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Mika (singer)

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Mika

Mika (Template:PronEng; born Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr,[1][2][3] 18 August 1983) is a singer-songwriter.

After recording his first extended play, Dodgy Holiday EP, Mika released his first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, on Island Records in 2007. Life in Cartoon Motion sold more than 5.6 million copies worldwide and helped Mika win a BRIT Award and receive a Grammy Award nomination. Two years later, Mika released his second extended play, Songs for Sorrow, which limited edition copies are now sold out worldwide. In 2009, Mika released his second studio album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much.

Musical career

Life in Cartoon Motion: 2006–2008

As a child Mika was trained by Alla Ardakov (Ablaberdyeva), a Russian opera professional, and later attended the Royal College of Music in London. His debut radio appearance was on Dermot O'Leary's BBC Radio 2 show in September 2006, Later with Jools Holland and on The Friday Night Project on 19 January 2007.[citation needed] While he is rumoured to have a vocal range of five octaves,[4] he claims that it is actually closer to three and a half octaves.[5]

In January 2007, Mika was on the top of the BBC News website's Sound of 2007 poll.[6]

His first single was a limited 7"/download release called "Relax, Take It Easy" (2006). It was play listed by BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom, and was also made Record of the Week by DJ Scott Mills. The Dodgy Holiday EP is also available for download. His song "Billy Brown" was available for free download for a week from the iTunes Store.

Mika playing keyboard at V Festival 2007

Universal Music released his single "Grace Kelly" by digital download on 8 January 2007, and it reached number one on the UK Singles Chart on 21 January 2007. The CD, 12", and limited-edition 7" Produced and mixed by Greg Wells in Los Angeles, with three songs co-produced by Jodi Marr and John Merchant, who produced the original songs which garnered him his deal with Universal. Mika's début album Life in Cartoon Motion was released on 5 February 2007, and has brought comparison with artists such as Freddie Mercury,[7][8] Scissor Sisters,[9] Elton John,[10] Prince,[11] Robbie Williams[12] and David Bowie.[12] "Grace Kelly," in fact, references Mercury in the lyrics, "I try to be like Grace Kelly/But all her looks were too sad/So I try a little Freddie/I've gone identity mad!"

He was the musical act for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on 26 March 2007[13] and 14 February 2008 and for Jimmy Kimmel Live on 27 March 2007.[14] He also performed live on So You Think You Can Dance on 26 July 2007.

Mika live in concert

Mika toured the United States in June 2007, with support from Sara Bareilles and Natalia Lesz.

On 10 October 2007, Mika began his Dodgy Holiday Tour, playing at venues across Europe. On 17 November 2007, Mika started the UK leg of his tour with support from Palladium. The North American leg of his tour began in January 2008 with support from The Midway State and Creature and continued through February with a stop in Los Angeles for the 50th Grammy Awards.

His debut album, Life in Cartoon Motion, has a coming of age theme and deals with his transition from childhood to the present, though he has stated that not all of the songs are autobiographical. His songs often deal with difficult topics. For instance, in "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" the theme of larger women suffering from discrimination is explored. Mika has said that the fact that his mother was a big woman, and that he had seen the prejudices against her, helped him to write the song.[15] In another example of dealing with more difficult subject matter, in the song "Billy Brown", Mika writes about a married man who has a homosexual affair.

On 20 February 2008, Mika opened the 2008 BRIT Awards with a live performance of "Love Today," "Grace Kelly," and a duet, "Standing in the Way of Control," with Beth Ditto. He was later awarded the BRIT Award for Best British Breakthrough Artist.

Mika has reportedly written songs for other musicians, saying, "I write songs for other people under different names most of the time. I have a little family of three names. One of them has been discovered – it's Alice." [16]

The Boy Who Knew Too Much: 2009–present

Prior to the release of his second studio album, Mika released a limited-edition extended play titled Songs for Sorrow on 8 June 2009.[17] The EP includes 4 tracks and a 68-page book featuring lyrics and exclusive illustrated interpretations of each song by some of Mika’s favourite artists.[17] The song "Blue Eyes" was used to promote the EP, and was A-listed on the BBC Radio 2 playlist.[18]

Mika's second studio album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much, was released on 21 September 2009.[19] Mika recorded the majority of the album in Los Angeles with producer and musician Greg Wells, who also produced his debut album Life In Cartoon Motion.[20] The album has been described as Mika dealing with his adolescent teenage years and "in a sense is kind of part two" of his first album.[21]

The first single from the album "We Are Golden", made its radio debut in the United Kingdom on 20 July 2009, on BBC Radio 2[22] and was released for download on 6 September 2009, with the physical release following on 7 September 2009.[19] The single debuted at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart on 13 September 2009. Mika's promotional tour of the single consitied of live performances at the iTunes Festival 2009, at The Roundhouse in Camden, London and on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in September 2009. It was reported that Mika spent £25,000 on drinks after inviting fans to join him at his local pub via Twitter on 7 September 2009, to celebrate the release of his single.[23][24]

"Blame It On The Girls" was released as the second single in the USA and Japan. This was alongside "Rain" being the second single in the United Kingdom which was released on November 23.[25] It was confirmed that "Blame It On The Girls" will be the third single in the United Kingdom and will be released 15 February 2010.[26] His American promotional tour consisted of live performances on Good Morning America in New York City on 25 September 2009 and the Late Show with David Letterman on 14 October 2009.

On 30 November 2009, Mika performed "Let It Snow" in a duet with Japanese pop star Hikaru Utada.[27] It has also been rumoured that Mika is working on an as yet untitled forthcoming album, and it is believed that RedOne has been announced as a future producer working on the album.[28] mika is cool

Management

Mika signed with Fuerte Group under the management team of Jerry Blair and Rich Isaacson, who at first, heard of the artist through their client, writer/producer Jodi Marr. When asked to forward any music she was working on, Mika's music was among the pile of CDs sent. As soon as his music was heard, they became instantly interested, and the team then was hired as his managers shortly thereafter.[citation needed]

Personal life

Mika at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival

Mika comes from a family of five. He has one younger brother and one younger sister along with two older sisters. His sister Yasmine, who works as an artist under the nom de plume Dawack, painted the cartoon art for his album Life in Cartoon Motion, and she is currently a fashion designer. He also speaks French fluently.[29] In an interview on 28 September 2009 with The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 he commented that he had taken Mandarin Chinese for 9 years but did not speak it very well, he also mentioned that his three sisters did all speak it fluently.

Because of his flamboyant stage persona, there have been rumours that Mika might be gay. In response to media speculation on this theme he has been quoted as saying "I never talk about anything to do with my sexuality. I just don't think I need to. People ask me all the time. But I just don't see the point." He added that "in order to survive I've kind of shut up different parts of my life, and that's one of them, especially this early in my career."[30]

He denied allegations that he is steering clear of sexual taboos in order to appeal to the US market, pointing to the song "Billy Brown", which is about a married man who has an affair with another man. He is quoted as saying, "If I was worried about sexual taboos I certainly wouldn't have made the record I made. It has nothing to do with that. It has more to do with self-respect."[31] In an interview in the US gay magazine Out he stated that "there is a way of discussing sexuality without using labels."[32]

In a September 2009 interview in Gay & Night, Mika commented on his sexuality: "I've never ever labeled myself. But having said that; I've never limited my life, I've never limited who I sleep with...Call me whatever you want. Call me bisexual, if you need a term for me... You should be as free as you want." [33][34]

He is a fan of Charlton Athletic F.C.[35]

Discography

Main article: Mika discography
Studio albums
EPs

Awards and nominations

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