Man Crush of the Week: Chord Overstreet

Now front and center, he isn’t just the guitar-playing jock from Glee anymore

If the name Chord Overstreet doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps painting a mental image will help put a face to the name. Remember Sam, the guitar-playing jock from Glee’s earlier seasons? He’s done a lot of growing up since his departure from the show, transitioning from a young actor in an ensemble cast to a solo artist coming into his own. Outside the confines of his varsity jacket and onscreen persona, this is who he is: a promising musician whose name will soon be on everyone’s tongues.

Let’s backtrack a little. In 2015, Disney stars-turned-recording artists Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas established Safehouse Records. A label founded with the goal of putting its artists “in control of their art while providing them the best tools to manage their careers,” the agency proved to be a perfect fit for Chord, who would later sign with them in December of the same year.

As the saying goes, the rest is history. He kicked off his career by opening for Demi and Nick’s shows before releasing his first single, Homeland.

Intimate and nostalgic, Chord’s debut track is a love letter to home. Tapping into the desire to go back to his roots and rekindle a connection with a place close to his heart, the song is simple and relatable. It goes a long way in chipping away at the character he was long associated with to reveal who he truly is.

Chord Overstreet doesn’t just want to sing songs, he wants to create music that is fueled by a deeper meaning— this much becomes apparent in Hold On, his second original single. Like Homeland, Chord co-wrote the track, depicting one’s thoughts after a failed relationship and getting up close and personal with the topic of suicide.

2018 marked a new beginning for the singer with the launch of his eponymous project, Overstreet. Shedding the all-acoustic image he had built up with his past songs, Chord puts forth a new side to himself with Wasted Time, the first installment in the series of singles. The mid-tempo pop-rock banger is unquestionably catchy and reminds of the rush of the summer months. Pushing his capabilities as an artist, the track was developed to become an experience, both for himself within the studio and for audiences who watch him perform onstage.

Where to next? With his career’s wheels set in motion and the next installment of the Overstreet project in the works, this much is clear: there’s only onwards and upwards from here on out.