Who TF is Fred Again?

"Who is Fred Again?"

That's the question being asked in group chats, online forums and even in the Mamamia office, considering good ol' Fred is in the country right now and the youth are obsessed. 

Gen Zers and a sprinkling of Millennials know who he is but I digress.

Lately, the British DJ, music producer and singer has been blowing up on TikTok and has achieved utter domination over the dance music scene. And now he's found his way into the mainstream and also down under with sold-out raves in Melbourne, Sydney, and Surfers Paradise in Queensland.

As a fellow Gen Z, I'm more than happy to drop some facts on why everyone is suddenly OBSESSED with Fred Again. And why you should be too.

This is Fred. Hello, Fred. Image: Getty/Mamamia.

So who exactly is Fred Again?

Alrighty. Let's start at the beginning. Fred Again is a South London-born musician. He produces EDM music (electronic dance music) and is an absolute king on the DJ decks. 

He's been in the industry for quite some time now, working and producing under his real name Fred Gibson with artists like Charli XCX, Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, and the K-Pop band BTS. Just to name a few. 

According to a recent profile interview, music was always his number one goal. 

Fred attended the Wiltshire boarding school, Marlborough College in London, which has some pretty famous (and posh) alumni including Kate Middleton, Pippa Middleton, Princess Eugenie and Jack Whitehall. 

But his focus "rarely shifted from music". Speaking to The Guardian, he said he would skip lessons in favour of spending time in the music room. 

It certainly worked in his favour.

According to The Tab, in 2019, almost 30 per cent of the number one singles in the UK charts were produced by him.

Then in 2020, Fred was awarded Best Producer at the Brit Awards. 

"The messages I read from people telling me how much [the albums] mean to them have changed my life," he told The Guardian.

Fast forward to now, and Fred is going gangbusters after launching a solo career in 2020 under his performance moniker 'Fred Again'. The 30-year-old musician has put a spell on techno and dance music enthusiasts, particularly Gen Zers. 

Back in mid-2022, the DJ made his debut performance at London's Boiler Room, and tickets went like hotcakes. 

For context, Boiler Room is an online music broadcasting and promotional platform based in the UK, and Fred Again's set quickly became one of the platform's most viewed performances. (That's despite the fact he had never been on tour prior to the performance.)

And this month, he is making waves yet again down under.

After his first time playing in Australia back in August 2023, he wrote online: "I want to say such a massive thank you to everyone who made it so insane. 

"I absolutely don't take for granted the fact that I'm about to get on a plane for more than a day and there will be people at the other end who want to dance to this music still. Very mad very strange very yes."

And after his latest shows in the country, he's been full of praise for Aussies yet again.

"So why should I care?", you may be asking yourselves. And my friends, that is completely fair.

But if you happen to find yourself chatting with a Gen Z or teenager, and the conversation is getting a little (LOT) stale, just throw in a statement about Fred Again and watch their little innocent eyes light up. 

As one TikTok user said: "I feel like I went to sleep one night and I woke up and suddenly everyone's obsessed with this guy called Fred."

And yes. She's right. We are all now obsessed with a guy called Fred.

So if you're ever feeling like dipping your toe into the EDM world — Fred Again is your man.

This article was originally published in August 2023, and has since been updated with new information.

Feature Image: Instagram @fredagainagainagainagainagain.