Tony Ann has had a wild musical career. Born in Scarborough, Ontario, the Canadian pianist fell in love with the instrument and performing on it at a young age. He became a star student, focusing on classical music. Ann studied classical piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music as well as composition and production at Berklee College of Music. He did not, however, graduate from either.
After putting his skills together to build a YouTube following, Ann was discovered by the musical duo The Chainsmokers, who hired him for their North American tour, “Memories: Do Not Open.” They quickly discovered he was more than just a player and began to write music with him, including songs like “Sick Boy” and “Side Effects.”
His career took off even further in 2023 as he focused on his solo career. He released four EPs, three singles, a vinyl record, and several collaborations. In that explosion of creativity, he released “Icarus,” a song he says changed his career. The song has connected with listeners, garnering over 36 million plays on Spotify, and Ann’s own remixes have added millions more.
Part of the allure is its relaxing nature, which blends elements of classical music and pop music. In an interview with BTS Radio UK, Ann states that “I would say 70% of my playing is all influenced by classical music, I try to utilize classical techniques while also implementing harmonies from contemporary music.”
The focus of his compositions, then, is to do simple things at a high level. He expounded on that idea in an interview with Turkey’s TRT when asked why he thinks people connect with his songs.
“I think it must be the simplicity that I focus on. I don’t want my music to be overly complicated, musically,” he said. “What got me loving music was how four chords can move you. It’s true: you don’t need ten chords to create more emotion. You just need the perfect four chords and the perfect melody and the perfect tempo.”
For “Icarus,” those four chords are Ab major 7, Bb, C minor, and Eb major 7. The melody begins with four simple quarter notes before Ann’s left hand arpeggiates each of those chords, creating rolling waves of sound for the melody to float over. Ann eventually opens up by resolving to a C major chord, which gives the feeling that the piece has gone somewhere new. In minimalist writing, this can make a huge effect.
Another aspect of “Icarus” is its use of the full range of the piano to convey a narrative arc, even when there are no words.
“In my opinion, the piano opens the doors to many ways of expression,” Ann told ReadFoyer.com. “It’s an incredibly diverse instrument that allows me to produce music in all shapes and forms. The piano grants me the ability to express myself in countless ways and learn an array of different genres.”
Follow along with the sheet music for “Icarus”:
