Magnus Ferrell’s “Asleep Talking” Surges on Charts Amid Nepo-Baby Debate

Twenty-two-year-old Magnus Ferrell, son of actor Will Ferrell, has seen his single “Asleep Talking” explode on social media and enter the Billboard charts. The soulful track, released in the spring, received a major boost after Will appeared on former First Lady Michelle Obama’s IMO podcast and played the song for her. The exposure prompted a wave of public endorsements from figures such as Khloé Kardashian, Charlie Puth, Heidi Klum and Ty Dolla $ign.

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Magnus attributes his musical foundation to a household where piano lessons were routine for him and his two brothers. He played in a jazz band during his teens, a background he says informs the “groovy” sound of his current work. While attending the University of Southern California as an acting major, the pandemic gave him extra time to write and produce music, leading to his first release at age 17 and a subsequent signing with Republic Records.

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Acknowledging the advantages of his famous surname, Magnus says the attention he receives “is there” and that he cannot control it. He stresses that the song’s success would not exist if the music were “terrible,” emphasizing that his primary focus remains the quality of his work rather than his lineage.

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Following the podcast promotion, “Asleep Talking” climbed the Billboard charts and generated strong streaming numbers, which Magnus monitors with his family’s help. Plans announced for the summer include an acoustic version of the track, a new single slated for release in August, and a brief residency at Los Angeles’ Blue Note jazz club in August and September. He also hints at a forthcoming album or EP and potential touring.

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• “You have to acknowledge the position that you’re in because they’re not wrong. I can’t control the attention that I get because of my dad, but like, it is there,” — Magnus Ferrell

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