You're humming it. Probably right now. That high-energy, early 2000s-style boy band anthem with the lyrics about being "never not by your side." It feels nostalgic, like something you’d hear on a scratched CD from 2002, but there’s a catch. If you’re asking who sings Nobody Like You, you might be surprised to learn that the "band" doesn't actually exist in the real world. Not exactly.
The song is performed by 4*Town, a fictional group created for the 2022 Pixar film Turning Red. But don't let the "fictional" tag fool you. The voices behind those harmonies belong to some of the biggest names in modern music, and the songwriting credits go to the most successful sibling duo in the industry today.
The Voices Behind the Animation
It’s easy to assume Pixar just hired some session singers and called it a day. They didn't. To make 4*Town feel like a legitimate phenomenon, they recruited actual recording artists.
The primary voice you hear—the lead singer Robaire—is voiced by Jordan Fisher. You probably know him from Broadway's Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, or his victory on Dancing with the Stars. He has that effortless, silky pop tone that defines the genre.
The rest of the group is a powerhouse mix of talent:
- Finneas O’Connell (who also co-wrote the track) voices Jesse.
- Josh Levi, a former X Factor finalist and rising R&B star, voices Aaron Z.
- Topher Ngo, a bass vocalist who brings that essential low-end depth, voices Aaron T.
- Grayson Villanueva, a vocal arranger and producer, voices Tae Young.
Honestly, if these five actually toured as a real group, they’d probably sell out stadiums. The chemistry in their vocal stacking is better than half the boy bands that were actually around in 2002.
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Who Wrote the Song?
This is where the "expert" level of the production really shows. Pixar didn't just want a parody of a boy band song; they wanted a good boy band song. To do that, they went to Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell.
According to director Domee Shi, she reached out to the duo before they were the multi-Grammy-winning household names they are now (though they were already massive). She sent them a "scrapbook" of her own middle school obsessions to explain the vibe. Billie and Finneas ended up writing three songs for the film, but "Nobody Like U" (the stylized title) became the breakout hit.
Finneas has talked about the challenge of writing this. It couldn't just be a Billie Eilish song. It had to sound like 2002. It needed that Max Martin-inspired syncopation. It needed the cheesy but earnest lyrics. It needed to feel like something a 13-year-old would scream at the top of her lungs in a stadium. They nailed it.
Why Does It Sound So Familiar?
If you feel like you've heard it before, it's because the song is a masterclass in musical semiotics. It borrows the DNA of the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync.
Specifically, the "Nobody Like U" chorus structure uses a common pop trope called the "millennial whoop," mixed with the rhythmic staccato popularized by groups like 98 Degrees. When you ask who sings Nobody Like You, your brain is likely trying to map the sound to AJ McLean or Justin Timberlake.
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But there’s a deeper layer. The song also draws on the influence of K-pop, specifically the multi-member dynamics and high-production choreography. This wasn't an accident. Domee Shi has been vocal about how K-pop groups like BIGBANG and 2PM influenced the "visual" of 4*Town. It’s a bridge between the Western boy band craze of the late 90s and the global idol culture of today.
The Cultural Impact of a Fictional Song
Most movie songs stay in the movie. This one didn't.
Shortly after Turning Red dropped on Disney+, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 49. Think about that. A song by a cartoon band beat out actual, living artists for a spot on the charts. It went viral on TikTok, sparking thousands of dance covers and "bias" videos where fans argued over which member of 4*Town was the best.
It tapped into a specific type of nostalgia. For those who grew up in the early 2000s, it felt like a hug. For younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers, it was just a catchy pop song. That cross-generational appeal is what kept the search for "who sings Nobody Like You" trending for months after the film’s release.
Common Misconceptions
Let's clear some things up.
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- Is it a cover? No. It's an original song written specifically for the film.
- Is there a real band named 4*Town? No. While the voices are real, the group was formed solely for the project.
- Is it the same song as the one by The Vamps? No. There’s a popular song called "Somebody To You" by The Vamps (feat. Demi Lovato) and a "Nobody Like You" by Little Mix. People often get these confused in search results. The Pixar version is distinct because of its aggressive boy-band-era production.
Behind the Production
The vocal production on the track is incredibly dense. If you listen with good headphones, you’ll hear layers upon layers of harmonies. Finneas is known for his "vocal stacking" technique, which he uses heavily on Billie Eilish's tracks. He brought that same precision here.
There are actually dozens of vocal tracks playing at once during the chorus. This creates that "wall of sound" effect that makes the song feel bigger than life. They even recorded "breath tracks" to make the animated characters feel like they were actually exerting themselves while singing and dancing.
What to Do Next
If you’ve fallen down the 4Town rabbit hole, you don't have to stop at just one song. The Turning Red soundtrack actually features three 4Town tracks: "Nobody Like U," "1 True Love," and "U Know What's Up."
If you want to hear more from the actual human beings behind the voices, check out Jordan Fisher’s self-titled EP for that pure pop sound, or dive into Josh Levi’s DISC TWO for something a bit more contemporary and soulful.
For the songwriters, looking into the "Making of Turning Red" documentary on Disney+ provides a fascinating look at how Finneas and Billie Eilish stripped back their usual "moody" style to create something so unapologetically bright and commercial. It’s a masterclass in versatile songwriting that every aspiring musician should watch.
Go back and listen to the bridge of the song again. Notice the way Jordan Fisher hits those high riffs. That isn't studio magic or AI; that’s a Broadway-trained veteran showing why he's one of the most underrated vocalists in the business.
The next time someone asks you who sings Nobody Like You, you can tell them it’s the best boy band that never existed—powered by the biggest names in the modern music industry.