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John Summit Builds Momentum with “SHADOWS” Ahead of New Album CTRL ESCAPE
John Summit continues the rollout of his upcoming album with the release of “SHADOWS,” the second single from CTRL ESCAPE, set to arrive on April 15 via Experts Only / Darkroom Records.
Featuring vocals from LAVINIA, the track leans into a darker, more seductive space. Anchored by the lyric “come follow me into the night, we can go further than a million miles,” “SHADOWS” captures the tension between escape and surrender — a theme that appears central to the upcoming album. Built around tech-house textures, layered synth work, and restrained but intentional energy, the record feels immersive rather than explosive.
The single continues to showcase Summit’s expanding sonic range. While he remains rooted in club functionality, CTRL ESCAPE is positioned as a boundary-pushing project. The album explores everything from heavy tech-house to dubstep and drum & bass influences, signaling a broader creative evolution. Teasers of unreleased material — including collaborations with artists like Feid and Julia Wolf — have already generated viral traction across social platforms.
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The visual direction surrounding the project reinforces that transformation. In the recently released video for “LIGHTS GO OUT,” Summit frames the story as a clash between 9-to-5 monotony and nightlife liberation — cubicles dissolving into strobe-lit chaos. The imagery mirrors the album’s core narrative: music not just as escape, but as collective rebellion.
Beyond the studio, Summit’s momentum continues globally. He will make his Ibiza residency debut, headlining nine Mondays at [UNVRS], alongside a UK headline appearance at Tofte Manor with Labyrinth Events. His calendar also includes back-to-back Experts Only Ski Weekenders in Whistler and Vail, followed by a mainstage closing set at Ultra Music Festival. Appearances at Ultra South Africa, EDC Mexico, and Tomorrowland further solidify his global footprint, before returning to New York for the second edition of the Experts Only Festival, following its sold-out 2025 debut that drew over 50,000 attendees.
Over the past year alone, Summit has continued to balance commercial dominance with artistic growth. From emotionally driven releases like “Crystallized” (feat. Inéz) to his long-awaited remix of Britney Spears’ “I Wanna Go,” and reworks like “Silence” alongside Sarah McLachlan and Delerium, he has demonstrated a consistent ability to bridge nostalgia, club culture, and mainstream appeal.
Statistically, his rise remains difficult to ignore. With over one billion global streams, two #1 U.S. dance radio hits, and four Top 10 placements on the Billboard Hot Electronic/Dance Songs chart, Summit has become one of the most commercially powerful figures in dance music. His live presence matches that scale — selling out Madison Square Garden in under two hours, packing three nights at the Kia Forum, headlining BMO Stadium, and delivering a 38,000-capacity show at Folsom Field. His debut at London’s O2 Arena further cemented his arena-level status.
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Behind the scenes, however, Summit’s narrative remains rooted in transformation. A former CPA turned global headliner, he has built Experts Only into more than just a label — it’s a brand ecosystem blending house, techno, melodic elements, and large-scale event production. Following his 2024 debut album Comfort In Chaos, CTRL ESCAPE appears to refine that duality even further — shifting focus toward the friction between structure and freedom, routine and release.
“SHADOWS” serves as another preview of that tension. It’s intimate, controlled, and intentionally immersive — less about peak-hour chaos and more about the emotional gravity that pulls people onto the dancefloor in the first place.
CTRL ESCAPE arrives April 15.
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