Why Teddy Swims Had to ‘Lose Control’ to Achieve His Record-Setting Reach in Pop, R&B and Country Formats
“A three-year overnight success” is how producer and co-writer Julian Bunetta describes Teddy Swims’ breakthrough hit, “Lose Control,” which took so long to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (32 weeks after its debut) that it set a record for a male artist.
“The first time Teddy and I wrote a song together was in January of 2020 and we immediately had chemistry,” says Bunetta, who also produced and co-wrote two of Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024 smashes, “Espresso” and “Taste,” along with hits for One Direction, Harry Styles and Thomas Rhett. “But there was a lot of trial and error to get to ‘Lose Control.’ We tried a whole bunch of styles because his voice can do anything.”
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“Lose Control” was penned over a four-day writing camp in Palm Springs with Swims (whose real name is Jaten Dimsdale), Bunetta, producer Ammo and singer-songwriter Mikky Ekko. “[Bunetta] called me and told me he was close to unlocking next-level songs with Swims,” Ekko says. “Swims had this massive voice and a unique persona to match. Even though I was in Nashville at the time, I quickly made my way to California, and it was off to the races.”
Of course, Bunetta had a plan: “[Swims] can sing anything, but what’s going to be a moment in his record that makes people go, ‘Oh my God, this guy’s a better singer than almost everybody else I’ve ever heard,’” he remembers thinking. “I said, ‘We need a riff.’”
Ammo (real name Joshua Coleman), who shares credits on hit songs by Beyoncé, Kesha and Katy Perry, had brought a mid-tempo beat to the session that he and Grammy-winning record producer Infamous had been working on. It left enough room for an epic vocal riff, a recurring element of “all great break- through songs [by] unbelievable singers,” notes Bunetta. “I immediately thought of ‘Fallin’ by Alicia Keys. That intro vocal is the moment.”
Not only did Swims have to challenge himself vocally, but he also dug deep for the song’s soulful lyrics. Touching on themes of substance abuse, codependency, remorse and heartbreak, Swims leans into the emotions. “You can really hear it in his voice,” Ekko attests. “He’s singing from his chest. He had so much going on in his life that it really all came down to personal experience. We had all shared so much with each other that when it came time to write, it was a bit like mind reading.”
After leaving the Palm Springs sessions, “I thought, ‘God, this [song] is going to change my life,’” Swims told Variety earlier this year. After its June 2023 release, the soaring breakup ballad finally reached the top of the singles chart in March, its slow build contributing to the song’s pervasive presence on the airwaves — and to Swims landing his first Grammy nomination for best new artist.
“You don’t hear a lot of songs like ‘Lose Control’ anymore,” Swims says. “It’s got roots in country, rock, Motown, and R&B — and it was made to be sung live.”
“I used to be so impatient and wanted everything to happen now,” Swims continues. “But if I’d had this success at 21, I would be dead. I would’ve spun out and thrown this all away, had it happened any moment before right now.”
With additional reporting from Mike Wass.
Songwriters: Julian Bunetta, Mikky Ekko, Marco “Infamous” Rodriguez, Teddy Swims
Producers: Ammo, Julian Bunetta (Co-producer: Infamous)
Label: Swims Int./Warner Records
Hitmakers:
Ammo, songwriter
Julian Bunetta, songwriter and producer
Luke Conway, manager
Mikky Ekko, songwriter
Sean Stevens, VP of A&R, Warner Records
Publishers:
Alien Cargo Plane Music (ASCAP) , Good Kings Music/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (BMI) , Jaten Dimsdale Publishing Designee (BMI) , Marlina/Songs of Universal (BMI) , Music Of Big Family / Dragon Bunny Music (BMI) Administered by Hipgnosis Songs Group , Top Notch High Quality Music (ASCAP)
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