Get ready to party
Cross-cultural R&B star Miguel says his live show is a loud, crazy walk on the wild side
‘Standing out comes with its own set of challenges. I’ve had to deal with adversity because of the way I look’
On Wildheart, his third album which was released earlier this year, Grammy Award-winning Miguel forged a new freakadelic sense of purpose.
The multi-talented Mexican American star blends electronic funk and sex-crazed scenarios with the inspirations of Elvis, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, George Clinton and more.
As his celebrated, spectacular live show arrives here this week, the singer, born Miguel Jontel Pimentel, promises UK fans a treat they will never forget.
“It’s a wild party and it’s spiritual, loud and I capture a lot of my energy,” says the 29-year-old who was raised in San Pedro, California. “People come and really, really party, then they leave with a spiritual feeling. It’s designed to be that way.”
Following an early setback as a teenage hotshot who had his first album shelved in 2006, chart liaisons with Mariah Carey and Kendrick Lemar boosted his confidence and underlined his credibility. With Wildheart, he became a man on a mission.
“It was important for me to give my fans something more than just music,” Miguel says.
“I wanted them to understand me, the way I think and why I see the world in a certain way.
“The live show has evolved with that intention. I think there’s a deeper message that adds consciousness and awareness but it’s only with this album that I’ve discovered the greater message I wanted to give.”
On the song What’s Normal Anyway? Miguel relates the challenge his cross-cultural identity has presented in his life and career. He has, of course, had the last laugh.
“Standing out comes with its own set of challenges,” he admits. “I’ve had to deal with my share of adversity because of the way that I look and the person that I am. Interestingly the things I celebrate the most now allow me the most liberty. I don’t feel any need to make music that is less than what I hear in my head.”
His exhilarating liberation of the mind and body comes complete with lashings of naughtiness.
And although he prefers not to discuss his relationship with Nazanin Mandi, his model girlfriend of 10 years, Miguel is evidently a man who enjoys a dance with the devil in the pale moonlight.
“Yahahahaaa ,” he chuckles. “I suppose we all do, in our own way. Mine always end up with rare nights out that cascade into morning, but I need less of that now. I think every once in a while for a song it’s OK, but you don’t want to live there.”
Rest assured that Miguel – the lone libidinous wolf of modern R&B – will do whatever it takes to ensure his place is etched in the history books.
“I’m certainly not doing this so I can be remembered in 2015 and that’s all,” he says. “The intention has always been to affect an impact on the culture not only in the time it’s happening, but in decades to come.”
New single Waves is out today. Miguel plays Radio1Xtra Live at Leeds First Direct Arena tomorrow and Manchester Academy on Sunday.