Miguel

Miguel's yearning, wide-ranging vocals and carnal ballads make him one of the most unique artists in progressive R&B. The Los Angeles native had been flirting with stardom for several years when he broke through as a songwriter with <a href="spotify:artist:4sbB4Yy6Qig51pKCIKSLw3">Jaheim</a>'s "Finding My Way Back," a Grammy-nominated R&B hit that led the way for a string of platinum, Top Ten R&B/hip-hop singles as a headliner, including "All I Want Is You," "Sure Thing," and "Adorn," the Grammy-winning song from his Top Five crossover smash Kaleidoscope Dream (2012). As Miguel added to his discography with the skillfully divergent albums Wildheart (2015) and War & Leisure (2017), he remained available as a sought-after collaborator, assisting on gold and platinum singles by the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:4iHNK0tOyZPYnBU7nGAgpQ">Mariah Carey</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:13ubrt8QOOCPljQ2FL1Kca">A$AP Rocky</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4LLpKhyESsyAXpc4laK94U">Mac Miller</a> before making his Latin chart debut with the Spanish-language Te Lo Dije EP (2019). Renewed interest in "Sure Thing" thanks to TikTok gave the singer his highest placement on the Hot 100 before he returned with a handful of singles and featured appearances that led to his tempestuous fifth album, Caos (2025).

A native of Los Angeles' San Pedro community, Miguel Jontel Pimentel was involved at the age of 16 with the production company Drop Squad. Three years later, he was offered a slot in <a href="spotify:artist:1f15kcWwtrNsy9Lpy9JRHw">Fatty Koo</a>, and appeared on the R&B group's BET reality show, but he turned the position down and eventually signed a solo deal with distribution from major-label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Universal%22">Universal</a>. In 2005, "Getcha Hands Up!" was issued as a promotional solo single, and its accompanying video -- showcasing Miguel's dancing skills -- aired on BET. An album, Young & Free, was planned for release, but it was never issued. By that point, Miguel was becoming increasingly known in the underground through his collaborative work with Blu, Exile, and <a href="spotify:artist:0JIVB0qOQBIYvn1hWVEIgu">Daz-I-Kue</a>.

Miguel signed a solo deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Jive%22">Jive</a> in 2007 and continued to work with underground and major-label artists. By the end of the decade, he had placed songs on albums by <a href="spotify:artist:3UVRliakQfa1pMWIsNuiZ8">Musiq Soulchild</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1wgY8huggK60P5nvYrwcYT">Asher Roth</a>. He experienced major growth during 2010. <a href="spotify:artist:4sbB4Yy6Qig51pKCIKSLw3">Jaheim</a>'s "Finding My Way Back," a song he co-wrote, reached number 12 on Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart (and was subsequently nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best R&B Song). Miguel also co-wrote a pair of the Jam & Lewis-produced songs that appeared on <a href="spotify:artist:23zg3TcAtWQy7J6upgbUnj">Usher</a>'s Raymond v. Raymond, which topped the Billboard 200 just before Miguel made his proper solo debut with the atmospheric hip-hop soul of "All I Want Is You," a Top Ten R&B/hip-hop hit. The parent album, All I Want Is You, followed that November and reached the Top Ten of the R&B/hip-hop albums chart, as well as the Top 40 of the Billboard 200, boosted by "Sure Thing" (number one R&B, number 36 Billboard 200) and "Quickie" (number three R&B). Once <a href="spotify:artist:67nwj3Y5sZQLl72VNUHEYE">Wale</a>'s Miguel-assisted Top 40 pop hit "Lotus Flower Bomb" was well on its way to platinum certification, Miguel resumed his solo output in early 2012 with a trilogy of three-song EPs dubbed Art Dealer Chic.

The intermediate releases led to Kaleidoscope Dream, which entered the R&B/hip-hop chart at number one and crossed into the Billboard 200 Top Five in October 2012. The <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RCA%22">RCA</a>-issued full-length was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Urban Contemporary Album, while "Adorn," Miguel's second number one R&B/hip-hop single, was nominated for three awards and won for Best R&B Song. The following year, the album's "How Many Drinks?" was nominated as well. Stardom notwithstanding, Miguel remained available for outside work. "#Beautiful," a collaboration with <a href="spotify:artist:4iHNK0tOyZPYnBU7nGAgpQ">Mariah Carey</a>, was issued in May 2013 and went platinum. Miguel also devoted time between albums to sessions for <a href="spotify:artist:6l3HvQ5sa6mXTsMTB19rO5">J. Cole</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6ueGR6SWhUJfvEhqkvMsVs">Janelle Monáe</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0c173mlxpT3dSFRgMO8XPh">Big Sean</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5Mq7iqCWBzofK39FBqblNc">Jessie Ware</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:13ubrt8QOOCPljQ2FL1Kca">A$AP Rocky</a> (the gold "Everyday"), <a href="spotify:artist:4LLpKhyESsyAXpc4laK94U">Mac Miller</a> (the platinum "Weekend"), and <a href="spotify:artist:6olWbKW2VLhFCHfOi0iEDb">Hudson Mohawke</a>.

Miguel's third album, Wildheart, was released in June 2015. Like his previous full-length, it debuted within the Top Five of the Billboard 200, reaching number two and landing in the same spot on the R&B/hip-hop chart. Less melodic than what preceded it, Wildheart emphasized sensual slow jams and was acknowledged with a Grammy nomination in the Best Urban Contemporary Album category. Another round of collaborations, including a duet with <a href="spotify:artist:6M2wZ9GZgrQXHCFfjv46we">Dua Lipa</a>, and singles highlighted by "2 Lovin U" (produced by <a href="spotify:artist:6GEykX11lQqp92UVOQQCC7">DJ Premier</a>) and the platinum-certified "Sky Walker" (featuring <a href="spotify:artist:0Y5tJX1MQlPlqiwlOH1tJY">Travis Scott</a>), preceded the December 2017 release of the urgent War & Leisure. Another R&B/hip-hop chart topper, it also entered the Billboard 200 at number nine. Miguel continued his extracurricular activity through 2018 with <a href="spotify:artist:23fqKkggKUBHNkbKtXEls4">Kygo</a>'s "Remind Me to Forget" among his most commercially successful featured appearances. His next solo release was the Spanish-language EP Te Lo Dije, which peaked at number 11 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart in 2019. Also that year, <a href="spotify:artist:3DiDSECUqqY1AuBP8qtaIa">Alicia Keys</a>' Miguel-assisted "Show Me Love" began its ascent to gold status.

A mix of smaller-scale solo output and featured appearances followed during the first few years of the 2020s. Early in the decade, Miguel was featured on tracks such as <a href="spotify:artist:5ZS223C6JyBfXasXxrRqOk">Jhené Aiko</a>'s platinum "Happiness Over Everything (H.O.E.)." The Art Dealer Chic series of EPs resumed in 2021 with a fourth volume containing the grinding "Funeral." After he was featured on <a href="spotify:artist:5fMUXHkw8R8eOP2RNVYEZX">Diplo</a>'s "Don't Forget My Love," Miguel saw "Sure Thing" become more popular than ever in 2023 -- thanks to TikTok -- and a re-release of the single consequently reached number 14 on the Hot 100, thereby surpassing "Adorn" as his highest-charting pop single. The singer responded that April with the smoldering slow jam "Give It to Me," followed by "Number 9" with <a href="spotify:artist:6icQOAFXDZKsumw3YXyusw">Lil Yachty</a> and 2024's "Always Time." In 2025, he paired with <a href="spotify:artist:0b1sIQumIAsNbqAoIClSpy">J-Hope</a> for the <a href="spotify:artist:3Nrfpe0tUJi4K4DXYWgMUX">BTS</a> singer's single "Sweet Dreams," and was then featured on Kilo Kish's "Negotiate." Starting with the grinding "New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)," Miguel continued to build anticipation for his fifth album with a handful of singles over the next few months. The full-length Caos landed in October 2025. ~ Andy Kellman & David Jeffries, Rovi