Jacob Sartorius is an American singer and actor known for rising to fame through lip-sync videos on Musical.ly and releasing the hit single "Sweatshirt." He later expanded into touring, independent music, and screen acting, including roles in The Loneliest Boy in the World and Pantheon.
Early life and social-media rise
Jacob Sartorius was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was adopted shortly after birth. He moved to Virginia and was raised in Reston by his adoptive parents. He began acting in musicals at age seven, discovering an early interest in performing.
In 2014, Sartorius posted an anti-bullying video on Vine and later became known for lip-syncing videos on Musical.ly. His online popularity grew rapidly, and his social-media fame also intensified bullying at school. He said that Musical.ly gave him a way to be more outgoing and use performance as an escape from bullying.
Music career, tours, and independent releases
Sartorius released his debut single, "Sweatshirt," on May 3, 2016. The song reached No. 90 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, while "Hit or Miss" reached No. 72 and became his highest-charting single in the United States. He also released "All My Friends," "Last Text," and other singles connected with his early pop sound.
His debut EP, The Last Text, arrived in January 2017. It was followed by Left Me Hangin' in 2017, Better with You in 2018, Where Have You Been? in 2019, Lost But Found in 2021, and Sleep When I'm Dead in 2022. He supported the releases with the All My Friends Tour, The Last Text World Tour, and The Left Me Hangin' Tour. His collaborations included "Hit Me Back" with Blackbear and the acoustic release "Hey, Hello, Goodbye" with Dempsey Hope.
In 2021, Sartorius began an independent artist phase with the single "youtube & bbq chips" and the EP Lost But Found. The project addressed the anxiety, disconnect, and pressures associated with growing up in the digital spotlight. He followed it with the song "Fear of Intimacy" in 2022 and "High" in 2023.
Acting and screen work
Sartorius developed his acting interests through community theater and later appeared in music videos and digital projects, including Life of Jacob and Jacob Sartorius: Life on the Road. He made his feature-film debut in The Loneliest Boy in the World, a horror comedy directed by Martin Owen, playing Kurt alongside Max Harwood, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and Ashley Benson.
He also voiced Bored Boy in an episode of the animated television series Pantheon. In addition to acting, Sartorius served as an executive producer on the short films For Real and Breathe.
Quick facts
- Sartorius's debut Vine video was an anti-bullying message posted in 2014.
- His lip-syncing videos made him one of Musical.ly's most prominent users before the platform became TikTok.
- Sartorius switched schools three times in 2015 after experiencing verbal attacks, pushing, and teasing from classmates.
- "Sweatshirt" reached No. 90 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
- "Hit or Miss" reached No. 72 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making it his highest-charting U.S. single.
- Google ranked Sartorius as the ninth-most-searched musical artist of 2016.
- Sartorius's first EP, The Last Text, was released on January 20, 2017.
- He spoke at the March for Our Lives protest in Los Angeles in March 2018.
- Sartorius played Kurt in The Loneliest Boy in the World.
- He voiced Bored Boy in an episode of Pantheon.
- Sartorius met Dutch wellness instructor Wim Hof in Amsterdam for the documentary Breathe: The Documentary.
- His EP Lost But Found was released in 2021 as part of his independent artist period.
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