Jaten Dimsdale, known by his stage name Teddy Swims, is an American singer-songwriter, known for blending genres including R&B, soul, country, and pop. Originally attracting fans through his cover performances on his YouTube, which has amassed 400 million views as of 2022, Swims released his debut major label single in January 2020 and has since released two EPs, Unlearning and Tough Love.
Swims spent his childhood in Conyers, Georgia. His father introduced him to soul music at an
early age by way of artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Al Green. Swims' family were football enthusiasts, and he had been playing for ten years when one of his teachers suggested signing up for a musical theater class in his second year at Salem High School. Swims
discovered his passion for performance through his high school theater experience, where he performed in a number of musicals and Shakespeare plays. He began playing instruments, including piano and ukulele, and watched YouTube videos of singers to help develop his vocal technique.
Swims began his music career in a variety of Atlanta-area bands, including alternative rock band WildHeart and post-hardcore band Eris, as well as soul and hair metal cover bands. In early 2019 Swims' friend Addy Maxwell invited him to rap over some beats he had made, which earned the pair an opening slot on a US tour with Tyler Carter. On this tour he began performing under the name Teddy Swims – referring to a nickname from his childhood referencing his size, and an internet-speak acronym for "someone who isn't me sometimes," referring to the idea of integrating different parts of his personality.

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