The Sonic Signature of Jack Antonoff on ‘GNX’

 

Frequent collaborator of Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, Jack Antonoff, has a significant presence on Kendrick Lamar’s surprise new album, GNX.

Antonoff, also known as the frontman of Bleachers, is credited as a producer on 11 out of the album’s 12 tracks. The only song he didn’t contribute to is “Peekaboo.” Sharing the spotlight is Lamar’s longtime collaborator Sounwave, who is credited on every track. Sounwave and Antonoff, along with Sam Drew, also form the music group Red Hearse, showcasing their creative synergy.

In addition to Antonoff and Sounwave, other notable producers on the album include Mustard and Sean Momberger, who worked together on the standout track “Not Like Us.”

This isn’t the first time Jack Antonoff has collaborated with Kendrick Lamar and Sounwave. He previously co-produced the Instagram-released Drake diss track “6:16 in LA,” the second of Lamar’s one-off singles targeting the Canadian rapper. Antonoff’s involvement in the track was seen by some as a subtle response to Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle.”

On that track, Drake raps:

“But now we gotta wait a fuckin' week ‘cause Taylor Swift is your new Top / And if you 'bout to drop, she gotta approve / This girl really 'bout to make you act like you not in a feud / She tailor made your schedule with Ant, you out of the loop.”

Drake’s critiques didn’t stop there. On “Push Ups,” he credited Lamar’s mainstream success to his 2015 feature on Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood—a collaboration that became Lamar’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit.

Antonoff, known for his work with Lorde, Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, and The 1975, has built an impressive resume collaborating with music’s biggest names. However, his most enduring partnership is with Taylor Swift, contributing to every one of her studio albums since 2014’s 1989.

For the record, Antonoff has been part of more No. 1 albums than Drake.

Listen to GNX here.

Without any prior announcement, Kendrick Lamar dropped his sixth studio album, GNX, on Friday, Nov. 22. The 12-track project, running just under 45 minutes, features vocals from SZA and production by notable names like Mustard (best known for “Not Like Us”), Sounwave, and Jack Antonoff—a surprise addition to Lamar’s creative team.

Even Mustard was caught off guard by the album’s sudden release. “You know what’s crazy? It was a surprise for me, just like it was a surprise for everybody else,” he shared. “I had been thinking maybe it’s going to come at the top of the year, maybe around the Super Bowl or whatever. I’m in the gym working out today, and I see him post a snippet of a song. I’m like, ‘Oh shit, this might come out next week—maybe Thanksgiving when everybody’s home together.’ Ten minutes later, the album is out.”

The unexpected drop adds to the excitement surrounding GNX, leaving fans and collaborators alike buzzing.

“TV Off,” a standout track from GNX, was co-produced by Mustard alongside Sean Momberger, Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, and Kamasi Washington. The song has drawn comparisons to Lamar’s hit “Not Like Us,” a connection Mustard confirms was “definitely intentional.” Surprisingly, much like the album’s sudden release, Mustard didn’t hear the final version of “TV Off” until the day it dropped.

“What did I think?” he says, his excitement clear. “I was losing it. I already knew I did my thing with the beats, you know? But Kendrick is the best rapper, bro. Like, of all time. I think he’s one of the best.”

Mustard revealed that “TV Off” was created around the same time as “Not Like Us” but came together in two separate parts from different beats. “That first half was definitely in the same realm as ‘Not Like Us,’” he explains. “The second half was a beat I originally made for this other theatrical album I’m working on. I sent it to Kendrick, and he was like, ‘This is crazy.’”

One of the track’s most memorable moments is the explosive transition between sections when Lamar shouts, “Mustaaaaaaaaard.” For Mustard, it’s a career highlight. “That s— was elite. So fire. Like, is that a new tag? I can’t wait to perform that song and hear people yelling that. Everyone’s going to say it like crazy.”

As for another GNX track, “Hey Now,” Mustard shared that he originally made the beat 3-4 years ago before Sounwave and Antonoff added their touches. “I just knew if I got the right person on it, it would be perfect. I sent it to [Kendrick], and he immediately knew what to do.”

Mustard remains eager to continue collaborating with Lamar, driven by their creative synergy. “I’ve got this thing where I try to send [Kendrick] something every day,” he says. “This morning, I was texting, like, ‘What do you need from me?’ Whatever it is, I’m ready to keep my head down and keep working.