Miguel

Today’s R&B artists are delving below the surface; they’re not just exploring the hows of sex, they’re exploring the whys. They’re singing about the consequences, the aftermath and the emotional impact. Coitus has always been multi-layered, but it’s taken this long for these complexities to be explored underneath the concert hall spotlight.

Alongside peers such as Frank Ocean and How To Dress Well, Miguel is at the forefront of a new movement of R&B – one that basks in the glory of the unspoken intimacy that takes place during sex. “For me, I think it’s more about all of the emotions behind it,” he says. “I don’t find it difficult, but I think it’s really cool that there are people out there who are into the way that an artist like myself writes about sex. I take it as a compliment that it doesn’t come off as cheesy, corny or cliché. Music has always been about emotion and what it’s meant to represent. When you get to talking about the connection, or the vulnerability that you give to someone, that’s what makes writing about sex so fulfilling.”

Miguel’s third studio album, Wildheart, runs untamed through the realms of sexual indulgence, emotional susceptibility and personal liberation. “I wanted to capture the unapologetic energy that becomes the force for any wild-hearted person,” he says. “Being wild-hearted begins with knowing who you are, what you stand for, what you believe in and then by living by that. Once you take the time to figure these things out, you’re more likely to make decisions for a more spiritual and deeper place. A place where intuition is.

“I believe those decisions are the ones that resonate with our purpose the most. That’s what life’s about, man; it’s about living out your purpose. This album was a way for me to paint out the energy that I have in my life. I think it’s more aggressive, at least sonically. It’s all about that drive. It’s about being unapologetic and non-conformist.”

When it comes to the graphics that accompany the album, Miguel adds, “I’ve spent a lot of time really digging into the creative side of it. It’s been all hands on deck. I’ve spent a lot of time planning what we’re going to do visually – it’s really important for me that all of the visuals match the music.”

While Miguel’s 2010 debut All I Want Is You was a sleeper hit, the 2012 follow-up Kaleidoscope Dream catapulted the LA native onto the global stage, with its lead single ‘Adorn’ going on to win a Grammy for Best R&B Song. Needless to say, he realises that a lot more eyes and ears will be following the release of Wildheart.

“I don’t want to call it fame, but knowing that you have a broader audience makes it more exciting,” he says. “It makes taking the chances more exciting. It gets a lot more risky. There’s a lot of expectation that comes with it, but you need to just put that out of your head. That’s when it becomes exhilarating.

“You’re making music that resonates with you, but you don’t know how your fans are going to take it. You want to give them the truest bits of yourself as possible. At the end of the day, I have to be able to look back at my music and my legacy and be able to say, ‘Man, I’m really proud of that.’ That’s what it’s really about.”

The album boasts a number of high-calibre guests, including Benny Blanco, Cashmere Cat and Kurupt, with the curveball of Lenny Kravitz thrown in for good measure. “When I was growing up, Lenny was a musical mentor of sorts,” Miguel laughs. “Working with someone that you grew up listening to and looking up to? It was a dream come true for me. When someone like that wants to create something with you, it’s a crazy feeling.”

Having supported Bruno Mars on his Australian tour early last year, Miguel will return Down Under this October as one of the leading acts on the 2015 incarnation of Soulfest.

“I think I’ve always had a really energetic way of performing, but I feel that this album is the closest thing to encapsulate what it’s like when I’m onstage,” he says. “I’ve finally got to make an album that speaks the way that I come across when I perform live. That’s why I’m so excited to play this album live onstage. I’ve always had a certain style when it comes to performing, and I think this music is perfect for that.

“When I’m performing it’s just non-stop fun. It’s sexy and it’s wild. That’s what it’s like onstage.”