Why John Summit isn't mad that Charli XCX and Dua Lipa 'ghosted' him

After shooting his shot on social media multiple times, John Summit has given up on the idea of collaborating with Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, or any other famous singer.

"No, they ghosted me," the electronic DJ and producer tells Entertainment Weekly with his trademark brutal honesty. "I tweeted it as a joke or whatever, and so I don't think they really take me seriously at all."

But Summit — real name: John Schuster — isn't mad about it. In fact, he's taken away an important lesson from his failed attempts on Twitter. "I realized I don't actually even want to collab with any big artists," he says. "I've never really done it before, and I don't think that's my thing. I love working with newer or lesser-heard talent because they're super hungry. Our schedules are so crazy — when could me and Charli even get in the studio together?"

The Chicago native now lives in Miami — that is, when he's not jet-setting around the globe with a tour itinerary that would make anyone's head spin. He jokes he's "in the future right now" during our Zoom call because he's just landed in New Zealand after traveling for 20 hours immediately after playing a show in Bali the day before. The chaotic schedule doesn't phase him — "You've got to be built a little different, for sure," he says with a smile — but it does make linking up with people a little difficult.

That's why his debut record, Comfort in Chaos, features all London-based collaborators who aren't currently making headlines on their own international tours. "I did basically all the songwriting for the album in London last November, so it's all friends of friends who have been working together on music for years at this point," he says. "I do pretty much everything with friends who've been together since day one. I'm keeping those people close, because then everything's real."

But if he admits his pitches to major pop stars weren't "very successful," he does think the tweets were funny. Going for laughs has never been Summit's goal — he just can't escape it. He loves that he's "forever a meme" after hoarsely booming into a mic mid-set, "Miami, how the f--- we feelin', baby?" And he knows that any small interaction with fans has the potential to go viral — like when he was too hungover in an airport to pose for some photos. But he's also aware how he's evolved since his career began in 2020 with his breakthrough track, "Deep End," and subsequent singles "Sun Came Up," with Sofi Tukker, and "Human."

"My brand a couple years ago was 'my life is a bender,' and I was partying every single night, playing like 220 shows in one year — and that doesn't even count the after-parties," Summit says. "Now I'm not doing as many shows. I'm spending more time on my art, doing albums instead of singles. I'm slowly growing more as an artist, from just being that DJ who started in college bars 10 years ago to doing three nights at the Kia Forum this year."

Turning 30 years old in July represented a major shift for Summit — but not in the traditional sense. "I feel like this is when everyone is getting hitched and you're like, 'Oh, s---, I’ve got to figure out my life,'" he says. "That hasn't hit me yet. I realized I'm super happy where I'm at." He means his career, because he actually doesn't want to keep growing as a performer anymore. "I don't want to be like Coldplay, doing massive stadium tours," he says. "That's not what excites me. I've already gone as big as I want to be."

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Releasing Comfort in Chaos was "scary" because he knew the music was different from what his fans were expecting after his meteoric rise as a festival act. "I was putting out the big festival tracks and the tracks you listen to at a club," he says, "but I made more introspective music and music that people can listen to at home and on a rainy day."

It's a side that was always there: the man behind the persona, who Summit is in the quieter moments when he's alone rather than on stage in front of massive crowds. Comfort in Chaos represents this dichotomy, and the emotional highs and lows that come with it, combining moody, powerful tracks like "Tears" and "Give Me Anything" with heavy bangers like "Eat the Bass." He felt vulnerable presenting a sound that was a lot closer to John Schuster than John Summit, but to his surprise, people have liked it even more.

"So many fans have reached out to tell me how much it's meant to them," he says. "It was never about hitting No. 1 or whatever. I don't care about that s---. I just want to make music that has more of a shelf life than a week — not just a viral TikTok track or whatever that's forgotten about. Not that I'm trying to change the world… but making music that can have an impact on people is pretty cool, and that's what's been really rewarding about the album."

He's already planning a follow-up full-length, and says he's still been going "nonstop," with no breaks. "I'm always working towards the next big thing and doing things that excite me. And we're not slowing down anytime soon."

It's the kind of life and career he never dreamed could be possible. His origins as an accountant have become part of his lore. He started pursuing music as a hobby when he was still in college, and then began seriously touring while still clocking in to his day job at Big Four accounting firm Ernst and Young. "Of course, just on the weekends," he says. "But it's a really demanding job that expects you to come in Saturdays and Sundays, especially during busy season — tax season and stuff." He could only juggle it all for so long.

He laughs remembering the moment he was fired. "They were like, 'Come in on Saturday,' and I'm like, 'No, I've got to be in California,'" Summit recalls. "I never brought up the DJing stuff at work — I think only one of my co-workers knew 'cause he was a friend. I eventually got let go, which was awesome because I was already signed to multiple labels and everything. Instead of doing 60 hours accounting, 40 hours of making music, I was doing 100-hour weeks of just music. It was the best thing to ever happen to me. No regrets."

He describes signing on for his three-year Las Vegas residency in 2022 his "making it" moment. "It almost feels like I finally, once again, have job security," he says, "but I never thought it would go this far, that's for sure."

He's not just talking about the Vegas gig, or headlining festivals like Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival, or selling out shows at Madison Square Garden. He's also referring to the discovery that he made it onto former president Barack Obama's list of his favorite music of 2023. "That was so cool — a fellow Chicago guy ripping the tunes," he says. "I would have to assume it was his daughters that put him on [to my music]. I can't imagine he's in the car bumping 'Where You Are,' singing at the top of his lungs." He laughs before adding, "But I would pay any amount to see that video if he is."

Because who needs Charli XCX and Dua Lipa when you've got Obama?

Comfort in Chaos is out now.