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From Solomon Schechter to the Grammys

The guitarist and vocalist for the band Fun. has some roots

by
Adam Chandler
February 11, 2013
(WZID)
(WZID)

What on earth is there left to say about “We Are Young,” easily one of the most cloying songs in recent history?

Over a year ago, it was featured in a Super Bowl ad, setting off a frenzy. It was then covered by the enhanced interrogation practitioners actors on the television show Glee, which set off another frenzy. For the early months of 2012, countless people woke up in cold sweats, their teeth aching from the saccharine noise of the tune lodged in their heads, the oversaturated notes like a sponge leaking dishwater into a crying drain. If you google the term “We Are Young annoying,” you will get over 60 million hits (or less than half of the song’s official YouTube views).

Several months after reaching its zenith, the song is back–honored with Song of the Year at the Grammys last night–along with the band called fun., which wrote the song and collected the Best New Artist award, edging out a more deserving Frank Ocean for the nod.

One of the main creative forces behind the band is guitarist and vocalist Jack Antonoff, reported still to be the beau of writer/actor Lena Dunham, who grew up in northern Jersey and attended Solomon Schechter Day School until the 8th grade. Antonoff is the younger brother of the talented designer Rachel Antonoff.

If you’re not familiar with Antonoff, now is a wonderful chance to get acquainted. You’ll be hearing from him again before you know it.

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.