Led by vocalist Michael Fitzpatrick, Fitz and the Tantrums deliver an energetic, rhythmic style of pop that blends vintage soul textures with '80s new wave touches. Early work drew from classic Motown and Stax recordings, earning acclaim for the band’s lively 2010 debut full-length Pickin' Up the Pieces. Over time the group shifted toward a sleek, modern pop approach, scoring radio and chart successes with “Out of My League” on 2014’s More Than Just a Dream, “HandClap” on 2016’s Fitz and the Tantrums, and “I Just Wanna Shine” on 2019’s All the Feels. Additional anthems followed in the form of 2020’s “Head Up High” and 2022’s “Sway,” the latter setting the stage for the Los Angeles septet’s fifth studio album, Let Yourself Free.
Fitzpatrick first assembled the Tantrums in 2008 as a neo-soul side project after acquiring a vintage church organ that sparked fresh songwriting ideas. While tracking a solo EP he enlisted college acquaintance James King to supply horn parts; the roster expanded steadily until the outfit stabilized as a mixed-gender seven-piece anchored by vocalist Noelle Scaggs. Their initial outing, the 2009 EP Songs for a Break Up, Vol. 1, preceded a South by Southwest appearance the next year that generated industry interest. Also in 2010 the band issued Pickin' Up the Pieces, highlighted by the single “MoneyGrabber.” Their sophomore effort, the Tony Hoffer-produced More Than Just a Dream, arrived in 2014 and signaled a deliberate move away from the retro-soul palette of the debut; its flagship track “Out of My League” topped Billboard’s Alternative chart.
The band’s pivot toward glossy contemporary pop crystallized on the self-titled 2016 album Fitz and the Tantrums, which enlisted producers Jesse Shatkin (Sia, Tegan & Sara), Joel Little (Ellie Goulding, Lorde), and Ricky Reed (Jessie J, Jason Derulo). Lead single “HandClap” reached number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the Adult Top 40 chart. In 2017, during a summer tour alongside OneRepublic and James Arthur, the group released a deluxe edition of the album that included the new track “Fool.”
All the Feels, their third long-player, surfaced in 2019 and again featured multiple producers—among them Oren Yoel, Busbee, and Tommy English—while the band continued merging polished pop surfaces with their foundational soul and R&B sensibilities on singles “123456” and “I Just Wanna Shine,” the latter peaking at number four on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. Stand-alone single “Head Up High” followed in 2020, and mid-2022 brought “Sway,” which previewed the fifth album. Issued that November, Let Yourself Free emphasized buoyant grooves that revisited the funky, soul-driven spirit of the debut.
