Sufjan Stevens

American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1975. The artist has over his multi-decade career explored a wide variety of genres, but ultimately tends to gravitate towards indie folk. Stevens cofounded a label with his stepfather named Asthmatic Kitty Records. He released his debut studio album under the label in 2000.

Stevens experiments conceptually and musically began very early in his career, with his second album being an electronic album with extremely sparse vocals. His following record, however, titled Michigan, was the start of his stated ambitious goal of writing an album for every state in America. Michigan earned him critical acclaim, and the second album in the series, Illinois, brought him even more success. Theses albums, while on the surface being set within the states they are titled after, deal with themes of faith, love, and death. Following Illinois, there were no more explicitly titled albums in the "Fifty States Project," but 2015's Carrie & Lowell and other songs from around that time contain many references to locations in the state of Oregon.

Stevens did not have another major solo release following 2005's Illinois until 2010, when he released an album and an EP within a few months of each other. The EP, All Delighted People, saw experimentation, but maintained his folk roots, while the album, Age of Adz, saw a complete reinvention, with heavy use of electronic elements and a new, personal style of lyricism. Again, after 2010, there would not be another major solo release for another five years, with the stripped-down folk record Carrie & Lowell in 2015.

Carrie & Lowell explores the lives of Stevens' parents, as well as his childhood, and other familial themes. The record earned its spot on many decade-end lists, and spawned a live album and b-sides/demos/remixes record. Following it, Stevens contributed two songs and a remix of an earlier song to the Call Me By Your Name soundtrack, and earned a Grammy for Best Original Song.

Stevens' collaborations and instrumental releases continued, and in 2020 he released The Ascension, which featured an art pop style, unique even amongst his discography. The record was followed a year later with a collaborative album with Angelo De Augustine titled A Beginner's Mind.

In 2023, Stevens released Javelin amidst a series of news about his private life, including a diagnosis with Guillain-Barre Syndrome and the loss of his long-term partner. The record was dedicated to his now-passed partner, and received critical acclaim.