John K

John K arrived on the scene in 2017 as a soul-inflected pop singer whose introspective songwriting set him apart, drawing notice from key industry figures once his independently issued tracks began circulating. Over the next three years he reached wider audiences through standout releases such as “If We Never Met,” “6 Months,” and “Wasted Summer.” Anchoring his material in relaxed yet driving R&B rhythms that frequently incorporated acoustic guitar, he explored romantic themes on his debut album Love + Everything Else in 2020, then broadened his sonic palette with more varied pop arrangements on the 2021 follow-up In Case You Miss Me; the 2022 single “Be Alright” further highlighted his ease with buoyant, swaggering funk.

Born John Poulson Keyser in Pompano Beach, Florida, he grew up in a household where his father, an amateur guitarist drawn to classic rock, often sang around the home. His grandmother Bunny, herself the daughter of a working trumpeter, introduced him to piano and gave him a recorder; by high school he and friends regularly gathered at his place to rehearse and write songs. Singing soon became his central focus, prompting him and his father to relocate to Nashville in pursuit of a career. After a period of low-key performances and writing sessions, manager Rob Zarrilli connected him with producer FVCES. John K’s first release, the 2017 track “Runnin’,” quickly gained traction on major streaming platforms; disc jockey Elvis Duran championed the song on air and featured him as “Artist of the Month” on the Today show. The 2018 follow-up “O.T.” surpassed that success, surpassing 18 million streams.

Epic Records signed the artist, and his label debut EP If We Never Met arrived in 2019. Its title track dominated streaming playlists, leading to the January 2020 release of “Wasted Summer,” a collaboration with Loote. The lovelorn ballad “6 Months” followed a month later, and both songs appeared on Love + Everything Else. A second album, In Case You Miss Me, came out in 2021. Throughout 2022 he issued a series of singles—“A Lot,” the atmospheric “Guitars and Drugs,” and the rhythm-driven “Be Alright”—while also joining Los Angeles EDM outfit Two Friends on “Wish You Were Here.”