A new era has arrived for one of electronic music’s most influential duos of the past decade. The Chainsmokers have officially gone independent, launching their own record label, Secondhand Happiness. After an 11-year tenure with Disruptor Records—a subsidiary of Sony Music—the duo is marking this significant transition with the release of their new single, ‘Baby,’ arriving this Friday.
“After 11 amazing years, we are now independent artists. We are eternally grateful to our incredible team at Columbia/Distruptor for a decade plus of hard work that has resulted in unimaginable success. We have no idea what to expect for our next chapter but we are extremely excited to have fun and experiment with all our new music releases. Thank you for sticking with us fam we know we owe you some records!
A New Chapter in Independence
Since signing with Disruptor and their former manager Adam Alpert in 2015, Alex Pall and Drew Taggart transformed from internet-remix sensations into global powerhouses. With chart-topping anthems like “Closer,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” and “Something Just Like This,” the duo secured billions of streams, Grammy wins, and headlining festival slots worldwide. The partnership began to wind down in 2025 when the duo quietly dissolved their long-standing management relationship with Alpert. Their final project under the previous deal was The Love Is Kind EP, released in May 2026. By going independent, the duo gains full creative flexibility and 100% ownership of their future catalog.
Fresh Perspectives
Reflecting on the shift, Alex Pall noted the importance of bringing in new voices. “We changed a lot of the team around The Chainsmokers recently, and it’s been interesting watching what happens when you bring in people who don’t have years of history around how everything’s ‘supposed’ to work,” Pall shared. “Sometimes it’s just time to shake things up, even when everything’s working fine, because a fresh perspective can find things you’d never think to look for.”
The New Single: ‘Baby’
The debut release on Secondhand Happiness, ‘Baby,’ features vocals from long-time collaborator Ilsey Juber. The track serves as an upbeat breakup anthem, blending a modern sound with the nostalgic energy that defined the duo’s early career. Juber, who previously co-wrote hits like “Roses” and “All The Time,” provides a seamless vocal performance for this new venture.
