When the guys from A Great Big World talk about what’s happened to them in the past month, the New Yorkers sound like they’ve been hit by a train — in the best possible way.
“I don’t feel grounded at all. It’s like I’m living a dream,” singer Ian Axel tells The Post. That sense of bewilderment is understandable, as he and bandmate Chad Vaccarino have gone from complete unknowns to scoring a huge hit with their fragile breakup ballad “Say Something,” which features Christina Aguilera.
It was literally an overnight success. On Nov. 5, the duo performed the song on “The Voice”; the very next day, the previously unknown group were at No. 1 on the iTunes Chart. The following week, they also hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart. But like most overnight successes, it has been years in the making.
The Writing
“Say Something” was co-written by Axel and Vaccarino, but first released on Axel’s 2011 solo album.
Axel: “Chad and I were both in pretty toxic relationships at the same time, and they put us in a dark place. We were both refusing to let go. Writing this song was part of our therapy. But when we decided to form A Great Big World in 2012, it was one of the songs we re-recorded because we thought it hadn’t quite reached the audience it could — and should.”
The Recording
Christina Aguilera heard the song and liked it so much that she approached the band about a duet.
Axel: “Christina said she was at a point where she only wanted to work on music that inspires her, and this song spoke to her.”
Vaccarino: “She was so moved by the song that she didn’t want to even know our personal reasons for writing it. We tried to tell her, but she kind of stopped us!”
The Reaction
The song’s emotional weight has extended beyond couples in the throes of breaking up.
Vaccarino: “We’ve had people commenting on the song from people who are relating the song to situations that aren’t romantic at all — like knowing someone who was dying. It’s amazing to see how a song can be so universal.”
The Fame
Axel and Vaccarino are finding that having a hit comes with perks.
Axel: “A lot of our best days have been in the last few weeks. We played a Victoria’s Secret party recently with Taylor Swift!”
A Great Big World’s debut album “Is There Anybody Out There?” comes out on Jan. 14.