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Ian Axel from A Great Big World Unveils Cinematic New Piano Track
The Spider
Out Today – Listen Here
NEW YORK, NY (OCTOBER 30, 2026) –– Today, IAN AXEL, GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, and one half of A Great Big World, unveils his cinematic new piano track The Spider via Sony Music Masterworks – listen here. Released just in time for Halloween, Axel’s favorite holiday, the haunting, yet whimsical new instrumental song was inspired by a vivid image of a lone spider spinning its web as the world around it slowly comes alive.
“When I was a kid, the piano felt like this place where anything could happen,” says Ian Axel. “I could sit down and create my own musical world with my imagination. While composing The Spider, I found my way back to that kid and am honoring the part of myself that fell in love with music before I ever thought about what it was supposed to become.”
With The Spider, Axel embraces a new kind of storytelling, using melody in place of lyrics to conjure characters, images, and worlds of his own. This release marks an exciting and deeply personal new chapter, reaffirming his place as a visionary artist as he continues to push creative boundaries and welcome listeners into the vivid soundscapes of his imagination.
ABOUT IAN AXEL
Ian Axel is a GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, and one half of A Great Big World. A classically trained pianist and lifelong songwriter, Axel first gained attention with “This Is the New Year” before joining longtime collaborator Chad King to form A Great Big World in 2012. The duo achieved worldwide success with their Christina Aguilera collaboration “Say Something,” which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the 2015 GRAMMY® Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The song has since been certified RIAA Diamond and surpassed one billion streams, while the duo’s Gold-certified debut album, Is There Anybody Out There?, debuted in the top three on the Billboard 200. Beyond A Great Big World, Axel and King’s work spans music, film, television and theater, with songwriting credits and collaborations including Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli, Ellie Goulding, Gwen Stefani, Ingrid Michaelson, Pentatonix, Jason Mraz and Rachel Platten. Most recently, the duo wrote the musical adaptation of Wonder and are developing a musical adaptation of Silver Linings Playbook. At the same time, Axel is creating a great big world of his own, returning to his roots as a pianist with new solo music set for release in spring 2027.
Ian Axel – The Spider
Listen Here