(1985-)

Who Is Miguel?

Miguel is an American R&B singer who began writing songs as a teenager and signed his first recording contract in 2004. He gained attention for his 2010 release All I Want Is You. His next album, the 2012 record Kaleidoscope Dream, garnered critical acclaim and contained the hit single “Adorn,” for which Miguel won the 2013 Grammy Award for best R&B song.

Early Life

Miguel Jontel Pimentel was born in San Pedro, California, on October 23, 1985. His father is Mexican American and his mother is African American. Miguel’s parents divorced when he was 8 years old, after which he and his brother lived primarily with their mother. Miguel listened to R&B, funk, hip-hop, rock and jazz as a child, mostly due to the diverse musical tastes of his parents. By the age of 14, his taste was evolving independently, and he was writing and recording his own songs.

Career

In 2004, Miguel was signed by the independent record label Black Ice. He completed his first studio album, Young & Free, in 2006. Black Ice shelved the album, releasing only the single “Getcha Hands Up.” Disappointed with the single, its video and his treatment overall, Miguel parted ways with the label. He has since stated that this experience taught him to take control of the way in which he was marketed, rather than relying on the label to differentiate him from the crowd of male R&B vocalists.

In 2007, Miguel signed a new recording contract with Jive Records. His next album, All I Want Is You, was not released for several years pending a lawsuit brought by Black Ice for breach of contract. The album was released in November 2010. Sales were slow at first but grew steadily over time, largely due to the radio popularity of the tracks “Sure Thing” and “Quickie.” All I Want Is You ultimately spent 45 weeks on the Billboard charts and sold more than 400,000 copies in the United States.

‘Kaleidoscope Dream’ and Other Albums

RCA absorbed Jive Records and many of its artists, including Miguel, in 2011. Miguel recorded his next album, Kaleidoscope Dream, with RCA and released it in October 2012. The album was an instant hit. Debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, the album yielded critical acclaim as well as strong sales. The runaway hit track, “Adorn,” received regular radio and video play. The song has been compared to Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” for its sensual tone and easy pace.

In 2013, Miguel’s “Adorn” won the Grammy Award for best R&B song. He also won the Soul Train Music Award for best R&B/soul male artist, and received a number of additional nominations throughout the season. Miguel also received nominations for “Lotus Flower Bomb,” a track by hip-hop artist Wale to which he contributed.

In 2015, he released his next album Wildheart. Then, in 2017, Miguel released War & Leisure, which had hit songs such as “Sky Walker,” and featured artists like Rick Ross and Travis Scott.

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QUICK FACTS

• Name: Miguel
• Birth Year: 1985
• Birth date: October 23, 1985
• Birth State: California
• Birth City: San Pedro
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Miguel is an American R&B; singer best known for his 2012 album ‘Kaleidoscope Dream’ and the single “Adorn,” for which he won a Grammy Award.
• Industries
• Pop
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Miguel Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/miguel
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: September 18, 2019
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014