Not every up-and-coming artist can say they watched Michelle Obama jam out to their music before landing on the charts. But two weeks after Will Ferrell proudly played his son Magnus Ferrell’s single “Asleep Talking” on the former first lady’s “IMO” podcast, the 22-year-old musician scored his first Billboard hit.
“I did know he was going to do that, but I didn’t know when it was dropping,” Ferrell says of the viral moment. “We happened to be visiting friends in Oregon, and I was in the middle of nowhere when it happened. I was basically in this forest, kind of freaking out.”
Although his famous father tends to dominate the comments on his TikTok videos, Ferrell’s musical lineage actually runs through his grandfather, Roy Lee Jr., a jazz musician who played saxophone and piano with the Righteous Brothers throughout the 1960s and ’70s. Growing up in a house filled with jazz and blues, the younger Ferrell absorbed those influences early — sounds that still seep into the genre-blurring mix of soul, R&B and pop he makes today.
“I actually hated it from the ages of about 5 to 12. I thought it sucked,” Ferrell recalls of his early days learning jazz piano. “But I have this vivid memory of figuring out how to play a minor ninth chord when I was 13. I started improvising with it, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is why I practice. This is why I do this over and over again— because now I can hear things and play things that sound cool to me.’”
Below, Ferrell talks about his breakout song “Asleep Talking,” his lesser-known family influences and dream collaborators:
What was your reaction to seeing your dad show Michelle Obama your song?
We’d had some prior viral moments with him, but this was the first time the focus was fully on the music. That was what made it so special. I finally felt ready for it to have a spotlight on it. It was also fun because people see him as an actor, but they haven’t really seen him as a dad. I have, and I’m happy the world gets to see that too.
Tell me about the process of writing “Asleep Talking” and what inspired it.
In December, I started listening to old soul and digging deep into legendary disco and soul music — anything “Soul Train.” I’m talking The Gap Band, Teddy Pendergrass, Jamiroquai. I was like, “I really, really, really, really like this.” Then we made “Asleep Talking,” and it came at a time when I was under a lot of romantic and emotional distress. So, it was really easy to get that feeling of yearning into the song.
It was pretty fast. We wrote it in one session, changed one verse and then totally flipped the production. That was it. I think there was just a really pure feeling in all facets of the song, and we were really excited about this new sound. It just kind of flowed.
TikTok is a big channel for promoting your music. What’s your relationship with social media?
If I could break my phone with a hammer forever, I would. Literally, I’d throw it across the room. But in any era of music, there was always something you probably didn’t want to do that you had to do. If I want this badly and it’s truly my dream, I’m willing to temporarily be a slave to the algorithm.
I saw one TikTok comment that compared you to a white, male Sade.
[Laughs] It’s so flattering to be spoken about in the same conversation as legendary artists who have made such a huge impact on the industry. I’m nowhere near that, but I intend to get to that level. It will take a lot more practice, time and reps. I’m just flattered.
Sometimes people in your position change their stage name to create distance from their parents. Was that ever a thought for you?
I thought my Swedish first name paired weirdly with my very Irish-American last name. I was like, “OK, this is kind of unique. Nobody on the planet has the combination of the two.”
In terms of the nepo baby thing, I’m very grateful to be in the position I’m in and able to chase this dream as a job. But I also acknowledge how much work I’ve put into it. It takes a lot of time and effort. I really care, and I think the music speaks for itself.
How did your upbringing contribute to your love for this kind of music?
Not a lot of people know this, but my grandpa [Roy Lee Ferrell] is a really good keys player and played for the Righteous Brothers forever. At every family function, we would play blues and jazz.
I actually hated playing from about ages 5 to 12. I thought it sucked. But my grandpa was always fun to play with because we were improvising and playing blues.
He let me play this organ he had, which I have now. It’s from 1953. It’s the coolest thing ever and heavy as shit, but it has so much soul in it. He made it fun without forcing it on us, and invited us to play when he sensed I was interested. He’s just the best.
Who is your dream collaborator?
I love Billie Eilish’s voice. I think she’s awesome. Our voices would mesh really well, and I’ve never heard her on a really, really funky track. It would be interesting to hear how our voices pair.
