Who Are the Shadowboxers? 5 Things You Need to Know

If the race to the top of the pop charts were a boxing match, The Shadowboxers would have a knockout with their latest single, "Hot Damn!"

A funky fusion of pop, rock, soul and R&B, the rising Atlanta-based music troupe—comprised of members Adam Hoffman (vocals, guitar), Matt Lipkins (vocals, keys), Scott Tyler (vocals, guitar), Cole McSween (live drums) and Carlos Enamorado (live bass)—grooves somewhere between Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk," Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" and Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling." (Verdict? It's joyful noise!)

But just who are The Shadowboxers, really? And why should you pay attention to the rising soul-pop band which, by the way, counts Timberlake as a mentor?

Below, check out five things you need to know about The Shadowboxers!

The founding members are college buddies
Original members Hoffman, Lipkins and Tyler all met while attending Georgia's Emory University during their freshman year in 2007 and 2008.

Their first full-length album was fully crowd funded
In February and March 2012, the group ran a Kickstarter campaign to fund their debut album, raising over $32,000 (nearly double their initial $18,000 goal!). The money allowed them to book studio time with rock and country producer Brady Blade, and they officially released their 14-track album on January 22, 2013. Impressive!

They count Justin Timberlake as a mentor
In 2013, the band tweeted at Timberlake, asking the music superstar to check out their cover of his song, "Pusher Love Girl." Miraculously, the pop icon watched the clip, shared it on his own account and subsequently met with the group just a few weeks later during a stop on his 20/20 Tour. Soon, The Shadowboxers found themselves signed to his artist development label, Villa 40, and this year, the band and Timberlake began collaborating in the studio.

"Working with Justin Timberlake is a dream come true and he is an amazing collaborator in the studio," the band told Just Jared in September, adding, "He wanted us to do what we do and he helped to take that vision and push it far as it could possibly go."

They've worked with the Indigo Girls
In 2010, Tyler met Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls. The following year, The Shadowboxers went on tour with the Grammy-winning folk-rock duo, opening for the Girls. In October 2011, The Shadowboxers appeared on two songs on the Indigo Girls' thirteenth studio album, Beauty Queen Sister, featuring on both the titular track and a song called "We Get to Feel It All."

Their contagious tunes have charted on Spotify
In 2016, the group's single "Build the Beat" charted on Spotfiy's Global Viral 50, garnering nearly 3 million streams on the music platform.