Sufjan Stevens MTV Interview 

Seeing Sufjan on MTV is kind of like seeing Mozart on... MTV...

He doesn't appear to have aged a day since this.

seriously, he's a genius its like, what is a musical genius doing on mtv. mtv doesnt ever support talent it seems

SUFJAN, SON OF HIPPIES

i love how this video mashes together like the rinky-dinky, cosy indieness of Sufjan and his music, with the typical MTV fast-paced editing and crooked-angle filming style from the mid 2000s they even used the heaviest guitar part from Chicago as bgm, and removed from the original song it sounds like some kind of pop punk track lmao

He's angelic

I just..love him so much. I can't even explain how totally incredible his sound is..his music is pure genius.

In 2020, Sufjan is still bringing us incredible music. MTV? Not so much...

I remeber being in art class and sufjan walked in!! it was fun having him there for a day, visiting his old school. He is so good looking it should be illegal. Colin and I still keep in touch.. he was such a britney fan his sister Jamelia and drove us 2 hours to see the opening of crossroads in 2001!!

When I try to describe Sufjan to non listeners, I say, "it's Philip Glass with banjos and a very soft vocal...with a tiny bit of Peanuts theme music thrown in."

lol "His second album Illinois" Glad they did their research

even his birth name is indie how could you not be the king of indie rock

If not for Sufjan, I am not quite sure what Id be listening to these days.

Why is Sufjan Stevens and MTV even in the same sentence?

this is actually the first time I’ve heard his non-singing voice

one of this rare musicians you actually believe there is NO A&R concept he just has to fit in. just a normal guy who loves to do music and that´s great in the end.

I'd like to be able to speak Sufjan's language.

Tell me.. why in the holy fuck is MTV not structured like this anymore?

I LOVE SUFJAN STEVENS. OMG.

A prophet of sorts. His lyrics and compositions are next level

his music is incredible.

He's more of a combination of Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, and Scott Walker meets Elliot Smith, Nick Drake, and Bob Dylan. He recalls Robert Wyatt and Terry Riley at times, but that can be fleeting. Illinois especially inspires similar American ideas as a song like "Heroes and Villains" that takes pictures of american life, the writer's personal life, and creates metaphors for each other, both musically and lyrically. Eccentric and artsy, but also relatable and lovable.

MTV doesn't deserve to interview someone as talented as Sufjan Stevens.

The 50 states project is what's gonna keep me alive. We've only had 2 so far 😌so there's a lot of music coming 💗

what i would give to hold his hand

he's a great musician. i adore him.

I just ate an apple, you guys should too ! specifically royal gala's! i love 'em ! crisp, just almost sweet, and not too sour. awesome.

Back in the day when MTV actually played music.

ASDFGHSJSK Hearing people talking over his music is bugging me so much. It's like blaspheming.

I'll repeat again, for me, magic is in his eyelashes 🤦‍♀️😍

12 years? Woah

Steven A. Douglas was a great debator, but Abraham Lincoln was the great EMANCAPATOR

Then it turned out that the 50 state project was a gag.

2:37 LOL, Sufjan is regretting that he ever made that promise. HIs fans keep annoying him all the time, asking for the missing/promised albums. Hahaha, it's kind of a meme.

6th grade band is the perfect way to describe it. oh my god!

he is such an amazing inspiration I love him

I searched "faith crisis" and got this

Wow, I did NOT know his name was pronounced like that. Even thought I've been listening to him for almost a year. I've been saying "Suf-jan" not "Soof-yahn" lol oops

Glad to see him getting some much-needed recognition, but these people aren't doing him much justice nor capturing the emotion which his music evokes.

Awesome that MTV payed attention to him.

i adore this kid.

Sigue igual de guapo que hace años. 💜💜

he's so great. i can't wait to see him live. im going to die when he plays casimir pulaski day, decatur, and there are night zombies!

MTV trying to sound like they were the first people to ever hear of Sufjan. -_-

Beautiful boy…

A genius deeply

He's 10-fold better than Bright Eyes. Get real, that's not even a comparison.

Down with MTV, Up with Sujan!

love him:)

Indeed, it went down the shitter sometime in the 90's. I never program it into the TV.

Yes Tennessee next!

SIMPLE songs? hahaha goddamn

I like to refer to Sufjan's music as "Dad Jazz". It's the best way to describe it IMHO.

Now it's 2022 and his music remains important as it has a good influence on today's heartfelt songwriting stars like Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift.

He is truly a genius.

@humeanesque yeah that was an eye roller ..and man they killed it with the bright eyes comparison too....

YES

Yo le amo.

this record is so much more than thisss. ughhh.

A+ to that

I just noticed it also says it on the television in the video when it comes up :p I should probably pay more attention. Thanks anyway! =]

recent fan. ^^

Would Mr. Stevens appreciate these arguments concerning his music? I can't know, but I don't think so. Let's rejoice that we've found people who share our love for his fantastic compositions!

He sounds like Sufjan Stevens.

Nice work Sufjan. You and Mason J should be more famous.

I haven't actually laid eyes on MTV since, oh, 1993 or so? If this is the best they could do for Sufjan Stevens, I can see that I am not missing much.

he's beautiful

i dont see a problem with this exposure. he's sincere and the music is brilliant, thats what comes through.

Algorithm does wonders again. Here I am, on a 13 years old video

I never want to associate Sufjan with MTV. I am currently ripping that thought out of my mind.

IM IN LOVE.

i neva wud of thought to see sufjan stevens on mtv.

back then, it was cooler to speak with more nasal, with some vocal fry listening to opening . now it's all vocal fry

I got lost in his eyes and didn't hear a thing he said

*zooms in* CLASSICAL

interview starts at 0:55

@alphablitz1024 yeah kind of makes me glad i didn't first learn about him on MTV, and rather heard his music first when a friend left it on my PSP after giving it to another friend... a couple months ago....

He should make an album about Maine.

lol love the comparison ^_^

he should come to Texas next!! :D

Where's the Marzuki love? you, shannon, Jaime and Matt made some of the best music i've yet to hear. i'm from Holland and watched you guys play at least 18 times live. Jaime's cello was always the show stealer.

LOL!!! wow! that comment was so funny!! but soo true. D:< AAAHAHAH!! freakin badass! Mel

annoyingly talented

I like both Bright Eyes and Sufjan a lot. While I wouldn't necessarily classify them in the same category, I think there's a few similarities.

sounds like the polyphonic spree meets elliott smith lmfao

Damn it. I've been saying his name wrong for months.

HOW LONG HAS BEEN ON MTV FOR?! this is all news to me

i came here just to learn how to pronounce his name lol he's my hero

This almost hurt. MTV....what a shambles.

drawing comparison to Elliot Smith seems accurate, bright eyes, not so much

woah that's interesting. I kind of am anticipating his california album. it'll probably contain some songs about how ignorant people are and how corrupted they are by the media... and the gold rush.

@birdyyyful That is so cool! but also a terrible shame, did you ever meet the rest of his family, like his parents?

@Thehappypages I wouldn't compare him to bright eyes either, being that he is soulful and substantive rather than whiney and overwrought

My God, can this man wear a T-shirt!

real

Nothing is too dynamic for Sufjan.

Am I the only person that finds this disgustingly hilarious? The Polyphonic Spree meets Elliott Smith? Pure comedy! I particularly love the "you hear it first" heading.

TENNESSEE!!!

the it boy

@birdyyyful I think Djamila and Djohariah are spelt with Ds but does that mean you went to school with Sufjan too or was he somewhere else?