Chromeo

---

title: "Chromeo" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2002-establishments-in-quebec", "atlantic-records-artists", "canadian-disco-groups", "canadian-funk-musical-groups", "canadian-synth-pop-groups", "canadian-dance-rock-musical-groups", "canadian-electronic-music-duos", "english-language-musical-groups-from-quebec", "musical-groups-established-in-2002", "musical-groups-from-montreal", "nu-disco-musicians", "nettwerk-music-group-artists", "v2-records-artists", "male-musical-duos"] description: "Canadian electro-funk musical duo" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromeo" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Canadian electro-funk musical duo ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

Field	Value
name	Chromeo
image	Chromeo at North Coast Music Fest, Chicago 9 5 2015 (22732982125).jpg
landscape	yes
caption	Chromeo performing at the North Coast Music Fest in 2015. From left: David Macklovitch, Patrick Gemayel
origin	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
genre
years_active	–present
label
discography	Chromeo discography
website
current_members	* David Macklovitch (Dave 1)
module	{{Infobox person
signature	Chromeo signature, Billboard Open Letter 2016.png
signature_size	150px
::

| name = Chromeo | image = Chromeo at North Coast Music Fest, Chicago 9 5 2015 (22732982125).jpg | landscape = yes | caption = Chromeo performing at the North Coast Music Fest in 2015. From left: David Macklovitch, Patrick Gemayel | origin = Montreal, Quebec, Canada | genre = | years_active = –present | label = | discography = Chromeo discography | website = | current_members = * David Macklovitch (Dave 1)

• Patrick Gemayel (P-Thugg) | module = {{Infobox person|embed=yes | signature = Chromeo signature, Billboard Open Letter 2016.png | signature_size = 150px

Chromeo is a Canadian electro-funk duo from Montreal, formed in 2002 by musicians David "Dave 1" Macklovitch and Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel. Their sound draws from soul music, dance music, rock, synth-pop, disco and funk.

As of 2024, the band has released six studio albums, with three of them hitting the Billboard 200 charts. In 2018, Chromeo received their first Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for their album Head over Heels.

History

The duo met in the mid-1990s at Collège Stanislas in Montreal. Speaking on their different ethnic backgrounds, the two jokingly describe themselves as "the only successful Arab/Jewish partnership since the dawn of human culture."

Around the time when they were both 15, Macklovitch joined Gemayel's band. During this time, Macklovitch's younger brother A-Trak started winning the Disco Mix Club Championships, becoming World Champion in 1997. After the band, Dave 1 and P-Thugg started to produce hip hop music together. Also at this time, Tiga was working with Dave 1 at a record store and asked Dave 1 to work on a project for his label, Turbo. Dave 1 and P-Thugg signed as Chromeo and started creating music together.

Reviews of their 2004 debut album, She's in Control, were mostly favorable. Critics compared the sound to 1980s groups Hall & Oates, Zapp, Prince, Klymaxx and Sylvester. "Needy Girl" became a worldwide club hit. According to Dave 1, "She's in Control didn't blow up. But we had "Needy Girl", and "Needy Girl" was like a musical passport. That song went all around the world and DJs played it everywhere". The song "You're So Gangsta" was featured as the theme tune for the PC game Space Colony.

In 2005, Chromeo released a mix CD of funky dance tracks on Eskimo Belgium records entitled Un Joli Mix Pour Toi (French for: A Nice Mix for You). In 2006, the group was featured in DJ Mehdi's song "I Am Somebody". During early 2007, Chromeo supported indie rock group Bloc Party on their British tour. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Chromeo_performing_at_Bonnaroo_Music_and_Arts_Festival_2,_by_divertingbailey.jpg" caption="Chromeo at the [[Bonnaroo Music Festival]] in 2008"] ::

After a three-year break, they released a second album, Fancy Footwork, which also received positive reviews. In 2008, Chromeo performed with Daryl Hall as a part of his online series Live from Daryl's House. They also performed with Hall at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, TN. On a 2009 episode of Yo Gabba Gabba!, Chromeo appeared performing original song "Nice 'N Clean".

Chromeo released their third studio album, Business Casual, on 14 September 2010. As of 2025, the music video for the album's single "Night by Night" had received over 6.1 million views on YouTube. The band has appeared on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, been on the cover of Future Magazine, and sold out The Forum in London.

At the beginning of March 2011, Chromeo sent out notice that they had recorded the "world's smallest album", entitled Drive Time, which consists of 55 songs in only 183 seconds. About a week later, it was revealed that Drive Time is actually a free musical Nokia Own Voice satellite navigation pack for Ovi Maps, made for usage with Nokia's compatible cell phones. A red vinyl 5" single consisting of regular, instrumental and a cappella versions of "Turn Left" and "Follow" was released to promote it, with a sticker on the shrink wrap saying that it was a numbered limited edition of 40 copies.

In September 2013, the group announced their fourth studio album White Women with a trailer video featuring the track "Over Your Shoulder". It was released 9 May 2014, in Ireland and 12 May elsewhere.

Chromeo performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2014.

On 2 November 2017, Chromeo announced a new album called Head Over Heels. The first single "Juice" was released on 7 November 2017. In December 2018, Chromeo received their first Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in the 61st Grammy Awards for the album.

On 4 May 2020, Chromeo announced the launch of its own record label, "Juliet Records" via Facebook.

On 12 June 2020, the band released "Quarantine Casanova," an EP of five new tracks written and recorded under lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic. 100% of the proceeds from digital downloads, physical sales, and merch will be donated to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp COVID-19 Relief Fund.

On 12 June 2021, the live album Date Night: Chromeo Live! was announced for release on 25 June, alongside the release of the single "Don’t Sleep (Live in Washington D.C.)". Tracks were recorded during a 2019 North America concert tour, where Chromeo performed live with a full band for the first time.

Chromeo performed at the 22nd Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023.

Members

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/David_"Dave_1"_Macklovitch,June_2024(cropped).jpg" caption="David "Dave 1" Macklovitch in June 2024"] ::

• Dave 1 (real name David Macklovitch, born 7 June 1978) on guitar and lead vocals. Macklovitch was a Ph.D. candidate in French literature at Columbia University in New York and taught French at Barnard College, but suspended his studies due to the success of the band.

• P-Thugg (real name Patrick Gemayel, born in Lebanon on 31 July 1977) on keyboards, synthesizers, bass guitar, and talk box. He moved to Canada at the age of eight.

Discography

Main article: Chromeo discography

• She's in Control (2004)
• Fancy Footwork (2007)
• Business Casual (2010)
• White Women (2014)
• Head over Heels (2018)
• Quarantine Casanova (2020)
• Adult Contemporary (2024)

Awards and nominations

::data[format=table]

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
2007	Bucky Award	Best Sweatin' to the Indies Workout Song	"Fancy Footwork"
2008	Woodie Award	Left Field Woodie
Juno Award	Dance Recording of the Year	Fancy Footwork
2011	Business Casual
MTV Video Music Award	Best Special Effects	"Don't Turn the Lights On"
2019	Grammy Awards	Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical	Head Over Heels
2022	Juno Awards	Producer of the Year	On My Mind" (Anomalie & Chromeo), "Tango" (Onyx Collective)
::

In 2025, a new genus of Early Cretaceous-aged fossil bird, Chromeornis funkyi, was named in honor of the band.

References

References

1. DeLuca, Dan. (30 August 2014). "Chromeo are lords of neo-disco at Made in America". [[The Philadelphia Inquirer]].
2. O'Donnell, Kevin. (14 September 2010). "Chromeo Team Up With Vampire Weekend". [[Spin (magazine).
3. Sisario, Ben. (6 October 2010). "Looking to a Sneaker for a Band's Big Break". [[The New York Times]].
4. (14 May 2014). "Chromeo Talks To HuffPost About The New Album 'White Women'".
5. ""Chromeo Chart History: Billboard 200"".
6. (7 December 2018). "2019 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees And Winners List".
7. (22 September 2010). "An Arab-Jewish Duo Unites Over Sexy Synth-Pop".
8. Franciscovich, Matt. (30 September 2009). "Kicking It With Chromeo". Jambands.com.
9. Joseph, Aaron. (July 2007). "P-Thugg interview @ The Official Chromeo Make Up Party". MVRemix.
10. "DMC World Champions". [[DMC World DJ Championships]].
11. vinnie baggadonuts, changed man. (February 2004). "cd review CHROMEO - SHE'S IN CONTROL". tastes like chicken.
12. Pytlik, Mark. (22 February 2004). "Album Review Chromeo She's In Control". [[Pitchfork Media]].
13. "Artist biography: Chromeo".
14. Telling, Gillian. (26 February 2004). "Review: ''She's In Control''".
15. (8 September 2010). "Chromeo". ION Magazine.
16. "Review: Fancy Footwork". StarPulse.
17. (24 July 2007). "Chromeo – Fancy Footwork (Review)". URB.com.
18. Byrne, Katie. (28 July 2008). "Chromeo And Daryl Hall — Yes, Of Hall & Oates — Team Up For Sure-To-Be-Epic Jam Session". [[MTV News]]room.
19. "Bonnaroo 2010 Lineup". [[Bonnaroo Music Festival]].
20. (2 March 2009). "Watch: Chromeo brings clean hands to Yo Gabba Gabba!".
21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXP0KbHaw34 Chromeo YouTube Channel
22. "Chromeo - "Night By Night" Video".
23. (30 August 2010). "Chromeo".
24. (17 April 2011). "Chromeo – In The Studio With Future Music Magazine".
25. (23 November 2011). "Greenmoney Rinse Mix + Chromeo Afterparty".
26. "Chromeo Make "World's Smallest Album"". Exclaim!.
27. "Nokia - Own Voice for Ovi Maps". Nokia.
28. "Chromeo New Album Trailer".
29. (8 January 2014). "Coachella 2014 Lineup Announced". Pitchfork Media Inc..
30. (2 November 2017). "Chromeo Teases New Single, Album in Leggy Trailer". Variance Magazine.
31. "We Announce To You - Juliet Records | A VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. We're proud and excited to launch our own record label, Juliet Records. We've said this before: after 15 years in the game,... | By Chromeo | Facebook".
32. (11 September 2024). "Bandcamp: Quarantine Casanova".
33. (12 June 2021). "Chromeo announce 'Date Night: Chromeo Live!' album".
34. "Coachella 2023: Chromeo joins the five-timer's club, brings out La Roux".
35. (3 November 2010). "Chromeo Interview". Winnie Cooper.
36. "Chromeo Bio, Music, News & Shows". DJZ.com.
37. Cloudsdale, Leanne. (16 November 2021). "Electro-funk and a passion for books". Medium.
38. Stern, Claire. (15 June 2018). "Chromeo's David Macklovitch Is the Hottest College Professor You Never Had". [[InStyle]].
39. Lawrence, Grant. (19 December 2007). "The 2007 Bucky Awards". [[CBC Radio 3]].
40. "mtvU Woodie Awards {{!}} 2008". [[MTV]]. Viacom.
41. (6 February 2008). "Dion leads the Juno pack". [[Postmedia News]].
42. "2011 Juno Award Winners". [[Tribute (magazine).
43. "Best Special Effects Nominees". MTV. Viacom.
44. "2019 Chromeo On 'Head Over Heels' And Doing It Analog". [[Recording Academy]].
45. "Here's the full list of 2022 Juno nominees". [[CBC/Radio-Canada]].
46. O’Connor, Jingmai. (2025-12-04). "A new small-bodied longipterygid (Aves: Enantiornithes) from the Aptian Jiufotang Formation preserving unusual gastroliths". Palaeontologia Electronica.

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