Sebastian Mikael

Swedish vocalist Sebastian Mikael crafts sophisticated pop, hip-hop, and contemporary R&B with a distinctly soulful touch. Public notice first arrived via his 2011 single “Beautiful Life,” after which he delivered the 2014 full-length Speechless. The EP I C U U C ME, Pt. 1 surfaced in 2018, and the 2020 track “Exit” climbed to number 13 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart before he issued the 2022 EP Phileo.

Born in 1990 in Gothenburg, Sweden, to a Swedish father and an Ethiopian mother, Mikael discovered music through his father’s record collection and soon developed a passion for performance. During his teenage years he picked up guitar and taught himself material by Marvin Gaye, Wyclef Jean, Usher, and similar artists while also experimenting in the studio; he formed a production duo and worked with local hip-hop acts. Relocating to the United States, he spent two years studying audio engineering at California’s Musicians Institute, then moved to Boston to continue his training at Berklee College of Music. There he attracted the interest of Slip-N-Slide Records founder Ted Lucas, who signed him and released his 2011 debut mixtape J’Adore. The project contained “Beautiful Life,” which spread rapidly online and expanded his audience. In 2014 he returned with the album Speechless, whose singles included “Money,” “4U,” and “Last Night.” Subsequent EPs I C U U C Me, Pt. 1 and I C U U C Me, Pt. 2 appeared in 2018 and 2019, respectively. After issuing the standalone single “Exit” in 2020, Mikael ended his association with Slip-N-Slide and, in 2022, independently released the EP Phileo.