Iann Dior

Iann Dior makes emo-rap songs with enough pop elements to win over mainstream audiences. Reeling from a painful breakup, Dior began writing songs to express his emotional pain, and was surprised by the positive reception they received when he posted them online. From those unassuming beginnings, he quickly made connections and amassed a huge fan base. Early singles and his 2019 debut album, Industry Plant, drew significant attention, but it was Dior's featured appearance on 24kGoldn's 2020 chart-topping single "Mood" that broke him through to international stardom. Dior rode that momentum into his more rock-influenced second LP, On to Better Things, released in January 2022. His third album, Leave Me Where You Found Me, appeared in 2023, and Dior released the EP Blind in 2024.

Iann Dior was born Michael Ian Olmo and grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was just 17 when he began dabbling in music, working under quickly abandoned pseudonyms like Olmo and Lil Rock. He started making songs about heartbreak, sex, and self-medication under the Iann Dior moniker, emerging in early 2019 with the song "cutthroat." The track was produced by Nick Mira, who was already known for work on songs by other melancholic pop rappers like Juice WRLD and Lil Skies. From there, things happened quickly for Dior, as he signed a deal with TenThousand Projects, the same label that served as a home to other popular rappers like 6ix9ine and Trippie Redd.

Dior's debut mixtape, Nothings Ever Good Enough, arrived in April 2019, and tracks from the project were streamed in the millions. As the year went on, he released the single "Gone Girl" featuring a cameo from labelmate Trippie Redd as well as the lovestruck "What Is Real." Both songs appeared on Dior's studio debut, Industry Plant, which materialized in November of that year. The album featured cameo appearances from Phem and Travis Barker. A barrage of singles arrived in the first half of 2020, including "Good Day" and the Lil Baby-assisted "Prospect." Released in June, Dior's EP I'm Gone hit number 45 on the Billboard chart. His biggest commercial breakthrough came in July of that year, when he appeared as a featured artist on 24kGoldn's single "Mood." The infectious melodic rap song was an international blockbuster, spending eight weeks at the number one spot in America and topping the charts in many other countries.

Now established globally, Dior continued to rise, releasing second EP Still Here in 2021 and collaborating with Glass Animals, Lil Tecca, Illenium, and many others on various songs. In January 2022, Dior's second studio album, On to Better Things, was released. The record featured appearances from Lil Uzi Vert, Machine Gun Kelly, and Travis Barker, and debuted in the Top 30 of the Billboard charts. Subsequent singles included "Live Fast Die Numb" and "Valley of Lies" (with Tomorrow X Together). Dior kicked off 2023 with the singles "Do It All" and "10x3." Both appeared on his third album Leave Me Where You Found Me. "You Don't Even" and "Low Tide" rounded out the year and the EP Blind arrived in 2024. ~ Fred Thomas