Sunday, March 10, 2013

Out Spotlight

Today's Out Spotlight is a Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter who was born in Lebanon and is now based in London. Today's Out Spotlight is Mika.

Mika, was born Michael Holbrook Penniman, Jr., the third of five children born to a mother of Syrian / Lebanese heritage and an American father, on August 18 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon. War forced the family from Lebanon and they moved to Paris. It was in Paris that he wrote his first song, a piano instrumental called 'Angry'.

When Mica was nine years old, the family moved to London. Growing up he experienced being bullied and had problems with dyslexia. For a time he was home schooled by his mother.  He attended St Phillips School in Kensington, then Westminster School and the Royal College of Music. He left RCM to record his first album for Casablanca Records. Frustrated at people mispronouncing his name, he changed the 'c' to a 'k'.

Speaking French and Spanish fluently; in an interview in September 2009 with The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 Mika commented that he had taken Mandarin Chinese for 9 years but did not speak it very well but also mentioned that his three sisters did all speak it fluently.

As a child he was trained by Alla Ardakov (Ablaberdyeva), a Russian opera professional, and later attended the Royal College of Music in London. His debut radio appearance was on Dermot O'Leary's BBC Radio 2 show in September 2006. He is rumored to have a vocal range of five octaves, but claims that it is actually closer to three and a half octaves.

Mika's public musical endeavours range from creating the music for an Orbit chewing gum jingle, to writing British Airways in-flight music and appearing at the Royal Opera House.

His debut TV appearances were on Later With Jools Holland and The Friday Night Project. In 2007 he topped the BBC News' influential Sounds of 2007 poll.

His debut single was a download / limited "7 vinyl release, 'Relax, Take It Easy'. The song was playlisted by BBC Radio 1 and was made Single of The Week by the station's DJ Scott Mills.

After recording his first extended play, Dodgy Holiday EP, Mika released his first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, on Island Records in 2007.

The first single off the album  'Grace Kelly' reached number one in January 2007 and the next month, his album, Life In Cartoon Motion, produced by Greg Wells, was released. Reviews of the album drew comparison to a number of established artists such as Freddie Mercury, Elton John and Scissor Sisters. The artwork for the album was created by his sister, who works under the name Dawack.

Life in Cartoon Motion sold more than 5.6 million copies worldwide and helped Mika win a Brit Award—winning Best British Breakthrough act, and receive a Grammy Award nomination.

In 2006, Mika started up his company, Dodgy Holiday Tours Limited. Two years later Mika released his second extended play, Songs for Sorrow, of which limited edition copies are now sold out worldwide. In 2009 Mika released his second studio album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much. Finishing his worldwide tour, Mika recorded his third album, The Origin of Love, stating it would be "more simplistic pop, less layered than the last one". The album was released internationally on 16 September 2012 and in the UK on 8 October 2010.

Mika won three awards at the 2007 World Music awards: more than any other artist that year and the first artist to ever win three in one year. In February 2008 he played at the 50th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. That same month, he opened the 2008 BRIT Awards. He performed his own songs, 'Love Today' and 'Grace Kelly' as well as a duet with Beth Ditto, performing her band The Gossip's song 'Standing In The Way Of Control'

Mika denied allegations that he steered clear of sexual taboos in order to appeal to the US market, pointing to the song "Billy Brown", which is about a married man who has an affair with another man. He is quoted as saying, "If I was worried about sexual taboos I certainly wouldn't have made the record I made. It has nothing to do with that. It has more to do with self-respect." In an interview in Out magazine he stated that "there is a way of discussing sexuality without using labels."

In a September 2009 interview in Gay & Night he commented on his sexuality: "I've never ever labelled myself. But having said that; I've never limited my life, I've never limited who I sleep with... Call me whatever you want. Call me bisexual, if you need a term for me..." Later he stated in an interview with This Is London "I consider myself label-less because I could fall in love with anybody - literally - any type, any body. I'm not picky." In an August 2012 interview with the magazine Instinct, the singer confirmed that he is gay.

In March 2010 Mika was named in France a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters for services to music.





22 comments:

prairiegirl said...

Wow, for a moment there, I fell a bit in love with Mika. What a beautiful, exotic looking young man. But I just get the feeling he wasn't telling the whole truth a few times, I don't know. Am I the only one getting that vibe after reading his quotes? He was kind of all over the place with falling in love with any living creature, What?

And speaking of which....

After watching the whole initial unfolding of this Emily DiDo nonsense, it remains to be seen just how long it will continue to be bandied about despite a feeble, one-time denial by Gossip Cop. Personally, I think this time, Jake needs to man up to the lies his own people spread and had the utter gall to deny.

The ridiculous Mystery Student was pretty bad and someone pushed the envelope by giving out a name on her but the story was not treated as an 'exclusive' by a rag. And talk about a real fade away. She went POOF! PFFT! a la Boo and Atticus.

The fact that this Leo Cap-like model story comes by way of US Weekly says that someone's people were directly behind it and it sure wasn't this young gal.

It's a real distasteful way of riding the magic carpet above the rough waters of surviving Hollywood. The guys seem to be rewriting their own ethical rules now and lowering the bar just a bit more with every brief Help!!! I Need To Look Straight, Mama! bump in the road which requires some sort of password reset to allow them acceptance in the Hollywood Clubhouse.

I just throw my hands up at this latest one. Between this and the daily twitter backstabbing of their client in his role as Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain, it's my own feeling that what WME is doing is worst than what CAA ever did. I think I would rather watch Jake walk with Reese down the sidewalk than watch his people use paid accounts to try and erase the association of Jake with Brokeback and insinuate that a cop flick like EOW somehow eclipses Brokeback and re establishes his manhood.

That is the same kind of 60's frat boy mentality that would try to pair Jake up again with a barely legal girl and funny enough, also make it appear that Austin was hitting on underaged fangirls on Twitter. Just unbelievable.

It really is scary.

prairiegirl said...

Darn, I typed worst instead of worse, lol. I don't think worst was the correct form of the word in that sentence. No, after looking at it again, I know it's not the right one, lol.

prairiegirl said...

I am so awake. This time change has me a little messed up. But alas, I need to get off. Nothing more really to say.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Covering for 1:30 AM said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think her camp set up the story. Because when the story came out she was on twitter like crazy about her fashion and makeup campaigns. I think they are trying to make her the next big thing. This story gives her exposure. I guess this is what I am seeing.

March 11, 2013 at 1:30 AM

its always the womes fault on this site said...

You are seeing wrong. If she wanef exposure she would have picked a higher profile actot. Lets face Jake isnt as popular as he once was. His online fandom is pretty much dead.

Most likely his people chose her at random because she is pretty and young but not high profile like some other models and she most likely wouldnt issue a denial.

You noticed Gossip cop always allegedly goes to Jake's people for denials?

Gossip cop us a pr run site that exists to make it look like they have contacts and to make it look like their clients are outraged over fake stories!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Covering for 8:00 AM said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...

You know Jake a lot better than me. I have only followed him for about a year. In the past year I have noticed that every few months he is either with "high profile" girl or with a " mystery" girl. Is this normal for him? When I see these stories about Jake I am reminded of the Chris pine and Olivia munn story. Miss munn was so hungry to be a star and look at her now after "being with " Chris pine. You say that jake has few online fans do you think it is because of the movie choices he has made over the years. Or what happened with Taylor swift? Thank you for answering my previous post.

March 11, 2013 at 8:00 AM
Delete

rip said...

Jake's online fandom was dying before Taylor IMO. That's why he and his family like Maggie participated.
It happens to a lot of actors

Look at IHJ. Dead as a funeral. Don't let tweets
Make you think Jake is hot. It's just an illusion.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
prairiegirl said...

Get Lost Troll. The People will talk despite your lame attempt to silence.

rip said...

Troll? How is stating the obvious trolling. His online fandom is dying. Wake up fangirl. There is nothing to silenc e if it's dead. Jake should be happy with the false stories. Its the only way he gets those lame tweets. He's yesterday's news and a bore.

prairiegirl said...

Whoa there 1117 I'm friendly fire. I am agreeing w you. I'm talking to the troll at 1009.

Special K said...

Just a tip to our newcomer here at OMG. We don't allow Anon comments. Pick a name to use for the comment, or the day, or the week or for good, just to make sure all of your comments get seen by everyone. And welcome.

prairiegirl said...

Well I agree with most of it, just not the last sentence. I think Jake still has a lot left in him and while I didn't go see Source Code or EOW, they were solid performers.

If he's abore because he's not partying it up or pulling Justin Biebers, then I'm glad he's a bore.

People need to face up to the realization that this guy has a stinkin buttload of kids and he is still very much with Austin Nichols. That's why all the head scratching nonsense. That's why he's become a recluse. That's why all the lies.

So if that is what makes him boring then I love me a big bore.

prairiegirl said...

I just burned my popcorn like you would not believe.
; D

HH said...

That's why he's become a recluse.

Hmmm..how is he a recluse? I see no evidence of that.

Unknown said...

Yummy popcorn. I would take some but not burnt. One awful smell. Haha.

Nice spotlight. Us Americans keeping ppl in the closet, why??? Glad he came out anyway.

I haven't seen any other site state the Jake wasn't dating just Gossip Cop. As for Jake dying. I don't think so. I like that he has steady work. Also that he is not out there super partying. I think he enjoys how his career is and that he not in the gutter or worse. I will take it just like this.

Oh, the other day I got 10 Jake's movie. I already had Brothers, BBM and Source Code. My SIL got them for me. I now only need Zodiac and Highway. One very happy fan girl.

Jake is big time reclusive said...

A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion from the public and society.

That is definitely Jake. If you have followed his career over the last 15 years, it would be obvious to you that he is not just traveling under the radar, but avoiding any kind of public scutiny. Same goes for his "public" girlfriends. There is never any substance to any of the stories, yet somehow they get splashed all over the Internet just like his PR team wants them to be. He wears the same clothes, hardly worked at all between April 2010-May 2012 and is only now making films again. But, notice how secretive everything is surrounding his movie making. This secrecy started back in New Mexico when he filmed, Brothers. Right after the first baby was born.

prairiegirl said...

Undoubtedly, meaning without doubt. I'm speaking of public Jake. All you have to do is look at IHJ and they're having to pull out photos from years ago because there just isn't anything anymore.

He doesn't want photos taken unless he wants it known that he's "in town" or he needs to try and make it look like he's in a specific locale.

He was nowhere to be seen this year during the award show circuit.

There's no more photo ops. No more grocery shopping, no more coffee runs, no more dog park pictures.

Not only that, but there's no more physical activities. There's no more biking in the street, no more basketball (but for Mumford & Sons and that was because he wanted that out there), no more ocean pics, no more jogging, no more yoga pics. How come there's no pictures of him at this flywheel in Atlanta that he supposedly goes to? How come there's no more Spin Cycle pictures that he's supposed to be still going to every time he's in NYC hooking up with Emily Dido? Not a one.

What is there? There are fuzzy, grainy, dark pictures taken inside restaurants from behind. There are a few subway pictures. There were stage door pictures but no more since he's not doing theater any longer. There has not been one single picture from a fan of Prisoners filming except one that I have seen. Talk about a closed up set.

There's a ton of tweets. Tons of claims, allegedly's and supposedly's. But there's no back ups.

The guy has become a recluse, a prisoner of his closeted existence because that's the way it has to be for him. Pretty strange for one so young and for one who, according to Twitter, every female is clamoring for.

prairiegirl said...

The sea was angry that day, my friends". LOLLLL!!! The Marine Biologist.

One of the greatest moments of George Costanza storytelling. Probably about his best. Never get tired of it, laugh every single time. BWAHHH

And let me tell you, my popcorn stunk up the whole floor the entire rest of the afternoon. lol. That was pretty darn bad. I was really looking forward to popcorn, too.

Very, very sad story about Valerie Harper in People this week. I love that she is so honest. She doesn't try to sugar coat stuff. She spits it right out - how long she probably has left and that she isn't ready to die. Her cancer just came out of nowhere. She had had lung cancer several years earlier but had beaten it (not a smoker either). I just hate this disease with a passion.

The thing is, I see so many of our senior citizens being afflicted with it so I'm trying to figure out what is causing all of this. Our 70 and 80 year olds didn't grow up eating so many preservatives and pesticides like we have so why are they all coming down with cancer? It's baffling.

I guess all we can do is try to enjoy each day that we have, right?

Hannah said...

So where is this "stinkin buttload of kids" ? And sorry to say this , IF there are children then Jake lost every ounce of goodwill because this behaviour is not funny or cute or the pressure of the closet. It's child abuse .