Joining Audacy's Bru, singer and songwriter, Miguel stopped by for an Audacy Check In to talk about the rituals that help him create art, his upcoming album, and the success of "Sure Thing" 12 years after it's initial release.

Diving right in to what we're all wondering, Bru asked Miguel how his back is after being suspended in the air via hooks in his back last month.

Explaining his motivation behind the stunt, he says it came to him in meditation, inspired by an alternative artist from his youth and learning more about different cultures. “I remember seeing Dave Navarro do it earlier... [and] just being up on, you know, different sort of cultures, seeing them do it for the first time always was really like, it was fascinating," he said.

"I had it in the back of my mind, and I had written a song that was really painful, and for whatever reason, this meditation after that just brought that up, the song is about pain, is about really deep pain," he said, "It just came up as a possible way to do something. I was thinking of creative ways to step outside of traditional performance of the songs. So I was thinking of performance art and ways to kind of just engage in a more symbolic and less performative way."

But to those who are concerned, his back is "fine" according to the singer and he just makes sure to apply neosporin to it everyday.

Overall, Miguel says “life's been good, man. It's been focused, very focused. I'm having a good time, just getting music out feels really good."

The singer's been heavily focused on his rituals to keep himself in a good place. Eating right, getting exercise, protecting his space and energy are all a part of his rituals, and he stays true to them because he believes "the rest flows when you’re in a good place."

Miguel's debut album, All I Want Is You, has been making a comeback as the 2010 lead single, "Sure Thing," has become a trending sound on TikTok as it's been used in over 23 million videos. It currently stands at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"You hope your songs, you know, touch as as many people as they possibly can, and like people make them a part of their lives. But I think everything happens in its time," he said about the resurfacing of "Sure Thing."

"I love every one of my songs just as much as I love 'Sure Thing,' you know? Right. They're all some extension of a true idea, feeling emotion. But I do think that like art finds its audience, you know? And I think for me it's more an exercise of showing up for the creativity and allowing my trust in the work that I've put into what I do, and my love for it to get the f*** out the way," he explained.

The GRAMMY-winning singer and songwriter has been teasing an upcoming album and we hear the new project will be an "emotional and violent renaissance." It's been six years since his 2017 release of War & Leisure. The 12-track album saw features from Rick Ross, Travis Scott, Kali Uchis and J. Cole.

Miguel says this project will show the world a "very different" side of him. "I would say different in that the motivation for this album is probably bigger. And it definitely marks like, a new cycle, a new something," he said.

He adds that this project is really for anyone going through some type of transformation.

"I think this album will help when you need a little understanding and tenderness and understand that, you know, everyone out here is dealing with some kind of pain that maybe they're not showing, you know? Yeah. And we all need help. And that's okay. When it's time to like get to the work and you need some motivation, I think there's some in there as well. I think it's a life album. This one's a life album for me, so I love it," he shared.

And with the album set to drop at the end of this year, Miguel says a tour at the top of 2024 is right around the corner. "We'll do a traditional tour top of next year," he said. "I've leveled up in every way in terms of my musicianship and as you know, to express the music. I think I've really worked hard to really level up. And I think my fans will really appreciate that. So I'm excited to be able to get out there and connect with my fans, even deeper or more deeply than I have in the past. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to that, this run."

Once the tour is over, he hopes to "move into film," adding that "I'll kind of go back into acting and I think I'll mostly be focusing on producing film as something that I have a real big interest in."

Throughout the entire interview, Miguel dropped these prolific quotes like he was pulling them out of a rolodex. You're going to have to listen to the full interview to catch those gems, but we'll share one of them with you. Something that the R&B singer currently lives by is the saying, "make it personal, but don't take it personal." Whew, a word. Now check out the interview above to hear more.

Words by Yasmeen Akbar Interview by Bru

Joining Audacy's Bru, singer and songwriter, Miguel stopped by for an Audacy Check In to talk about the rituals that help him create art, his upcoming album, and the success of "Sure Thing" 12 years after it's initial release.
Diving right in to what we're all wondering, Bru asked Miguel how his back is after being suspended in the air via hooks in his back last month.
Explaining his motivation behind the stunt, he says it came to him in meditation, inspired by an alternative artist from his youth and learning more about different cultures. “I remember seeing Dave Navarro do it earlier... [and] just being up on, you know, different sort of cultures, seeing them do it for the first time always was really like, it was fascinating," he said.
"I had it in the back of my mind, and I had written a song that was really painful, and for whatever reason, this meditation after that just brought that up, the song is about pain, is about really deep pain," he said, "It just came up as a possible way to do something. I was thinking of creative ways to step outside of traditional performance of the songs. So I was thinking of performance art and ways to kind of just engage in a more symbolic and less performative way."
But to those who are concerned, his back is "fine" according to the singer and he just makes sure to apply neosporin to it everyday.
Overall, Miguel says “life's been good, man. It's been focused, very focused. I'm having a good time, just getting music out feels really good."
The singer's been heavily focused on his rituals to keep himself in a good place. Eating right, getting exercise, protecting his space and energy are all a part of his rituals, and he stays true to them because he believes "the rest flows when you’re in a good place."
Miguel's debut album, All I Want Is You, has been making a comeback as the 2010 lead single, "Sure Thing," has become a trending sound on TikTok as it's been used in over 23 million videos. It currently stands at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"You hope your songs, you know, touch as as many people as they possibly can, and like people make them a part of their lives. But I think everything happens in its time," he said about the resurfacing of "Sure Thing."
"I love every one of my songs just as much as I love 'Sure Thing,' you know? Right. They're all some extension of a true idea, feeling emotion. But I do think that like art finds its audience, you know? And I think for me it's more an exercise of showing up for the creativity and allowing my trust in the work that I've put into what I do, and my love for it to get the f*** out the way," he explained.
The GRAMMY-winning singer and songwriter has been teasing an upcoming album and we hear the new project will be an "emotional and violent renaissance." It's been six years since his 2017 release of War &amp; Leisure. The 12-track album saw features from Rick Ross, Travis Scott, Kali Uchis and J. Cole.
Miguel says this project will show the world a "very different" side of him. "I would say different in that the motivation for this album is probably bigger. And it definitely marks like, a new cycle, a new something," he said.
He adds that this project is really for anyone going through some type of transformation.
"I think this album will help when you need a little understanding and tenderness and understand that, you know, everyone out here is dealing with some kind of pain that maybe they're not showing, you know? Yeah. And we all need help. And that's okay. When it's time to like get to the work and you need some motivation, I think there's some in there as well. I think it's a life album. This one's a life album for me, so I love it," he shared.
And with the album set to drop at the end of this year, Miguel says a tour at the top of 2024 is right around the corner. "We'll do a traditional tour top of next year," he said. "I've leveled up in every way in terms of my musicianship and as you know, to express the music. I think I've really worked hard to really level up. And I think my fans will really appreciate that. So I'm excited to be able to get out there and connect with my fans, even deeper or more deeply than I have in the past. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to that, this run."
Once the tour is over, he hopes to "move into film," adding that "I'll kind of go back into acting and I think I'll mostly be focusing on producing film as something that I have a real big interest in."
Throughout the entire interview, Miguel dropped these prolific quotes like he was pulling them out of a rolodex. You're going to have to listen to the full interview to catch those gems, but we'll share one of them with you. Something that the R&amp;B singer currently lives by is the saying, "make it personal, but don't take it personal." Whew, a word. Now check out the interview above to hear more.
Words by Yasmeen Akbar Interview by Bru

Listen as our favorite artists Check In for candid conversations about music and more.

Listen as our favorite artists Check In for candid conversations about music and more.

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