Miguel first wowed this writer last summer when he was the opening act for hip-hop soul queen Mary J. Blige’s show at Atlanta’s Chastain Park Amphitheater. The San Pedro, Calif., native has made his share of opening performances since then for both Blige and Usher in arenas around the country. Now he’s headlining his own junket of sorts.
It has included a stint at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, another in Houston and even a sold-out show at New York’s S.O.B.’s, which has the young talent most excited, because the legendary venue is unsurpassed in “intimacy.”
The Grammy-nominated singer has a quirky fashion sense and a sound that fuses many genres: hip-hop, funk, electro and classic rock, specifically, on his debut single “All I Want is You” featuring J. Cole, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. Heatseekers chart.
Blogger extraordinaire Perez Hilton is quoted saying that Miguel, “reminds us of old-school Prince” and others have labeled him an eclectic mix of Pharrell and Maxwell.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Miguel “turned on the charm” when he performed singles off his album, All I Want is You, and a cover of Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” for music industry brass at cognac maker Hennessy Black’s dinner at Bar Basque in New York.
His second single, “Sure Thing,” has been receiving praise and even landed him a spot on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” and “Live! with Regis and Kelly.”
So humble and cute, Miguel gets it and when you meet him, he’ll have you at “hello” with that high wattage smile. Be sure to check back in to see some of the exciting poses captured by sought-after fashion photographer Keith Major. –yvette caslin
