Mod Sun
Derek Ryan Smith (born March 10, 1987), known professionally as Mod Sun (stylized as MOD SUN or MODSUN, an acronym standing for "Movement on Dreams, Stand under None"), is an American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, author, painter, and poet from Bloomington, Minnesota.
Mod Sun | |
|---|---|
 Mod Sun photographed by Sara Boles (2014) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Derek Ryan Smith |
| Also known as | Dylan Smith |
| Born | March 10, 1987 Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | |
| Website | modsunmusic |
Early life
Derek Ryan Smith was born on March 10, 1987, in Bloomington, Minnesota. Later his father left for California and his parents divorced, after which Smith spent some time living with his father in Long Beach, California. From age five to ten, he moved frequently due to his mother having to relocate for various jobs.[1] Derek also spent time growing up on a farm in Corcoran, Minnesota as well during his youth.[2]
Music career
2004–2010: Career Beginnings
Mod Sun was formerly a member of the post-hardcore band Four Letter Lie,[3] in which he played drums from 2004 to 2009. He left them to become drummer for the post-hardcore band Scary Kids Scaring Kids from 2009 until their disbandment in 2010.[4]
2011–2019: Solo career and Look Up, Movie and BB
Mod Sun has released five mixtapes and three EPs throughout his solo career. His style of music has been described as "hippy hop". Mod Sun's debut album, Look Up, was released on March 10, 2015, through Rostrum Records.[4] It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.[5] On March 10, 2017, his second studio album, Movie, was released, also through Rostrum Records. It peaked at #16 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.[6] His third studio album BB was released on November 10, 2017 and spawned the single "#noshirton".
2020–present: Internet Killed the Rockstar
In early 2020, Mod Sun announced he started working on his upcoming fourth studio album.[7] Its lead single "Karma" was released on October 30, 2020.[8] The accompanying music video was released three weeks later on November 16, 2020 and was directed by Machine Gun Kelly.[9] The song "Bones" was released as the album's second single on November 27, 2020.[10] The music video for "Bones" was released on December 21, 2020 via Mod Sun's official YouTube channel and was directed by Charlie Zwick.[11] The album's third single, "Flames", was a collaboration with Avril Lavigne.[12] On 25 January, 2021 Mod Sun officialy announced announced the album title, Internet Killed the Rockstar, and its release date, February 12, 2021.
Personal life
Mod Sun began a monogamous relationship with American internet personality Tana Mongeau from early 2020.[13] Prior to this he had been in polyamorous relationship with Mongeau and Bella Thorne beginning in October 2018, as well as a subsequent monogamous relationship Thorne after the throuple's breakup.[14] He has also dated Demi Lovato.[15]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [16] |
US Alternative [17] |
US R&B/Hip-Hop [18] |
US Heatseekers [19] |
US Independent [20] | ||||||
| Look Up |
|
120 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 7 | ||||
| Movie |
|
— | — | — | 16 | 40 | ||||
| BB |
|
— | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Internet Killed the Rockstar |
|
To be released | ||||||||
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| The Hippy Hop EP |
|
| In MOD We Trust |
|
| Happy as Fuck |
|
Mixtapes
- 2009: I'll Buy Myself [21]
- 2009: Let Ya Teeth Show
- 2009: How to Make a MOD SUN
- 2011: Health, Wealth, Success, & Happiness
- 2011: Blazed by the Bell
- 2012: First Take
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Rock [22] |
CAN Dig. [23] |
NZ Hot [24] |
UK Down. [25] | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Need That" | 2010 | — | — | — | — | In MOD We Trust | |||||||||||||||
| "Paradisity" | 2011 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
| "All Night, Every Night" (with The Ready Set) |
2012 | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |||||||||||||||
| "Save" (with Ab-Soul, Rich Hil and Metasota |
— | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "My Hippy" | 2013 | — | — | — | — | Look Up | |||||||||||||||
| "1970" | 2014 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
| "Howlin' at the Moon" | 2015 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
| "Pound on the Way" | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||||||||||||||||
| "We Do This Shit" (with DeJ Loaf) |
2016 | — | — | — | — | Movie | |||||||||||||||
| "Two" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
| "Beautiful Problem" (with gnash & Maty Noyes) |
— | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| happyBB" | — | — | — | — | BB | ||||||||||||||||
| "#noshirton" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "poundzzzzzz" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "address on the internet" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Runaway" | 2018 | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |||||||||||||||
| "Burning Up" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Psycho Smile" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
| "Tell Me All Your Secrets" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Blue Cheese" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Selfish" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Shoulder" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Amen" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Tipi/2005 Flex Up" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "I Remember Way Too Much" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Uppers & Downers" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Stay Away" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | Internet Killed The Rockstar | |||||||||||||||
| "Karma" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Bones" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Flames" (with Avril Lavigne) |
2021 | 35 | 50 | 40 | 74 | ||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Featured singles
- 2012: "I Think It's Hot" by Def Gone Graphic
- 2012: "Catch Me Smilin" by Joe B.
- 2013: "Right Now" by Goody
- 2013: "Get Loco" by T.T.
- 2013: "The Tortoise and the Hare" by The Weekend Hustler
- 2013: "Let It Bang" by Jbre & Dougie Kent
- 2014: "All I Need Is Sunshine" by The Gooneez & Sidereal
- 2014: "Raw Cypher" by Dizzy Wright, Like, and Sir Michael Rocks
- 2016: "Holla" by MAX
- 2016: "Sublime" by Machine Gun Kelly
- 2018: ":)" by LIL PHAG and Dr. Woke
Books
Non-fiction books
- 2012: Did I Ever Wake Up?
Poetry books
- 2015: My Dear Pink
- 2018: So Long Los Angeles
Journals
- 2015: "Happy to be here"
- 2016: "Happy to be here pt. 2"
- 2019: “Happy to be here pt. 3”
References
- Mod Sun - Topic (November 30, 2015), Did I Ever Wake Up? (Pt. 1), retrieved April 15, 2017
- Mod Sun - Topic (March 10, 2015), Mod Sun: "Hip-Hop Is Ready for Positivity Again"
- Baker, Brian (February 11, 2013). "Mod Sun". CityBeat Cincinnati. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- "Mod Sun - Biography". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- "Mod Sun Look Up Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- "Mod Sun Movie Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- Dolby, Nuha (March 9, 2020). "Mod Sun talks growing up in the Midwest, sobriety, new album". The Badger Herald. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
- Stagnitta, Ally (November 24, 2020). "Mod Sun Emotionally Reveals Putting Down Drugs & Alcohol Has Shaped His Career Upon Release Of "Karma"". Hollywood Life. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
- Wilcox-Adams, Deidre (November 16, 2020). "Mod Sun's "Karma" Video is Here & MGK Directed it". The Honey Pop. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
- Shamim, Aman (December 4, 2020). "We Can Fell It in Our Bones, Mod Sun's Latest Single Really Hits Deep". The Honey Pop. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
- "Mod Sun Drops Cinematic Visual for Recently Released Single "Bones"". Broadway World. December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
- Wass, Mike (January 1, 2021). "Avril Lavigne & Mod Sun Team Up For "Flames"". Idolator. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- Briscuso, Lex (May 15, 2020). "Tana Mongeau and Mod Sun Reveal They Kept Their Distance When They First Met … Now, Not So Much". Life & Style. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- Contreras, Cydney (February 26, 2019). "Bella Thorne Splits From YouTube Star Tana Mongeau After 1 Year". E! News. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- Nambiar, Prerna (December 9, 2020). "Who is Mod Sun Dating? Rapper's Girlfriends and Dating History Explored". HITC. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
- "Mod Sun Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- "Mod Sun Chart History (Top Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
- "Mod Sun Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- "Mod Sun Chart History: Top Heatseekers". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- "Mod Sun Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- "DatPiff :: The Authority in Free Mixtapes". DatPiff.
- "Mod Sun Chart History: Hot Rock & Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- "Mod Sun Chart History (Hot Canadian Digital Songs Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- Peaks on the NZ Hot 40 Singles Chart:
- "Flames": "NZ Hot 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. January 18, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
