Zak Abel

Zak Abel, a British singer and songwriter, first captured widespread attention by contributing vocals to Gorgon City's U.K. Top 20 single Unmissable. Born in March 1995, he had long pursued a path as a table tennis champion, claiming the Cadet Boys' singles title in 2009, yet a move to France for semi-professional training revealed that the monotonous drills no longer suited him. Music had already captivated him from childhood, when he began composing and performing on piano, so he began sharing performance videos online; this led to a 2012 recording contract with Atlantic. Following his contribution to Gorgon City's 2014 track Unmissable, he joined forces with Bristol-based producer Joker on his debut full-length EP, Joker Presents, which surfaced the next year. Subsequent releases included the EPs Don't Belong and One Hand on the Future. Fusing soulful vocals with R&B and pop, he issued the 2016 singles "Everybody Needs Love" and "Unstable" while laying down tracks for his first album. That project, Only When We're Naked, arrived in July 2017. Early 2018 brought the single "Love Song," with the Saweetie collaboration "You Come First" following in October.