The soul artist first mastered that art with his 2023 breakout single “Lose Control‚” becoming the song heard ‘round the world in the process as the second-longest running top 10 song in Billboard history, spending nearly 50 nonconsecutive weeks in the ranking as of this writing. The heartbreak anthem transformed the Conyers native into a global star, garnering him Billboard accolades, the distinction of having the most-played song on the radio last year and a Grammy nomination for best new artist. He’s also slated to perform at the award ceremony on Sunday.

“It went down the line as being one of the greatest songs ever,” Swims said about “Lose Control” via Zoom in mid-January. “I can’t believe that. I knew it was going to change my life, but in that way, it’s just like, ‘What?’ I’m truly blessed.”

Credit: Claire Marie Vogel

Credit: Claire Marie Vogel

Today, Swims isn’t only winning in his career, but the father-to-be, who lives in Los Angeles, is winning in life. He’s past the toxic relationship drama that shaped the hit song. Love is his anchor. Therapy is a new support system. It’s what grounds him as he releases the 13-track “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2)” and unlocks a new level of stardom.

The new album still features the giant heartbreak croons that encompassed its predecessor. But this time, it’s balanced with Swims rhapsodizing about the depths of healthy affection while deftly weaving country and folksy pop with contemporary R&B. Swims is in love now. And he’s not afraid to admit it.

“It’s a whole different love,” the singer, born Jaten Dimsdale, said of his relationship with fellow singer Raiche Wright. “What I know love as now is not truly what love was. Now, I’m learning that this is good, and I don’t have to be like, ‘Is this too good to be true?’ I feel like I can just accept it with open arms and say, ‘This is good. You deserve love. You deserve good love.’”

Swims will spread that love across the world when he embarks on a global tour starting mid-February, featuring stops in Europe and South America before hitting the U.S.

And he’s not forgetting the city that made him feel loved in the first place, either. Conyers is where he discovered the music of Al Green, thanks to a teacher. It’s where he performed in musical theater while attending Salem High School. It’s also where he met guitarist Jesse Hampton, Swims’ middle school buddy who still plays with him as part of the Atlanta-based Freak Freely.

“I don’t think I ever had the time to be surprised (by Swims’ success) because the guy was always on fire about doing something like this,” Hampton said. “Since we were in school, he always said he wanted to do this. Me and him always dreamed about it.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution talked to Teddy Swims about his recent success, his new album, the Grammy Awards and learning to love.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity

Q: What has the past year felt like to you?

A: 2024 really blew by but also felt like the longest year of my life. I really feel like I aged 15 years last year. I’m so excited, though. I’m grateful. I’m honored. I feel justified. It was a lot of hard work and a lot of love, blood, sweat and tears truly put into it. I’m so grateful that it’s doing what it is, you know with “Lose Control.” Thank God for Christmas being over. Not that I’m like a humbug about it or anything, but we’re back in the top 10 (on the Billboard Hot 100) with “Lose Control.”

Q: You’re 32 now. Did 12-year-old Teddy Swims feel like all of this was possible?

A: Absolutely. That’s the only way you get here, though. I remember Jesse (Hampton) — thank God for him; the man still plays with me — and around that time, we were just showing each other bands via Myspace. We would get off the bus together and be like, “Man, I found this guy on Myspace. I found this band and this band.” We were listening to The Killers’ (2004 debut album) “Hot Fuss.”

We were definitely in a little rock ‘n’ roll, pop-punk and metal core phase at the time. It was all Warped Tour back then. We knew we could do it. I always felt like we could. I think if you stick to the course, you’re going to get good, eventually.

Q: One of the more notable differences between 2023’s “Part 1″ and the new “Part 2″ is you’re talking more about being in love. It’s nice to hear that side of you.

A: It’s nice to be in love, too. I mean, of course, there is some heartbreak in there, but I think a lot of it is more (focused on) closure than the first one. It’s not just like leaving you with a bunch of questions. There’s love in it. There’s growth in it. Truly, there’s a lot of healing that I’ve done and there’s a lot of dealing with unlearning some habits and some thought processes. We’ve been in therapy just kicking its ass.

Q: So you’ve tried therapy now?

A: Yeah. Me and Raiche have also been doing it together, too, in couples therapy, which has been great getting all the things separately and together out of the way for our beautiful little baby to come into the world and us be as healed and communicative as possible. (We’re) getting ahead of all the mess before we come up to any of those tribulations.

Q: Kudos to you all for making that decision to do it together before the baby comes. It’s important to avoid passing trauma to a child.

A: Man, I want that. I want that little thing to be just so loved. I mean, it’s going to be loved either way. But I want it to be safe. I want to be in the safest place and in the most honest and open air for that child, and I want to be the best man I could be. If I could be half the dad my dad is, I’ll be all right.

Credit: Chapman Baehler

Credit: Chapman Baehler

Q: You filmed your phone call with your dad after scoring a Grammy nomination. What was your relationship with him growing up? You split time living with him and your mom?

A: For the most part, it was the ole Wednesdays and weekends thing staying with Dad. He just always was the best for me. I moved in with him when I was 14. He’s just always given me honesty and taught me support and love and how being open with your feelings is OK.

Q: Like the last album, this album draws inspiration from therapy. What is something you’ve had to unlearn in therapy?

A: Things that I think are too good to be true can actually be true. It doesn’t have to be pulling teeth to be in a relationship. It doesn’t have to be abusive. There are some parts of me that are feeling more lovable. Love doesn’t have to look like what I’ve been used to — the high highs and the low lows.

Q: That’s true. I think the important thing in romantic relationships is finding somebody who’s going to help you through those low moments, too. You sing about that in “She Loves the Rain.”

A: Love is going to be work regardless. I’m so happy, and she’s wonderful. I think we’re going to knock this parenthood thing out of the park.

Q: You’re competing in a tight race for best new artist Grammy. Do you care about winning? Or are you just thankful to be recognized?

A: I think that this year is arguably the best year for new artists. It’s been such a year of absolute behemoth new artists that I feel like are all legacy artists. I’m super grateful to be a part of that conversation. Of course, I want to win and bring it home to my baby. But again, I’m so honored.

(I’m) thinking about the Grammys, you know, and where L.A. is at (with the recent wildfires), and my heart goes out to L.A. So many people are struggling and losing everything out there. I’m just saying prayers, prayers, prayers for L.A. Luckily, right now I’m in Pennsylvania doing some rehearsals ... but I know a lot of people who are struggling right now, and who just lost everything. It’s a tough time being in L.A. right now, and my heart really is so heavy for them.

Q: Yeah, it’s devastating to think about.

A: We (live in) the Valley, currently. It seems like over by our place, we’re hearing back and forth things about if it’s safer over there or not. It seems like we’re on the safer side right now, but I’m staying out of there anyway for now, just in case it does spread that way. I got a pregnant girl(friend), so I definitely don’t want her anywhere near breathing any of that stuff. Again, our prayers and love and support and everything is up for them.

Q: Indeed. Do you have sophomore jitters with this album?

A: I’m just pumped to share it, and I think it’s so special. I do see that there’s more pressure for something to succeed and follow up with something. But I feel so loved and so supported. I think whoever’s ears it’s meant to land on and connect with, it will. For me, it’s always about the people that understand and not the ones that don’t.

Q: Do you have any memorable moments from making this album?

A: We did it over a few writing camps and mostly in Palm Springs. I’m so grateful for this whole record, but there’s one song in particular … “If You Ever Change Your Mind.” … In our camps, there’s different rooms. We might have three different studios set up with three or four guys here and there. I remember walking in and (singer-songwriter Mikky Ekko, who cowrote “Lose Control”) being like, “All right, so I got this idea for a song.” … He read that song from a laptop to me, and I just cried and cried. That song has been so special to my little ears.

Q: That song centers closure. Closure seems to be a recurring theme for you. You talk about it extensively during live shows. Is that something you think about a lot?

A: When people walk out of your life, they don’t give you a why or, like, there’s this person or somebody else, or this something you said or did. Instead, they might just leave your life and block you and then have somebody’s child a year from now. That’s what I say all the time on stage. I think the biggest thing, though, for me, is that closure truly comes internally. It’s about accepting things that you can’t really control. I think there’s two reasons why somebody hurts you in this life. They either do it to hurt you deliberately or they do it to help themselves in a way and to choose what’s best for them, whether it hurts you or not.

Credit: Robb Cohen for the Atlanta Journ

Credit: Robb Cohen for the Atlanta Journ

Q: In this new relationship, did it take you a long time to open up and trust, given past experiences?

A: We took it really slow and talked for a really long time. I took a lot of time to heal and go through what I needed to go through and play around a little bit, too. I had never really been single and famous before, and that was cute for a minute, but that just got to be a lot. I was like, “Girl, this ain’t for me.”

Q: The album’s latest single, “Are You Even Real,” features Giveon. How did that song come together?

A: Me and Giveon had met at the VMAs, and we chatted for a minute. He’s so sweet and my lawyer at the time had sent that song to Giveon, and he was texting me saying he can’t get the song out of his head. I sent him an open verse, and we’ve been chatting since. He’s one of my closest, closest friends. I just love him to death. We’ve been throwing around this idea about doing an EP together. I keep bringing it up now that I’m in places, so he can’t take it back. We have to do this thing.

Q: I can hear the chemistry between you all on that song. Last year, you were featured on Quavo’s single “Georgia Ways” with Luke Bryan. What role has Georgia played in your success?

A: (My) getting raised on music is all because of Georgia. That is a perfect example of having the best hip-hop and the best country music ever. It’s been that way since the beginning of time. I think about how so much soul and R&B and just so many good things have come out of Georgia. It’s such a melting pot for culture.

Q: What does Conyers mean to you?

A: I love Conyers. When I was home for Christmas, I went back through Conyers for a bit. It’s changed so much. It’s grown so much. But I’m so grateful to be from there. In Conyers, we had this perfect mix of being still metro to Atlanta, but still having a little bit of backwoods.

Credit: Ryan Fleisher

Credit: Ryan Fleisher

Q: What can fans expect from your upcoming tour, which stops at Chastain Park for two nights in August?

A: We’re building this gigantic set. It’s so cool. I’m going to be rising up out of the floor and stuff. We got some background singers. It’s going to be such a beautiful thing with a bunch of video walls and cool little moments. I think it’s so elevated overall. We’re going to look pretty. We’re going to sound prettier. I think it’s really going to be a powerful show.

TV Preview

2025 Grammy Awards. 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2. Watch live via CBS or Paramount+.