You Are More Like Grammy-Winner Jacob Collier Than You Think | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

To create something truly original, do we build something new or break what came before? Perhaps the answer is both—simultaneously. Jacob Collier does exactly that. A brilliant songwriter and musician, he’s known for transforming his live audiences into massive three-part choirs, making music with the very people who attend his concerts. His album "Djesse Volume 4" was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards, alongside icons like Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift. Although Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" won, Jacob snagged his seventh Grammy for his rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water." I sat down with him in a music studio a few days before the Grammys, surrounded by multiple pianos, and it was a joy to hear him play. Jacob’s approach to music—blending structure with spontaneity—offers inspiring insights into creativity that are as inspiring as his sound. This…is A Bit of Optimism. For more on Jacob, check out: http://jacobcollier.com/ @jacobcollier ⏰ Timestamps 0:00 An intro to Jacob Collier 2:19 Album of the Year, and how it feels to be nominated 3:26 Jacob's creative mind as a kid 6:59 Practice versus play 9:39 Simon loves lists 10:19 Simon reads Shel Silverstein's "Twistable Turnable Man" 13:25 The job versus the joy of music 15:31 How Jacob learned to make music with his audiences 20:39 Everyone instinctively understands music 21:30 Jacob plays the piano (arrival and departure) 24:30 What anger sounds like on the piano 28:16 Jacob asks Simon how he keeps old ideas fresh 31:00 Are there any ideas Simon would disavow? 32:15 Jacob's WHY 34:06 The irrational mind and creativity 38:36- What AI taught Jacob about creativity 40:03 Creative mastery versus creative stagnation 44:40 Jacob talks about making two albums (In My Room and Djesse Vol. 4) 49:49 To be a container for creativity 51:58 Catching ideas is like surfing 54:13 Jacob plays Simon a Bartok Bagatelle + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game. + + + Website: http://simonsinek.com/ Live Online Classes: https://simonsinek.com/classes/ Podcast: http://apple.co/simonsinek Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonsinek/ Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonsinek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek Simon’s books: The Infinite Game: https://simonsinek.com/books/the-infinite-game/ Start With Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/ Find Your Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/find-your-why/ Leaders Eat Last: https://simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last/ Together is Better: https://simonsinek.com/books/together-is-better/ + + + #SimonSinek

Jacob CollierguestSimon Sinekhost

Feb 4, 202558mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: February 4, 2025
Duration: 58m
Channel: Simon Sinek
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

To create something truly original, do we build something new or break what came before? Perhaps the answer is both—simultaneously. Jacob Collier does exactly that. A brilliant songwriter and musician, he’s known for transforming his live audiences into massive three-part choirs, making music with the very people who attend his concerts. His album "Djesse Volume 4" was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards, alongside icons like Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift. Although Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" won, Jacob snagged his seventh Grammy for his rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water." I sat down with him in a music studio a few days before the Grammys, surrounded by multiple pianos, and it was a joy to hear him play. Jacob’s approach to music—blending structure with spontaneity—offers inspiring insights into creativity that are as inspiring as his sound. This…is A Bit of Optimism. For more on Jacob, check out: http://jacobcollier.com/ @jacobcollier ⏰ Timestamps 0:00 An intro to Jacob Collier 2:19 Album of the Year, and how it feels to be nominated 3:26 Jacob's creative mind as a kid 6:59 Practice versus play 9:39 Simon loves lists 10:19 Simon reads Shel Silverstein's "Twistable Turnable Man" 13:25 The job versus the joy of music 15:31 How Jacob learned to make music with his audiences 20:39 Everyone instinctively understands music 21:30 Jacob plays the piano (arrival and departure) 24:30 What anger sounds like on the piano 28:16 Jacob asks Simon how he keeps old ideas fresh 31:00 Are there any ideas Simon would disavow? 32:15 Jacob's WHY 34:06 The irrational mind and creativity 38:36- What AI taught Jacob about creativity 40:03 Creative mastery versus creative stagnation 44:40 Jacob talks about making two albums (In My Room and Djesse Vol. 4) 49:49 To be a container for creativity 51:58 Catching ideas is like surfing 54:13 Jacob plays Simon a Bartok Bagatelle + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game. + + + Website: http://simonsinek.com/ Live Online Classes: https://simonsinek.com/classes/ Podcast: http://apple.co/simonsinek Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonsinek/ Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonsinek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek Simon’s books: The Infinite Game: https://simonsinek.com/books/the-infinite-game/ Start With Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/ Find Your Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/find-your-why/ Leaders Eat Last: https://simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last/ Together is Better: https://simonsinek.com/books/together-is-better/ + + + #SimonSinek

SPEAKERS

Jacob Collier
guest
Grammy-winning musician, composer, and multi-instrumentalist known for projects like In My Room and Djesse.
Simon Sinek
host
Author and leadership speaker, host of the A Bit of Optimism podcast.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Simon Sinek, featuring Jacob Collier and Simon Sinek, You Are More Like Grammy-Winner Jacob Collier Than You Think | A Bit of Optimism Podcast explores jacob Collier and Simon Sinek unpack creativity, music, and containers Jacob Collier describes music as a universal language built from intuitive human axes like high/low, loud/quiet, and tension/resolution that nearly everyone implicitly understands.

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