Moses Sumney Explained

Moses Sumney (born May 19, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. His self-recorded EP, Mid-City Island, was released in 2014. He released another five-song EP in 2016, titled Lamentations. His first full-length album, Aromanticism, was released in September 2017. His second studio album, Græ, was released in 2020. Sumney has performed as an opening act for James Blake, Solange Knowles, and Sufjan Stevens.^[1] In 2023, he was featured on The Weeknd's HBO TV series The Idol.

Early life

Born in California, Sumney was raised by pastor parents, and moved with his family back to Ghana at the age of 10.^[2] He described his childhood as "Americanized" by this age and had difficulty adjusting to the culture of Ghana, especially the rural nature of his new environment. There he grew up on a goat farm in Accra and commuted by public bus to school.^[3] His family returned to Southern California when Sumney was 16, settling in Riverside.^[4]

He did not learn to play any instruments until he was older, writing a cappella music for years instead. Sumney did not perform his musical compositions publicly until he was 20.^[1]

After high school, he moved to Los Angeles in 2010 to attend the University of California, Los Angeles.^[5] He majored in creative writing and studied poetry, which helped him improve his songwriting.^[6]

Musical career

In 2014, Sumney broke into the Los Angeles music scene and caught the eye of many record labels. He said at the time it did not feel right because labels were trying to conform him into a certain image and he was still trying to discover the artist that he wanted to be. He decided to turn down these labels and move to Asheville, North Carolina.^[7] His resistance to labels is reflected in his later album, Græ.

Sumney's 2014 debut project, Mid-City Island, is a five-song EP that was self-recorded onto a four-track recorder given to him by Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio. The self-released EP was described by Pitchfork as "primarily composed of first-takes and improvisation; the music is stirring but purposefully incomplete".^[8] Sumney joined Terrible Records after the release.^[9] He considers his songs to be performance based, and that many of his recorded compositions derive from fleshing the songs out through live performance.^[10]

He has performed at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl and alongside artists such as Dirty Projectors, Junip, St. Vincent, and Local Natives.^[1] Sumney sang on the opening track of Beck's album Song Reader. On September 30, 2016, Sumney released Lamentations, an EP which featured a guest appearance from Thundercat.^[11]

Sumney's first full-length album, Aromanticism, was released on September 22, 2017 by Jagjaguwar. It received acclaim from Rolling Stone,^[12] The Guardian,^[13] and The New York Times, which also named it one of the best albums of 2017.^[14] He stumbled across the term "aromantic" when he began writing it back in 2014 and found the term resonated with him.^[15] Several songs from the album have been featured in the soundtracks of various television shows. His 2017 single "Doomed" appeared in the Season 6 finale of Netflix's Orange is the New Black, and appeared again in Westworld, Season 3, Episode 3, "The Absence of Field". His 2017 single "Quarrel" appeared in Netflix’s Dear White People. His 2017 song "Plastic" and his 2020 song "Keeps Me Alive" both appeared in HBO's Insecure. The songs "Quarrel", "Doomed", and "Swan Song" all appeared in the 2021 film Swan Song.

Sumney played himself in Season 1 episode 4 of HBO's Random Acts of Flyness.^[16] He also appeared in the movie Creed and worked on the soundtrack alongside Ludwig Görannson and Tessa Thompson.

Sumney released his second studio album, Græ, in two parts in 2020. The first part was released on February 21, 2020,^[17] and the second part was released on May 15, 2020, accompanied by a physical release of the double album.^[18] In March 2020, he released the self-directed music video "Cut Me".^[19] In May 2020, Sumney released "Bless Me" as a single from the second part of his album, Græ.^[20]

In December 2020, Sumney's single "Me in 20 Years" was featured in a special episode of the HBO drama Euphoria.^[21] Sumney contributed a cover of the Metallica song "The Unforgiven" to the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist, released in September 2021.^[22] On December 8, 2021, Sumney released a full-length concert film, Blackalachia, recorded over two days in the Blue Ridge Mountains. An accompanying live album, Live from Blackalachia, was released on December 10.

In 2025, Sumney appeared as the clown and musician Feste in a Shakespeare In The Park production of Twelfth Night; or What You Will.^[23]

Awards and honors

In 2018, Moses Sumney's self-directed music video "Quarrel" won a SXSW Film Festival Special Jury Award, and was nominated for a Camerimage award and UKMVA. In 2020, his self-directed video for "Cut Me" was nominated for a UKMVA for Best Alternative Video - International. Both of his albums have featured on the year-end lists of Pitchfork, NPR, New York Times, Stereogum, and more.

Discography

Studio albums

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"

Details	Peak chart positions
US Sales [24]	US Heat [25]	BEL (FL) [26]	POR [27]
Aromanticism	Released: September 22, 2017 Label: Jagjaguwar Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	—	—	139	—
Græ	Released: May 15, 2020 Label: Jagjaguwar Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	28	8	—	44

Live albums

Title! scope="col" style="width:16em;"

Details
Live from Blackalachia	Released: December 10, 2021 Label: Jagjaguwar, Tuntum Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

Extended plays

Title! scope="col" style="width:16em;"

Details
Mid-City Island	Released: April 7, 2014 Label: Self-released Format: Cassette, CD-R, digital download, streaming
Lamentations	Released: September 30, 2016 Label: Jagjaguwar Format: CD, vinyl, digital download, streaming
Make Out in My Car: Chameleon Suite	Released: May 25, 2018 Label: Jagjaguwar Format: Digital download, streaming
Black in Deep Red, 2014	Released: August 10, 2018 Label: Jagjaguwar Format: Vinyl, digital download, streaming
Bryce Dessner Tenebre	Released: September 20, 2019 Label: Resonanzraum Format: Vinyl, digital download, streaming
Sophcore	Released: August 2, 2024 Label: Tuntum Format: Digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist

Title	Year	Album
"Man on the Moon"	2014	Mid-City Island
"Scratch the Surface" / "Forlorn Fantasy"		rowspan="3"
"Seeds" / "Pleas"	2015
"Everlasting Sigh"	2016
"Worth It"		Lamentations
"Lonely World (Lamentations Version)"
"Doomed"	2017	Aromanticism
"Quarrel"
"Indulge Me"
"Rank & File"	2018	Black in Deep Red
"Virile"	2019	Græ
"Polly"
"Me in 20 Years"	2020
"Cut Me"
"Bless Me"
"The Other Lover"
"The Unforgiven"	2021	The Metallica Blacklist
"Can't Believe It"
"Get It B4"	2023	The Idol Episode 3 (Music from the HBO Original Series)
"Vintage"	2024	Sophcore
"Gold Coast"
"Hey Girl(s)"[28]	2025
"I Like It I Like It"[29]
"O Mistress Mine"[30]		What You Will: Music from Free Shakespeare in the Park's Twelfth Night

As featured artist

Title	Year	Album
"Show Me Love"	2016
"To Believe"	2019	To Believe
"Cul de Sac"	2020

Other charted songs

Guest appearances

List of guest appearances as featured artist, with the respective artists and albums

Title	Year	Artist	Album
"Title of This Song"	2014	Beck	Beck Song Reader
"Shed You"	2015	Tessa Thompson	Creed: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
"Show Me Love"	2016	Hundred Waters, Chance the Rapper, Robin Hannibal, Skrillex
"Mad"		Solange Knowles, Lil' Wayne	A Seat at the Table
"Cassidy"		Jenny Lewis & Friends	Day of the Dead
"Truth Lies Low"		Andrew Bird	Are You Serious
"Weekend"	2017	Flume	Skin Companion EP 2
"Tell Them"	2019	James Blake, Metro Boomin	Assume Form
"U (Man Like)"		Bon Iver, Bruce Hornsby, Jenn Wasner	i,i
"To Believe"		The Cinematic Orchestra	To Believe
"Standing on the Horizon"		Woodkid	Woodkid for Nicolas Ghesquière - Louis Vuitton Works One
"Tenebre"		Bryce Dessner, Ensemble Resonanz	Bryce Dessner: Tenebre
"Blood in Rain"	2020	Ethan Gruska	En Garde
"The Unforgiven"	2021	Metallica	The Metallica Blacklist
"I'll Be Seeing You"	2023		A Small Light (Songs from the Limited Series)
"Insecurities"	2024	Shabaka	Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace
"Around the World in a Day"		RM	Right Place, Wrong Person
"Is It Cold in the Water?"		Anohni	Transa
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"		Lyra Pramuk, Sam Smith

Filmography

!Year!Title!Role!Notes!

2023	The Idol	Izaak	Supporting role	[32]
2024	MaXXXine	Leon Green	Supporting role

Awards and nominations

!Year!Association!Category!Nominated work!Result!Ref

2018	AIM Independent Music Awards	Independent Video of the Year	"Doomed"		[33]
		International Breakthrough of the year	Moses Sumney
	Libera Awards	Best Outlier Record	Aromanticism		[34]
2019		Video of the Year	“Quarrel”		[35]
2020	AIM Awards	Best Second Album	Græ		[36]
2021		Best Independent Album			[37]
	Libera Award	Best Outlier Record			[38]

External links

• Official website
• "Tiny Concerts at Coffee Tables Near You". The New York Times, October 20, 2014.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Out Of The Woods: Moses Sumney. VMAN. March 30, 2016. June 10, 2017. August 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180806145539/https://vman.com/article/out-of-the-woods-moses-sumney/. dead.
2. News: Moses Sumney: 'I have an obsession with loneliness, singledom, isolation'. The Observer. Kate. Hutchinson. October 8, 2017. September 3, 2021. July 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240714020622/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/oct/08/moses-sumney-aromanticism-album-interview. live.
3. Web site: Moses Sumney. Taylor. Lough. Issue Magazine. October 15, 2017. April 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220422165735/http://issuemagazine.com/moses-sumney/#/. live.
4. Web site: Moses Sumney Is Ready to Claim His Spotlight. Rawiya. Kameir. Pitchfork Media. February 20, 2020. March 28, 2020. March 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220320135509/https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/moses-sumney-interview/. live.
5. News: Moses Sumney Does Not Sing Love Songs. Pareles. Jon. September 20, 2017. The New York Times. October 15, 2018. 0362-4331. April 6, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220406124438/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/arts/music/moses-sumney-aromanticism.html. live.
6. Web site: Moses Sumney, A Choir of One . KCET . April 8, 2019 . April 8, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190408052103/https://www.kcet.org/shows/artbound-presents-studio-a/moses-sumney-a-choir-of-one . live .
7. Web site: Moses Sumney Puts The Industry Behind Him And Explores The In-Between On 'Grae'. 2020-11-12. NPR.org. en. March 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220320135505/https://www.npr.org/2020/05/19/858394957/moses-sumney-puts-the-industry-behind-him-and-explores-the-in-between-on-grae. live.
8. Web site: Moses Sumney: Lost and Found in L.A.. Pitchfork. Ian. Cohen. June 4, 2015. October 15, 2018. October 17, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181017001808/https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/9657-moses-sumney-lost-and-found-in-la/. live.
9. Web site: Moses Sumney Pipes Up. The Fader. June 10, 2017. May 27, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170527183120/http://www.thefader.com/2015/08/19/moses-sumney-gen-f-interview. live.
10. Web site: Moses Sumney. E. Ryan. Ellis. Flaunt Magazine. 10 June 2017. May 9, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170509081209/http://www.flaunt.com/content/music/moses-sumney. live.
11. Web site: Moses Sumney: Lamentations Album Review. Marcus J.. Moore. October 7, 2016. Pitchfork. September 14, 2020. March 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220320135742/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22429-lamentations/. live.
12. Moses Sumney Talks Defying Genres, Romantic Myths on Audacious Debut LP. Rolling Stone. October 15, 2018.
13. News: Moses Sumney: Aromanticism review – a single-minded star. Empire. Kitty. September 24, 2017. The Guardian. 2017-12-06. en-GB. 0261-3077. July 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240714020622/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/sep/24/moses-sumney-aromanticism-review. live.
14. News: The Best Albums of 2017. Pareles. Jon. December 6, 2017. The New York Times. October 15, 2018. Caramanica. Jon. 0362-4331. Russonello. Giovanni. December 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171206203918/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/arts/music/best-albums-2017.html. live.
15. moses sumney on aromanticsm: the lack of romantic attraction to others. I-D. Shannon. Mahanty. 8 November 2018. 28 January 2021. March 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220320141007/https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/kzj4xz/moses-sumney-on-aromanticsm-the-lack-of-romantic-attraction-to-others. dead.
16. Web site: Random Acts of Flyness . IMDb . 8 April 2019 . March 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220320135505/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7942806/ . live .
17. Web site: Hussey . Allison . Moses Sumney Shares Part One of New Album græ: Listen . . 21 February 2020 . 21 February 2020 . March 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220320135508/https://pitchfork.com/news/moses-sumney-shares-part-one-of-new-album-grae-listen/ . live .
18. Web site: Monroe . Jazz . Moses Sumney Announces New Double Album græ, Shares New Song "Virile" . . November 14, 2019 . November 14, 2019 . March 7, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200307032441/https://pitchfork.com/news/moses-sumney-announces-new-double-album-grae-shares-new-song-virile/ . live .
19. Web site: Watch Moses Sumney's Excellent New "Cut Me" Video . Pitchfork.com . 2020-03-31 . 2020-05-20 . March 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220320135505/https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-moses-sumney-excellent-new-cut-me-video/ . live .
20. Web site: Moses Sumney shares dreamy new track 'Bless Me'. NME. 12 May 2020. 7 February 2021. March 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220320135743/https://www.nme.com/news/music/moses-sumney-shares-dreamy-new-track-bless-me-2667064. live.
21. Web site: The Complete Soundtrack to HBO's Special 'Euphoria' Episodes. 25 January 2021. December 11, 2020. February 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220222161327/https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a34875684/euphoria-special-episode-part-1-2-soundtrack-songs/. live.
22. Web site: He. Richard S.. 2021-09-10. Every Metallica Blacklist cover ranked from worst to best. 2021-10-22. loudersound. en. October 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211026061243/https://www.loudersound.com/features/every-metallica-blacklist-cover-ranked-from-worst-to-best. live.
23. Twelfth Night ~ About Great Performances PBS . 2025-10-07 . Corbett . Julia . en-US . 2025-11-16 . www.pbs.org.
24. Moses Sumney Chart History: Top Album Sales. Billboard. December 26, 2020. November 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211118032103/https://www.billboard.com/artist/moses-sumney/chart-history/tsl/. live.
25. Moses Sumney Chart History: Heatseekers Albums. Billboard. December 26, 2020. November 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211117215321/https://www.billboard.com/artist/moses-sumney/chart-history/tln/. live.
26. Web site: Ultratop.be – Moses Sumney – Aromanticism. Hung Medien. December 26, 2020. May 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210522204851/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/album/5331a/Moses-Sumney-Aromanticism. live.
27. Web site: Portuguesecharts.com – Moses Sumney – Græ. Hung Medien. December 26, 2020. February 16, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210216044056/https://portuguesecharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Moses+Sumney&titel=Gr%E6&cat=a. live.
28. Web site: Strauss . Matthew . 2025-02-05 . Moses Sumney Taps Syd and Meshell Ndegeocello for New Song “Hey Girl(s)” . 2025-11-21 . Pitchfork . en-US.
29. Web site: Hatfield . Amanda . Hayley Williams & Moses Sumney team up for new single "I Like It I Like It" . 2025-11-21 . Alternative Press Magazine . en-US.
30. Web site: Breihan . Tom . 2025-11-14 . Moses Sumney Shares Version Of Shakespeare Song "O Mistress Mine": Listen . 2025-11-21 . Stereogum . en.
31. Moses Sumney Chart History: Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. Billboard. February 15, 2022. February 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220215132708/https://www.billboard.com/artist/moses-sumney/chart-history/dan/. live.
32. Web site: Petski . Dade Hayes, Denise . Hayes . Dade . Petski . Denise . 2022-08-21 . 'The Idol': HBO Releases New Teaser For Music Industry Drama . 2022-08-21 . Deadline . en-US . August 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220822031302/https://deadline.com/2022/08/the-idol-hbo-the-weeknd-lily-rose-depp-1235096676/ . live .
33. Web site: AIM Independent music Awards 2018 Nominees Announced. Proper Music Group. 8 August 2018 . February 26, 2023.
34. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20180812060708/http://liberaawards.squarespace.com/nominees/. Nominees - A2IM Libera Awards 2018. Guitar Girl Magazine. August 12, 2018. July 7, 2021.
35. Web site: A2IM Announces 2019 Libera Award Nominees. Broadway World. March 28, 2019. July 7, 2021. July 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200726082351/https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/A2IM-Announces-2019-Libera-Award-Nominees-20190328. live.
36. Web site: Tony Allen will receive a posthumous award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Atkinson. Jessie. Gigwise. 17 August 2020. 27 October 2021. October 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211027204906/https://www.gigwise.com/news/3382887/the-aim-awards-nominations-are-here. live.
37. Arlo Parks Leads 2021 AIM Awards Nominations. Grein. Paul. Billboard. June 6, 2021. October 27, 2021. October 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211027210855/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/awards/9584885/2021-aim-awards-nominations-arlo-parks/. live.
38. Web site: 2021 Libera Award nominees announced. Guitar Girl Magazine. March 23, 2021. July 7, 2021. June 26, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220626015505/https://guitargirlmag.com/news/music-news/2021-libera-award-nominees-announced/. live.