Acraze rise to stardom has been swift. Starting out playing at local nightclubs, to headlining sold-out gigs in just a year – his fanbase has been snowballing ever since his debut. Hailing from across the pond, Staten Island to be exact, Acraze has his finger on the pulse when it comes to dance music. With a knack for crafting up addictive tunes that know how to get a crowd going, the DJ is only just embarking on his wild artistic journey.

Putting in the work over years to refine and hone in on his craft, Acraze has had the opportunity to develop his sound, and collaborate with like-minded artists. After happening upon the 2006 R&B hit “Do It To Do It” by Cherish, inspiration struck like lightning. Acraze shortly thereafter knocked out a rough house edit of the track, and the rest was history.

Since dropping “Do It To Do It” in August 2021, Acraze has been catapulted to great heights. Garnering over 10 billion streams, it was even lauded as iHeartRadio’s 2021 ‘Dance Song Of The Year’. Off the heels of the track’s raging success, Acraze offers a follow up with the single “Believe”. Joining forces with the sensational duo Goodboys, “Believe” is every bit as vibrant as we’ve come to expect. Drawing inspiration from the chorus of “Toca’s Miracle” by the electro-trance group Fragma, “Believe” makes use of shining melodies, soaring sonic soundscapes, and top-notch production chops. All in all, showing that Acraze is not a one-hit wonder. Having just concluded his very first European tour – Acraze is on fire, and we don’t mind getting burned.

We had the opportunity of sitting down with Acraze and chatting to him about the whirlwind of a year he’s had. Talking inspiration, touring, and the differences between European and American crowds – we covered it all in this interview.

Head below to read our interview with Acraze…

Hey Acraze! Where are we speaking to you from?

Hey Wonderland! I’m currently at Thrive House studio in Los Angeles.

What’s been the highlight of your day so far?

Sleeping in and being in the studio! I’ve been non-stop on tour since the beginning of the year so I get excited to sleep and focus on making music any chance I get.

Congratulations on your new single “Believe”! Can you talk us through the artistic process behind it?

Thank you! The process of making it was super simple since Goodboys are amazing to work with! I reached out to them on Instagram and asked if they wanted to work on a song. They were excited with the idea and sent over a rough lyric demo, which I ended up loving. I worked on it over summer and ultimately finalized it to what you hear today.

I wanted the follow-up record to “Do It To It” to have an emotional message related to my journey in accomplishing my dreams. Before my big break, I worked hard for many years and never gave up on myself, no matter what others thought of my music. It just takes your own self-belief, consistency, and dedication to your work. This is the message I was hoping to express with “Believe.”

Who was the first person you played it to? What was their reaction?

I first played it to my manager and he loved it. He knew from the beginning that the song would be the perfect track to tie the story of “Do It To It” together. This is also why both “Do It To It” and “Believe” have similar cover art details.

I then went on to test it out in my sets during my Europe tour in the summer and received amazing crowd reactions!

What are some of your musical inspirations? Do you have a particular artist that made you think, “Hey! Maybe I could do this too?”

Lady Gaga is one of my main musical influences; I love her music and what she stands for. Her artistic freedom pushes boundaries in the music industry, and she doesn’t care what others say as long as she sticks to what makes her happy. I definitely want to be part of that same energy by expressing myself in my own unique way. I feel that being yourself is the key to making it out here and being a great artist, and I believe Lady Gaga embodies that.

Your previous single “Do It To It” was a complete hit, amassing hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify. How do you go about following that up? Do you put any pressure on yourself to maintain that level of success?

It was a stressful year for sure. We knew “Do It To It” would be a hit, but we didn’t expect it to be this massive and reach over 12 billion streams in less than a year. Of course, I have a ton of great music in the ACRAZE vault that I could’ve released right after, but I was never really ready for this moment—no one is! With a record like that, all eyes were on me, so I had to work with my team to plan the best next move, which took some time.

I really started feeling the pressure when we passed the 6-month mark after releasing it and I saw how big it was becoming. I remember overthinking a lot of the songs I was creating at the time because I was always comparing them to “Do It To It,” wondering if any of them would be good enough to be a follow-up. To get out of that mindset, I had to forget about how popular the track was getting and start focusing on my creative process of producing music, which is what makes me happy and the reason why I started making music in the first place.

With that mindset, I don’t go into the studio to create another “Do It To It,” I go in to make the best music that naturally flows out of me, and I try to get the most out of every song that I do. Of course, I’d like to make another hit like “Do It To It,” but I’m not going to let the chase of another hit consume me and limit my potential. If you’re doing what you love with the right intentions and mindset, success will come naturally. Don’t worry about the how; just remember your ‘why.’

You’ve toured quite a bit in the States, but we heard you’ve just finished your first European tour. Does it differ at all from playing in the US? Does the audience receive your music any differently?

Oh man, I love Europe! But I can’t really compare my love for Europe to the US because they’re both unique in their own ways.

From my experience in Europe, each country reacts differently to music– France and Norway will mosh pit for hours, while places like Spain and Serbia had this wild vibe where everyone was just happy to be there. It was really cool seeing how my music affects people from all around the world and humbling to experience so many different cultures.

What’s your favorite part about touring in general?

Getting to experience new people, their culture, and most importantly, getting to eat really good food haha.

We also hear that you’re very into personal style. If you had one styling tip what would it be?

Don’t be afraid of choosing something different than what other people would wear. I personally love to dress with unexpected fits and pull them off with confidence. When you find what works for you, stay consistent to that look so people can instantly recognize you. I’m now known as the tall one with the really cool jackets and glasses haha

What’s the first big fashion purchase that you made?

My Dolce & Gabbana leopard jacket that I wore in one of my main press shots throughout my “Do It To It” campaign! I love Dolce and currently have a partnership with them so I’m proudly rocking their fits in all of my major sets.

And finally, where do you see yourself heading? In five years’ time, what do you imagine yourself to be doing?

I’ve always dreamed of having my own fashion line and going a step further by incorporating a high fashion look. I want to bridge high fashion into the music world. I think it would be an amazing opportunity for major fashion brands as well as artists in the music industry.

To listen to Acraze’s new song “Believe”, head below…