Ian Axel is a GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer, and one half of A Great Big World. A classically trained pianist and lifelong songwriter, he first gained attention with “This Is the New Year” before joining longtime collaborator Chad King to form A Great Big World in 2012.
The duo achieved worldwide success with “Say Something,” their collaboration with Christina Aguilera. The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, earned the 2015 GRAMMY® Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, has been certified RIAA Diamond, and has surpassed one billion streams. Their Gold-certified debut album, Is There Anybody Out There?, debuted in the top three on the Billboard 200.
Beyond A Great Big World, the work of Axel and King spans music, film, television and theatre, with songwriting credits and collaborations including Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli, Ellie Goulding, Gwen Stefani, Ingrid Michaelson, Pentatonix, Jason Mraz and Rachel Platten. Most recently, the duo wrote the musical adaptation of Wonder and are developing a musical adaptation of Silver Linings Playbook.
Now Axel is creating a great big world of his own, returning to his roots as a pianist with new solo music set for release in spring 2027. He unveils a cinematic new piano track, “The Spider,” via Sony Music Masterworks. Released just in time for Halloween, Axel’s favourite holiday, the haunting yet whimsical instrumental was inspired by a vivid image of a lone spider spinning its web as the world around it slowly comes alive.
“When I was a kid, the piano felt like this place where anything could happen,” says Axel. “I could sit down and create my own musical world with my imagination. While composing ‘The Spider,’ I found my way back to that kid and am honouring the part of myself that fell in love with music before I ever thought about what it was supposed to become.”
With “The Spider,” Axel embraces a new kind of storytelling, using melody in place of lyrics to conjure characters, images, and worlds of his own. The release marks an exciting and deeply personal new chapter, reaffirming his place as a visionary artist as he continues to push creative boundaries and welcome listeners into the vivid soundscapes of his imagination.
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Ian Axel photo credit: Juank – Courtesy of Christina Jensen PR
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