See Chainsmokers Explore How They Moved Past ‘#Selfie’

The Chainsmokers had a viral hit in 2014 with “#Selfie,” a cheeky electro-house track about a woman detailing her night at the club, taking selfies to cheer herself up. For the EDM duo, moving past the viral success of “#Selfie” as they were trying to make a name for themselves proved to be a daunting task. Thanks to tracks like “Roses” and this year’s “Don’t Let Me Down,” they’re breaking free of their viral chains and beginning to establish their own identity.

“I feel like people don’t even make the connection between the “#Selfie” song and the stuff we’re putting out now,” Alex Pall reflects. “The people who do know and were critical of us are really down now, so it’s great.”

Now, the duo is giving back to young DJs hoping to make a name for themselves and create their own viral hit. On YouTube, Andrew Taggart posts tutorials that explain his process of creating the riffs and beats for many of the Chainsmokers songs. “We learned everything we know about producing from YouTube,” Taggart explains. “For how many people are interested in becoming producers right now and how much software is available, there’s a real lack of some regular person telling you how some of this stuff works because it’s really daunting.”

The tutorials also dispel any idea that the Chainsmokers are not personally constructing their songs. “It’s important that people know that our music comes from us, and it’s real as fuck. We’re proud of that.”