Miguel (singer)
Encyclopedia
Miguel Jontel Pimentel, who performs under the mononym Miguel, is an American recording artist, songwriter and producer. Signed to Jive Records
in 2007, Miguel released his debut album, All I Want Is You
, in November 2010. The album was preceded by the release of the single "All I Want Is You
", featuring rapper J. Cole.
mother. Miguel's parents divorced when he was eight years old. At a young age, Miguel listened to classic rock
, hip hop
, funk
and rhythm and blues
. At the age of 5, Miguel originally wanted to become a dancer, inspired by Michael Jackson. At age 13, he began pursuing a career in music.
Black Ice in 2004. During this period, Miguel worked with Kirven "DJ Curv " Arrington to make music similar to that of Usher
. Black Ice began to release the single "Getcha Hands Up" with a video debut on 106 and park. Miguel decided to change his sound / image and walked away from Black Ice records. For nearly a year, Miguel's manager at the time submitted several songs to music mogul Mark Pitts; after receiving a song titled "Sure Thing"—which Miguel described as a "highly personal...record that no one was ever supposed to hear"—Pitts scheduled a meeting with Miguel in October 2007. The following month, Miguel signed a recording contract
with Jive Records
. Miguel recalled that the signing his contract took place in a "very small room in a very small office in a small corner of the building at Jive". Miguel was subsequently sued by Black Ice for breach of contract. For the following three years, he contributed to Usher's Here I Stand
and Raymond v. Raymond, as well as Asher Roth
's Asleep in the Bread Aisle
and Musiq Soulchild's "IfULeave
". Miguel also released Mischief: The Mixtape; he explained that the title referred to his attempt to "[tell] people that there is an alternative to getting sort of the same thing". The lawsuit was settled in 2010.
", which features J. Cole and was produced by Salaam Remi
. It is the lead single from his debut album of the same title. He released the next single "Sure Thing
" which reached number one on the Billboard
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart.
Then Miguel realessed Quicke that became the all star Billboard]]Hot R&B song of the year from a male artist of 2011.
, David Bowie
, Jimi Hendrix
, Freddie Mercury
, Phil Collins
, Donny Hathaway
, The Notorious B.I.G.
and Kanye West
, as well as the band Queen
as his influences, in addition to expressing his admiration for Stevie Wonder
, John Lennon
and Diane Warren
. Miguel revealed his desire to have worked with James Brown
, whom he considers the "last innovator for me when it comes to soul". In addition to singing, Miguel also plays the guitar
. He incorporates R&B
, funk
, hip hop
, rock
and electronic
into his music. Miguel described his sound as "nostalgic in a sense that it's familiar... it's shocking, edgy, energizing". In an interview with Paper
magazine, he regarded his music as "fly, funkadelic, intergalactic-hip-hop-meets-sexy-orgasmic crazy, dope shit". Miguel is often compared to Jon B.
and Ritchie Valens
.
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
in 2007, Miguel released his debut album, All I Want Is You
All I Want Is You (Miguel album)
All I Want Is You is the debut studio album of American R&B recording artist Miguel, released November 30, 2010, on Jive Records. Recording sessions took place at several recording studios, including Black Mango Studios in Van Nuys, California, Germano Studios in New York City, Glenwood Studios and...
, in November 2010. The album was preceded by the release of the single "All I Want Is You
All I Want Is You (Miguel song)
"All I Want Is You" is a song by American R&B recording artist Miguel released as the lead single from his debut album All I Want Is You . The song features rapper J. Cole and was produced by Salaam Remi. The song was released as a digital download on May 25, 2010.- Release history :-Charts:...
", featuring rapper J. Cole.
Early life
Miguel Jontel Pimentel was born in Los Angeles. He is one of two sons born to a Mexican father and an African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
mother. Miguel's parents divorced when he was eight years old. At a young age, Miguel listened to classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
. At the age of 5, Miguel originally wanted to become a dancer, inspired by Michael Jackson. At age 13, he began pursuing a career in music.
Career beginnings
Miguel worked with a local production duo Drop Squad in 2000, before being signed with independent record labelIndependent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Black Ice in 2004. During this period, Miguel worked with Kirven "DJ Curv " Arrington to make music similar to that of Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
. Black Ice began to release the single "Getcha Hands Up" with a video debut on 106 and park. Miguel decided to change his sound / image and walked away from Black Ice records. For nearly a year, Miguel's manager at the time submitted several songs to music mogul Mark Pitts; after receiving a song titled "Sure Thing"—which Miguel described as a "highly personal...record that no one was ever supposed to hear"—Pitts scheduled a meeting with Miguel in October 2007. The following month, Miguel signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
. Miguel recalled that the signing his contract took place in a "very small room in a very small office in a small corner of the building at Jive". Miguel was subsequently sued by Black Ice for breach of contract. For the following three years, he contributed to Usher's Here I Stand
Here I Stand (Usher album)
Here I Stand is the fifth studio album by American R&B recording artist Usher, released on May 13, 2008 by LaFace Records. Inspired by love for his new wife—Tameka Foster—and son, Usher recorded many ballads for the album. Prior to the album's recording, Usher split with his...
and Raymond v. Raymond, as well as Asher Roth
Asher Roth
Asher Paul Roth is an American rapper.-Early life:Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. His mother, Elizabeth , is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm...
's Asleep in the Bread Aisle
Asleep in the Bread Aisle
-Chart positions:-Samples:*"As I Em"**"Geraldine and John" by Joe Jackson*"Fallin"**"Falling" by Ben Kweller**"Kissing My Love" by Bill Withers*"I Love College"**"Say It Ain't So" by Weezer **"Impeach the President" by the Honey Drippers...
and Musiq Soulchild's "IfULeave
IfULeave
"Ifuleave" is the second single from Musiq Soulchild's fifth studio album, OnMyRadio, his second full-length release on Atlantic Records. The song features R&B singer Mary J. Blige.-Chart position:...
". Miguel also released Mischief: The Mixtape; he explained that the title referred to his attempt to "[tell] people that there is an alternative to getting sort of the same thing". The lawsuit was settled in 2010.
All I Want Is You
After making his contribution to Usher's Raymond v. Raymond, a song named "Let's Just Be" written by Ne-Yo, in 2010, Miguel released his debut single titled "All I Want Is YouAll I Want Is You (Miguel song)
"All I Want Is You" is a song by American R&B recording artist Miguel released as the lead single from his debut album All I Want Is You . The song features rapper J. Cole and was produced by Salaam Remi. The song was released as a digital download on May 25, 2010.- Release history :-Charts:...
", which features J. Cole and was produced by Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and his reggae-tinged approach to production...
. It is the lead single from his debut album of the same title. He released the next single "Sure Thing
Sure thing
Sure thing or Sure Thing may refer to:* Certainty* A Sure Thing, a 1962 album by jazz trupeter Blue Mitchell* The Sure Thing, a romantic comedy directed by Rob Reiner* Sure Thing , a short play by David Ives...
" which reached number one on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart.
Then Miguel realessed Quicke that became the all star Billboard]]Hot R&B song of the year from a male artist of 2011.
Musical style
Miguel cites musicians PrincePrince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
, The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
and Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, as well as the band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
as his influences, in addition to expressing his admiration for Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
. Miguel revealed his desire to have worked with James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, whom he considers the "last innovator for me when it comes to soul". In addition to singing, Miguel also plays the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. He incorporates R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
into his music. Miguel described his sound as "nostalgic in a sense that it's familiar... it's shocking, edgy, energizing". In an interview with Paper
Paper (magazine)
Paper magazine is a New York City–based independent magazine covering and discovering cultural movements with a focus on fashion, design, pop-culture, nightlife, music, art and film. The magazine covers trends, new creative talent, urban American lifestyle as well as international lifestyles and...
magazine, he regarded his music as "fly, funkadelic, intergalactic-hip-hop-meets-sexy-orgasmic crazy, dope shit". Miguel is often compared to Jon B.
Jon B.
Jon B. is a Grammy nominated American R&B singer and songwriter.-Early life:...
and Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
.
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
||
| 2010 | All I Want Is You All I Want Is You (Miguel album) All I Want Is You is the debut studio album of American R&B recording artist Miguel, released November 30, 2010, on Jive Records. Recording sessions took place at several recording studios, including Black Mango Studios in Van Nuys, California, Germano Studios in New York City, Glenwood Studios and...
|
37 | 9 |
Singles
| Song | Year | Chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
|||
| "All I Want Is You All I Want Is You (Miguel song) "All I Want Is You" is a song by American R&B recording artist Miguel released as the lead single from his debut album All I Want Is You . The song features rapper J. Cole and was produced by Salaam Remi. The song was released as a digital download on May 25, 2010.- Release history :-Charts:... " (featuring J. Cole) |
2010 | 58 | 7 | All I Want Is You |
| "Sure Thing Sure Thing (Miguel song) "Sure Thing" is a song by American recording artist Miguel. Written by himself, 12-year-old brother and R&B singer Jawan Harris, and produced by Happy Perez, the song is included on his debut album, All I Want Is You . It was first leaked onto YouTube in 2009. It was sent to radio as the album's... " |
2011 | 36 | 1 | |
| "Quickie" | 62 | 3 | ||
| "Girls Like You" | - | 81 |
Guest Appearances
| Title | Year | Album | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "First Things First" | 2007 | Below the Heavens Below the Heavens -Sample credits:*"I Am..."** Contains a sample from "L'Amour Est Bleu" as written by André Popp and Pierre Cour** Contains a sample from "Summer Dream" performed by Jack McDuff** Contains a sample from "Love is Blue" performed by The Dells... |
Blu Blu (rapper) Johnson Barnes , better known by the stage name Blu, is an American rapper and producer from Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his debut album, Below the Heavens, which was produced entirely by Exile of Emanon.... & Exile Exile (producer) Aleksander Manfredi , better known by his stage name Exile, is an American hip hop DJ, producer and occasional rapper. His first record appearances came as a member of hip hop duo Emanon alongside rapper Aloe Blacc. They released various mixtapes, beginning with 1995's "Stretch Marx" before... |
| "Cold Hearted" | |||
| "You Are Now in the Clouds with ... (The Koochie Monstas')" | |||
| "His Dream" | 2009 | Asleep in the Bread Aisle Asleep in the Bread Aisle -Chart positions:-Samples:*"As I Em"**"Geraldine and John" by Joe Jackson*"Fallin"**"Falling" by Ben Kweller**"Kissing My Love" by Bill Withers*"I Love College"**"Say It Ain't So" by Weezer **"Impeach the President" by the Honey Drippers... |
Asher Roth Asher Roth Asher Paul Roth is an American rapper.-Early life:Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. His mother, Elizabeth , is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm... |
| "Raise Your Hands" | 2011 | Paul Oakenfold Paul Oakenfold Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew... |
|
| "Hoe" | .sailing soul(s). | Jhené Aiko | |
| "Lotus Flower Bomb" | Ambition Ambition (Wale album) Ambition is the second studio album by hip hop recording artist Wale, released November 1, 2011 via Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records.- Background :... |
Wale Wale (rapper) Wale Victor Folarin , better known by his stage name Wale , is an American rapper from Washington, D.C. Wale was born to Nigerian parents. He rose to prominence in 2006, when his song "Dig Dug " became popular in his hometown. Wale became locally recognized and continued recording music for the... |
|
Awards and nominations
- Grammy Awards
- 2011, Best R&B Song: "Finding My Way Back" – Songwriter (Nominated)
- BET AwardsBET Awards of 2011The 2011 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 2011. The awards recognized African-Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Actor Kevin Hart hosted the event for the first time. ...
- 2011, Best New Artist (Nominated)
- American Music AwardsAmerican Music Awards of 2011The 39th American Music Awards was held on November 20, 2011 , at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles . The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from the year 2011. Nominees were announced on October 11, 2011. The awards ceremony was host-free...
- 2011, Sprint New Artist of the Year (Nominated)
- Soul Train Music AwardsSoul Train Music AwardsThe Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
- 2011, Best New Artist (Won)
- 2011, Best Male R&B/ Soul Artist (Nominated)
- 2011, Song of the Year: "Sure Thing" (Nominated)