The group, discovered and brought to the big stage by rapper and producer Timbaland, is unique due to its core lineup, where the members take turns playing both rock and classical instruments—rarely seen in contemporary pop bands. These include the violin, viola, cello, and also the piano, all beautifully played by the charismatic group founder and lead singer, Ryan Tedder, who has an emotionally rich and powerful voice.
Immediately, one might think of “Queen,” “Coldplay,” “Keane,” and “Muse,” as OneRepublic has now firmly joined these long-standing players in the company of the singing pianists over the past two decades.
OneRepublic takes a long and careful approach to creating their albums in the studio. The group began releasing their recordings on the then-popular internet platform MySpace, where they quickly gained popularity. It was there that they caught the attention of rapper and producer Timbaland, who remixed the song “Apologize,” giving it an R&B flavor by adding stronger bass, new drum beats, and a new lead vocal line.
Their second album, Waking Up (2009), gave them the opportunity to open for stars like Pink, Bon Jovi, and Maroon 5, greatly expanding their audience, which was also helped by the use of some of the album’s singles in television shows, series, and films.
By the time of their third album, Native (2013), they were already a highly demanded band, performing across Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand as headliners. The most successful single from Native, “Counting Stars,” had its music video reach 4 billion views on YouTube by 2024, securing the 18th spot in the list of the most-viewed videos on the platform.
In 2015, while preparing their next album, Tedder said in an interview that it was time for OneRepublic to change their old sound for a new one and say goodbye to the previous era. Rhythm guitarist Drew Brown added that this change would be the best thing they had ever done. In April 2016, OneRepublic moved their fans to tears by posting a handwritten letter on their website, a very heartfelt gesture in this digital age.
But an even greater wave of excitement followed their next move— the band started sending postcards to their most loyal fans around the world via traditional mail, a medium that had once been so common and beloved but is now often neglected for weeks, months, or even years. What did OneRepublic write in these postcards? They sent what any group’s most passionate fans long for— news about new releases. As a result of all this activity, fans were so intrigued that the album Oh My My (2016) became the most successful of the band's career.
Now, OneRepublic has sold more than sixteen million album copies worldwide, which doesn’t even reflect the total number of listeners in an era when most people consume music through streaming platforms, where the numbers are even more impressive.
In the summer of 2024, the band released their sixth album, Artificial Paradise, which, in line with modern fast-paced lifestyles, includes numerous singles featuring a variety of guest artists— “Sunshine,” “West Coast,” “I Ain’t Worried,” “Runaway,” “Mirage” with Mishaal Tamer, “I Don’t Wanna Wait” with David Guetta, “Nobody,” and the official song for UEFA Euro 2024, “Fire,” featuring Meduza and Leony.
OneRepublic encourages fans to prepare in advance and secure their tickets to the concert, so they can experience firsthand whether Rolling Stone's description of their future music holds true.
More information at www.onerepublic.com
