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CJ Baran

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CJ Baran
Birth nameChristopher John Baran
Born (1990-02-13) February 13, 1990 (age 34)
Melville, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • actor
Years active2006–present
Member of

Christopher John Baran is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and actor. He is a founding member of Woolf and the Wondershow and cowriter, creator, and producer of their Los Angeles future theater musical CAGES in which he plays the lead character Woolf. He has produced and written songs for Panic! At The Disco, Melanie Martinez, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mika, Britney Spears, COIN, Andrew McMahon, One OK Rock, Bea Miller, Pentatonix, Simple Plan, Pixie Lott, and Nelly. He was a founding member of the band Push Play.

Early life

Baran is originally from Melville, New York, where he attended St. Anthony's High School. He took an early interest in music, learning several instruments and beginning his first band at 11, Kaution.[1]

Career

Push Play

In September 2006, Baran joined Steve Scarola, Nick DeTurris and Derek Ries to form Push Play. Baran was lead vocalist, keyboard player, and rhythm guitarist for the Long Island-based band.[1][2]

Their debut album, Deserted, was released in December 2007. The album rose into the top 100 album sales on iTunes, peaking at No. 38. The band signed with Creative Artists Agency's Jason Morey, the agent for Miley Cyrus. The band opened for Cyrus at the MGM Grand-Foxwoods to start their 2008 tour, putting a portion of the proceeds for some of their 2008 shows to charities "Friends of the Arts" and the "Education and Assistance Corporation."[1][3][4][5]

Push Play received a record deal from Wind-Up Records in 2008. Their album, Found, was produced by Matt Squire. "Midnight Romeo", their single from the album, hit No. 37 on the mainstream Top 40 radio chart.[1][2]

After their 2009 tour promoting Found, the band took time off. Baran acknowledges that the final tour hit a "terrible rough patch" outside the Northeast, and he later claimed that he did not enjoy touring. Baran moved to Los Angeles—where he still resides—and pursued production by interning with Matt Squire, and writing his own music. In February 2010, Baran announced the dissolution of the band on the Push Play MySpace page.[1][2][3][6][7][8]

Production

Baran went on to sign with Pulse Recording for his writing and production work in 2011. In 2013, Baran met producer Max Martin, who brought Baran on to his recording company, MXM. Baran is co-signed with both Pulse and MXM.[9]

Baran has worked with a number of artists, including Panic! at the Disco, Melanie Martinez, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mika, Britney Spears, COIN, Andrew McMahon, One OK Rock, Bea Miller, Pentatonix, Simple Plan and Nelly. His songs have also appeared on the TV series Empire, with his song "Do it" featuring Becky G. Baran has worked as a writer and producer with Pixie Lott over multiple albums going back to 2011, including providing vocals on the song "Till the Sun Comes Up."[9][10]

Baran's work has received a number of awards. He wrote and produced Panic! at the Disco's "Victorious," which climbed to number one on Apple Music and No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 in fall 2015. The song is part of the Grammy-nominated album, Death of a Bachelor, which became the number one album on the Billboard 200 in January 2016. Baran co-wrote and co-produced the songs "Emotion" and "Let's Get Lost" on Carly Rae Jepsen's E-MO-TION album, which Billboard.com rated one of the top 25 albums of the year. Baran also co-wrote and produced Melanie Martinez's "Pity Party," which became a Gold single from the RIAA in 2016.[9][11][12][13]

Baran's current project is Woolf and the Wondershow, with composer Benjamin Romans, which began releasing music in 2015. The duo's work is a music, film, and performance piece that tells a story of love in a fantastical New York City setting over multiple songs. Their debut EP, We Need to Talk, was released in June 2016.[2][9][14][15][16][17]

CAGES

In 2019, Baran and partner Benjamin Romans, continuing as Woolf and the Wondershow, began performing their future theater show CAGES in a converted warehouse in The Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles. Baran and Romans co-wrote the music and lyrics. During the show, Baran performs live on stage as main character Woolf, while Romans performs the live score. The warehouse has been outfitted with a top-of-the-line sound system, 1920s theater seats, and a custom-made scent diffuser.[18] CAGES has been noted as an innovative experience that blends Broadway, pop music and film. As described by Forbes, CAGES “is one part Les Mis, another part Kanye West, a dash of Broadway here, and a sprinkle of cinema there - all mixed together in an entirely new kind of immersive blender complete with earth-shattering sound.”[19]

Discography

Group Song Album Role
Panic! at the Disco "Victorious" Death of a Bachelor Writer, producer[9]
Empire Cast "Do It" featuring Becky G & Raquel Castro Empire: the Complete Season 2 Writer[9]
"Mimosa" featuring Jamila Velazquez, Raquel Castro & Yani Marin Writer
Chicago "If This Is Goodbye" Born for This Moment Writer, producer, programmer, vocalist
"You've Got to Believe"
Carly Rae Jepsen "E•MO•TION" E•MO•TION Writer, producer[9]
"Let's Get Lost" Writer, producer[9]
"Love Again" Writer, producer
"Store" E•MO•TION: Side B
"Everything He Needs" Dedicated
"Let's Be Friends" Dedicated Side B
"Always on My Mind"
"It's Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries" N/A Writer, producer
Melanie Martinez "Pity Party" Cry Baby Writer, producer[9][20]
"Cake" Writer, producer[9][20]
"DEATH" PORTALS Producer, guitar, programming, synthesizer
"VOID" Engineer
"TUNNEL VISION" Producer, programming, synthesizer
"FAERIE SOIRÉE" Producer
"LIGHT SHOWER" Engineer
"SPIDER WEB" Producer
"LEECHES" Producer, programming, synthesizer
"BATTLE OF THE LARYNX" Producer, guitar, programming, synthesizer
"THE CONTORTIONIST" Writer, producer, programming, synthesizer
"MOON CYCLE" Writer, producer, programming, synthesizer
"NYMPHOLOGY" Writer, producer, guitar, programming, synthesizer
"EVIL" Writer, producer, guitar, programming, synthesizer
"WOMB" Producer, programming, synthesizer
"POWDER" Writer, producer
"PLUTO" Writer, producer
"Haunted" N/A Writer, producer
"I Scream"
"Bouncy House"
Britney Spears "DYFO" Sessions for Spears' 2016 album Glory Writer, producer
Coco Morier
RINNA "Atarasii Atasirasisa" Atarasii Atasirasa Writer
Hilary Duff "Rebel Hearts" Breathe In. Breathe Out. Writer, producer
Dua Lipa "Drunken Kiss" Sessions for Lipa's 2017 album Dua Lipa Writer, producer
"21 Grams"
K.Flay "Only the Dark" Solutions Writer, producer
Bea Miller "Dracula" Not an Apology Writer, producer[9]
COIN "Talk Too Much" How Will You Know If You Never Try Writer[9]
"Cemetery" Dreamland Writer, producer
MIKA "Promiseland" No Place in Heaven Writer[9]
Pentatonix "Cracked" Pentatonix Writer[9]
Simple Plan "I Don't Wanna Go to Bed" featuring Nelly Taking One for the Team Writer[9]
Who Is Fancy "Seven Minutes in Heaven" N/A Writer, producer
Betty Who "Mama Say" The Valley Writer, producer
Push Play "Starlight Addiction" Deserted Writer
"Plastique"
"Situation"
"Dreamers"
"Do It Deadly"
"Far from Beautiful"
"The Life"
"Stop Staring"
"Here Without You"
"Time to Shine"
"There She Goes Again"
"Watch It Burn" Found
"Midnight Romeo"
"Heart Attack"
"Taking It Back"
"My Everything"
"Covergirl"
"This Is Us Breaking Up (Better Off)"
"See My Soul"
"Barely Legal"
"Away, Away"
"Where I Belong"
"Start Again"
"Dreamers"
"Hush"
"Dear Santa" Dear Santa
"Christmas Rock"
"Stay Here This Christmas"
"Dance with Me" N/A
"Get Down"
"Pillow Talk"
"Start Again" (with Emily Osment)
CJ Baran "BOOMerang" N/A Writer, producer[21]
"Chasin' Me" Writer, producer
"Wallflower"
"She's a Cougar"
"Fuck You!"
"Sext Me"
"When I'm Rich"
"Feels so Good Without You"
"Girls' Night Out"
"Double Dip"
"Drink You Up"
"Hurricane"
"Last Night"
"Locked Up"
"Sometimes"
"Stuck in a Rut"
"Tease"
Just like You "You're A... (Bitch)" N/A Writer, producer
Amy Pearson "Read My Mind" N/A Writer, producer
Future Boy "Step by Step" Volume 1 Writer
"Technicolor" N/A Writer, producer
"Endless Summer"
"Shy Girl"
Sage the Gemini N/A N/A Writer, producer
Alli Simpson "Why I'm Single" N/A Writer, producer
"Notice Me"
"Guilty"
"Roll 'Em Up" featuring Jack & Jack
Big Time Rush "Windows Down" Elevate Programmer
Hot Chelle Rae "Kids" N/A Writer, producer
Stalking Gia "I'm Not Crazy" N/A Writer, producer
Allstar Weekend "James (Never Change)" All the Way Writer, producer
"Yeah 3X" Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 4 Producer
The Rosso Sisters "How You Write a Love Song" N/A Writer, producer
Elyar Fox "Shut Up and Kiss" N/A Writer, producer
Kayslee Collins "Avalanche" N/A Writer, producer
Hollywood Ending "You" N/A Writer, producer
Kiesza "Headlights" N/A Writer, producer
Lemar "Feels Right" Time to Grow Writer
"Nocturnal" N/A
Days Difference "Can't Go Back" N/A Writer, producer
"Hung up on You"
Anna Nalick "I've Been There" N/A Writer, producer
Keli Price "Something Good" N/A Producer
Meadowland "Mr. Right" Turning Back the Clocks Writer, producer
Tich "Posh Boy" N/A Writer, producer
"Storybook"
Pixie Lott "Till the Sun Comes Out" Young Foolish Happy Writer, producer[9]
"Everybody Hurts Sometimes"
"Don't Let Me Fall in Love Again" N/A Writer, producer
chloe mk "Come This Far" N/A Writer, producer
Allie X "Champagne + Saint Germain" N/A Writer, producer
Mars Argo "Angry" TBA Producer
"I Can Only Be Me"
"Lick It Like A Kitten"
Auryn "Them Girls" Ghost Town Writer, producer
Cody Simpson "Surfboard" Surfer's Paradise Writer, producer[9]
"If You Left Him for Me" Writer, producer[9]
"Better Be Mine" Writer, producer
Jack & Jack "Over Getting Over" N/A Writer, producer
Bridgit Mendler "Deeper Shade of Us" N/A Writer, producer
Natasha Bedingfield "Unsaid" N/A Writer, producer
CuckooLander "Another Life" N/A Writer, producer
Sabrina Carpenter "Looking at Me" Singular: Act II Programmer, background vocalist
"Not Dead Yet" N/A Writer, producer
Amanda Fondell "Trails" Because I Am Writer, producer
Lea Michele "Gone Tonight" Louder Writer, producer[9]
Julia Michaels "Running Right Back" N/A Writer, producer
"Talkin' 'Bout Us"
"Me and You"
Jukebox the Ghost "Stay the Night" N/A Writer, producer
"Everybody's Lonely" Off to the Races
The Royal Concept "Fashion" Smile EP Writer, producer[9]
The Cab "These Are the Lies" Lock Me Up EP Writer, producer[9]
Jasmine Thompson "Right Where We Belong" N/A Writer, producer
The Vamps "Lovestruck" Meet the Vamps Writer, producer
Coco McQueen "Let's Get French" N/A Writer, producer
The Tide "Rest of Us" Young Love Writer, producer
Andrew McMahon "So Close" Zombies on Broadway Writer, producer[9][22][23]
Austin Mahone "Say Somethin'" N/A Additional drums, synthesizer
Aston Merrygold "Distraction" Precious Writer, producer
Lazy Weekends "Back of My Car" N/A Writer, producer
"Caught Up" featuring Charlee Vocalist
"Beg" Writer
Woolf and the Wondershow "We Need to Talk" We Need to Talk Writer, producer
"Cages"
"Cloaked"
"Drinking About You"
"Vandal"
"Masquerade"
"Talking to the Mirror"
"Somebody's Somebody" CAGES (Original Cast Recording) Writer, producer
"Colour of Love"
"All That's Left"
"A Love Song"
"A Mathematical Probability"
"A Nocturnal Tragedy"
"A Trespassing"
"An Emotional Prophet"
"An Emotional Terrorist"
"Anger"
"Catacombs"
"Close"
"Crash the Wedding"
"Death in the Afternoon"
"Don't Shoot the Messenger"
"Drink This, or Forever Wonder What Could Have Been"
"No Monster Could Sound That Beautiful"
"Emotional Correction Facility"
"Enter the Tavern"
"Feel!"
"Finale"
"Fugitive"
"Hauntings of the Past"
"History of the World"
"How Does It Feel to Feel?"
"I Blame Time"
"I Used To"
"It Was as If Time Had Stopped"
"Lighthouse"
"Limbs"
"Lust"
"Martyr"
"Masquerade"
"Matrimonial Procession"
"More Than This"
"No One Wept"
"Overture"
"Prelude"
"Read Your Worst Thoughts"
"Rhapsody in a Cage"
"Sea of Sadness"
"Shadows"
"She's Alive, but Dead Inside"
"Strange"
"The Ash Is Full of Regret"
"The Boy with the Red Heart"
"The Chemist"
"The Execution"
"The Fear That Follows"
"The Judgement"
"The Tree of Forgotten Memories"
"The Trip"
"Trial"
"Weight of the World"
"Welcome to Anhedonia"
"What Good Is a Story Without Conflict?"
"Words I Couldn't Say"
"You Must Face Your Inner Demon"
Cyndi Wang "Pi Ni De Lei Zheng Zai Lu Shang (Neverland)" CYNDILOVES2SING Ai。 Writer
R5 "We're Alright" Sometime Last Night Writer, producer
Maty Noyes "Not Today" N/A Writer, producer
"Shadow"
Jess Kent "Girl" N/A Writer, producer
Baker Grace "Sad Summer" N/A Writer, producer
ONE OK ROCK "One Way Ticket" Ambitions Writer, producer[9]
"Grow Old Die Young" Eye of the Storm
"When They Turn the Lights On" Luxury Disease Writer, producer
Aly & AJ "Attack of Panic" N/A Writer, producer
"Joan of Arc on the Dance Floor"
Off Bloom "What We Do" In Bloom Writer, producer
"Are You Feeling It Too?" Writer
Carmen DeLeón "Wonderful" N/A Writer, producer
James the Human "News Satellite" N/A Writer, producer
Baby Storme "This City Is a Graveyard" N/A Writer, producer
"Sunglasses at Night" Forever Halloween
"Goosebumps"
"Rest in Pieces" N/A
Kailee Morgue "Medusa" Medusa Writer, producer
"Discovery"
Kailee Morgue & Hayley Kiyoko "Headcase" N/A Writer, producer
Ansel Elgort "Thief" N/A Writer[9][24]
Liáng Jiā Jié "Ài Shàng Nǐ De Ài" Green Roses Writer
Nina Nesbitt "History" TBA Writer, producer
Max George "Better on Me" N/A Writer
End of the World "One More Night" N/A Writer, producer
"Hollow" featuring DNCE Chameleon
"Rollerskates"
Mob Rich "Buggin" Why No Why Writer, producer
Au/Ra "Bite Marks" Soundtrack to an Existential Crisis Writer, producer
"plz don't waste my youth" N/A Writer, producer
Royalties Cast "This Is a Theme Song" featuring Darren Criss & Kether Donohue Royalties: Season 1 (Music from the Original Quibi Series) Writer, producer
"Just That Good" featuring Rufus Wainwright
"I Am so Much Better Than You at Everything" featuring Darren Criss Producer
"Make You Come True" featuring Jordan Fisher Writer, producer
"I Hate That I Need You" featuring Darren Criss, Jennifer Coolidge & NIve Writer, producer
Russell Dickerson "Southern Symphony" Southern Symphony Writer
Darren Criss "fukn around" Masquerade Writer, producer
"i can't dance"
"for a night like this"
"let's"
"walk of shame" Producer
"I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (Hippo the Hero)" A Very Darren Crissmas Producer
Super Spreader "Vaccinate Me!" N/A Writer, producer
Dani Baran "Voices in My Head" N/A Writer, producer
Le Twins "Ra Ta Ta" N/A Writer, producer
Krystian Wang "lucifer" KRYSTIAN Producer
CUDDLES "Nothing to Wear" N/A Writer, producer
"I'm like That" N/A Writer, producer
Sheppard "Lost as You" N/A Writer, producer
Bonnie McKee & Eden xo "Finish Line" N/A Writer, producer
Bludnymph "The Things I Do for Love" N/A Writer, producer
Caity Baser "I'm a Problem" N/A Writer, producer, background vocals, bass guitar, programmer
Noga Erez "Come Back Home" N/A Writer, producer
Cimorelli "Dynamite" CimFam Producer
"Price Tag"
"What Makes You Beautiful"
"Skyscraper"
"All I Want for Christmas"
Additional songs "Attractive" (CJ Baran, Celina Berman & Nader Ashway) N/A Writer, producer
"Blue" (CJ Baran, Tim Myers, Kathryn Ostenberg & Skyler Stonestreet)
"Dagger" (CJ Baran, Kathryn Ostenberg & Skyler Stonestreet)
"Digital Girl" (CJ Baran & Kevin Kessee)
"I Broke My Heart" (CJ Baran, Kara DioGuardi & Skyler Stonestreet)
"Like They Used To" (CJ Baran, Cara Salimando & Paula Winger)
"Live for the Night" (CJ Baran, Chantal Kreviazuk & Tebey)
"Love on the Dancefloor" (CJ Baran, Nick Clow, Luciana & James Bourne)
"Lucid Dreams" (CJ Baran, Dana Parish & Andrew Hollander)
"Made My Own" (CJ Baran, Nathaneal Boone & Justin Tranter)
"Make Your Troubles Mine" (CJ Baran, Andrew Frampton & Molly Morgenstern)
"Never Been Done Before" (CJ Baran & Lindy Robbins)
"No Strings Attached" (CJ Baran, FRND & Lindy Robbins)
"Ready for the Storm" (CJ Baran, Marty James, ALDAE & Ryota Kawamura)
"Roots" (CJ Baran, Melissa Peirce & Anne Preven)
"So-Called Bad Decisions" (CJ Baran, Madame Buttons & Neil Mason)
"Someone to Break" (CJ Baran, Kathryn Ostenberg & Skyler Stonestreet)
"Stop the Fever" (CJ Baran, Dana Parish & Phil Bentley)
"The Great Divider" (CJ Baran, Kathryn Ostenberg & Skyler Stonestreet)
"Wedding Gown" (CJ Baran, Kathryn Ostenberg & Skyler Stonestreet)
"When It Snows" (CJ Baran, Felicia Barton, Ryland Blackinton & Anne Preven)

References

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  3. ^ a b Chulapa, Andrea. "What depression? How to be a be a self-made rockstar". AOL. AOL. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  4. ^ Staff. "PUSH PLAY BIOGRAPHY". Song365. Song365. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
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  6. ^ Staff (September 28, 2009). "Push Play Visits Seventeen!". Seventeen. Seventeen. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  7. ^ Staff. "Push Play Detail What Led To Their Split". popdirt. popdirt. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
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  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "CJ Baran". Pulse Recordings. Pulse Recordings. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
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  11. ^ "Pixie Lott reunites with Christopher J. Baran for new album". HAMADA MANIA. HAMADA MANIA. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
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  13. ^ Staff. "Billboard.com's 25 Best Albums of 2015: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  14. ^ "Christopher J. Baran". discogs. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  15. ^ Crider, Erin (April 25, 2016). "NEW ARTIST FINDS: WOOLF AND THE WONDERSHOW". The Guard. The Guard. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  16. ^ Wass, Mike. "Woolf and the Wondershow's "Cages" Video Is A Whimsical Affair". Idolator. Idolator. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  17. ^ Vehlinggo, Aaron (May 29, 2015). "WOOLF AND THE WONDERSHOW PUT YOU THROUGH THE RINGER ON 'CAGES'". Vehlinggo. Vehlinggo. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  18. ^ "Is it theater? Is it film? 'Cages' doesn't care. Just don't call it a 'musical'". February 27, 2020. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  19. ^ "Live Experiential Entertainment Awaits & Will Astound - Once We Are Ready (In a Post Coronavirus World)". Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Scott, Jason (June 25, 2015). "Melanie Martinez Talks 'Cry Baby' LP, Childhood Toys, Cake & Party Essentials". popdust. popdust. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  21. ^ "CJ Baran 'BOOMerang' | popdirt.com". popdirt.com. August 5, 2010. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  22. ^ Staff. "PREMIERE: Here's Woolf and the Wondershow's Debut EP 'We Need to Talk'". Noisey. Noisey. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  23. ^ Whitney, Alyse. "Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness Premieres 'Fire Escape' Video, Promises 'Experimentation' on Sophomore Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  24. ^ Ercoli, Ilaria (February 7, 2017). "ATTORI, REGISTI, ECC. Ansel Elgort: ecco il video della nuova canzone incisa dell'attore di Colpa delle Stelle". Telefilm Central. Telefilm Central. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2017.