A Great Big World

A Great Big World is an American musical duo from New York City formed by singer-songwriters Ian Axel and Chad King. The pair met in a songwriting class and began performing together, gaining early attention when their piano ballad «This Is The New Year» was featured on television shows in 2011. Their emotionally direct, piano-driven pop sound quickly set them apart in a crowded singer-songwriter landscape.

The duo broke through internationally in 2013 with «Say Something», a stripped-down ballad originally self-released before being re-recorded as a duet with Christina Aguilera. The song topped charts in several countries and won a Grammy Award, becoming one of the defining tearjerker ballads of its era. It also anchored their debut studio album, Is There Anybody Out There?, which showcased their knack for melancholic, hook-laden songwriting built around piano and vocal harmony.

Beyond their signature hit, A Great Big World built a catalog spanning heartfelt pop songs like «Hold Each Other» and «Already Home», the tongue-in-cheek holiday favorite «I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas», and the celebratory anthem «Everyone is Gay». Their music blends pop sensibility with elements of rock and soulful vocal delivery, and the duo has continued to collaborate with other artists while maintaining the confessional, piano-centered style that made them known.