you've heard on TikTok who you actually need to listen to". Alternative Press. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  12. 12.0 12.1 "New Releases - Jack Stauber's Pop Food". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  13. Ainsworth, Harry (September 24, 2020). "Seriously, why is everyone dressing up as ghosts on TikTok right now?". The Tab. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  14. Haasch, Palmer (September 26, 2020). "TikTokers are being called out for a 'ghost photoshoot' trend that critics say reminds them of KKK robes". Insider. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  15. 15.0 15.1 "Jack Stauber releases absurdist pop-record HiLo". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  16. Bon Jovi, Jon [@jonbonjovi] (May 11, 2018). "Thank you @JackStauber for giving great honest advice on lyrics to young songwriters" (Tweet). Retrieved May 10, 2021 – via Twitter.
  17. Milonakis, Andy [@andymilonakis] (March 27, 2018). "This bangs" (Tweet). Retrieved May 10, 2021 – via Twitter.
  18. Stauber, Jack [@JackStauber] (April 6, 2018). "I love you, @VerneTroyer" (Tweet). Retrieved May 10, 2021 – via Twitter.
  19. Connolly, Mikayla (November 19, 2020). "Sidney Gish Impresses Horn @ Home With Unique Sound". The Kenyon Collegian. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  20. Nur Pervan, Melek (November 19, 2020). "MICHAEL JACKSON DAUGHTER PARIS EXPLAINS THE MEANING OF ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TATTOO ON HER BODY". Metalhead Zone. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Grutter, Felipe (March 3, 2021). "Conheça o bizarro mundo de Jack Stauber, rei do Micropop e animador do Adult Swim". Rolling Stone (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  22. 22.0 22.1 Stauber, Jack [@JackStauber] (December 4, 2018). "send me your teeth" (Tweet). Retrieved May 19, 2021 – via Twitter.
  23. Stauber, Jack [@JackStauber] (January 28, 2019). "thank you" (Tweet). Retrieved May 19, 2021 – via Twitter.
  24. 24.0 24.1 Warren, Nick (March 29, 2017). "Jack Stauber // Pop Food". Erie Reader. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  25. Warren, Nick (January 1, 2020). "Ten Local Picks from the 2010s". Erie Reader. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  26. Pierce, Robert. "'Pop Food' delivers on 90's nostalgia". Experience. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  27. "Jack Stauber to Release Third Solo Album HiLo at Basement Transmissions". Erie Reader. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  28. "Jack Stauber // HiLo". Erie Reader. April 25, 2018. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  29. Stauber, Jack (September 18, 2017). "Jack Stauber - Reviator EP". YouTube. Retrieved May 4, 2021.

Other websites

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