Teddy Swims was on tour most of last year, thanks to the runaway success of his song “Lose Control,” which was Billboard‘s #1 song of 2024. Although he performed all over the world, Teddy claims he wasn’t exactly raking in the dough.
While appearing on the Australian radio show The Rush Hour Sydney, Teddy was asked if he’s making tons of money; the short answer, which may come as a surprise, was no. “The bigger these [shows] get, the more people you employ,” Teddy explained.
“Last year was the first time we had kind of broke the even margin on touring, so I actually made money for the first time last year,” he continued. “So this year, we’re finally in the black and making money, but it took five years of touring for us to really start seeing anything.”
“A lot of people think you’re doing great if you’re playing arenas and stuff, but a lot of times we were, like, barely breaking even, if that, ‘cause you’ve gotta go out to places and really build the audience.”
“I think we made, like, 20 grand last year,” he revealed. “But everybody’s paid and everybody’s fed, so I would say that’s successful, but now, we’re finally in the black. And the next couple years, I’ll be swimming.”
Good thing, too, now that he’s got a baby to support. He and his partner, Raiche Wright, welcomed a son in June.
Teddy recently teamed up with DJ David Guetta and Australian singer Tones & I for the new song “Gone Gone Gone.” He’s on tour in Australia through the end of October; on Nov. 8 he’s scheduled to appear at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which will stream live on Disney+.
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