Mika
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Mika is a Lebanese-born and London-based five-octave singer/songwriter.
Contents |
About
Michael Holbrook Penniman was born on August 18, 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon to an American father and a Lebanese mother. He was raised in Paris and when his father was taken hostage at the American Embassy in Kuwait, his family settled in London. At the tender age of 9, Mika began writing songs. He attended Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington and Westminster School, but was forced to drop out. During these years, he had a hard time coping up with his fellow students. Since he came from different countries, adapting different background, he was often a victim of verbal bullying.
After dropping out of school, he found comfort in writing songs. His mother hired a Russian teacher to help him in his homestudy and with his help, he was able to further improve his songwriting skills. He then entered Royal College of Music where he gained enough knowledge to hone his talents. Mika also enrolled at the London School of Economics and studied Geography but eventually quitted, finding no interest in the subject. He returned to making music, sending out his works to almost everyone until he got the attention of Casablanca Records and Universal Music.
Before releasing his debut album, his single Relax, Take It Easy broke through BBC Radio 1 in the UK and was named Record of the Week by DJ Scott Mills. Following the popularity of his single was Grace Kelly which received a postive and overwhelming response when it was made available through digital download in January 8, 2007. It even managed to reach the top spot of the UK Singles chart in less than 2 weeks.
Life in Cartoon Motion was released on February 5, 2007 through Unversal's Island Records. Featuring 11 fine tracks including the two aforemention successful singles.
Chart Toppers
| Year | Song | UK | UK Download | IRE | SWE | RUS | US | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Relax, Take it Easy | ~ | 67 | ~ | 26 | 11 | ~ | Life in Cartoon Motion |
| 2007 | Grace Kelly | 1 | 1 | 1 | ~ | ~ | 81 | Life in Cartoon Motion |
| 2007 | Lollipop | 62 | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | Life in Cartoon Motion |
News
Tours & Concerts
02.20.07 8:00A Brighton (Concorde 2)
02.22.07 8:00P London (London KOKO)
02.23.07 8:00P Midlands (Barfly Birmingham)
02.24.07 8:00A Newcastle (Northumbrian Uni)
02.26.07 8:00P Glasgow, Scotland (ABC 2)
02.27.07 8:00A Manchester (Manchester University)
02.28.07 8:00P Leeds, Northwest (Cockpit)
03.19.07 8:00A Quebec (Club Soda)
03.21.07 8:00A Toronto, Ontario (Mod Club)
04.14.07 8:00A London (Shepherd's Bush Empire)
04.16.07 8:00A Glasgow (Barrowlands)
04.17.07 8:00A Birmingham (Birmingham Academy)
04.18.07 8:00A Leeds (Leeds University)
Announcements
- Mika's single, Love Today, used as the theme for Motorola (red) commercial. Watch it here in YouTube
Discography
Albums
 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Label | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Relax, Take it Easy | Island Records | Life in Cartoon Motion |
| 2007 | Grace Kelly | Island Records | Life in Cartoon Motion |
| 2007 | Lollipop | Island Records | Life in Cartoon Motion |
Other artists
Similar artists
Influences
Contemporaries
Trivia
- He often received verbal bullying as a kid, calling him a "typical fag".
Reviews
Mika's success was referred to as a triumph of a tortured soul. Despite his tragic experience in his school years, Mika managed to stay put and through this experience comes out great talent. --Raine 17:41, 15 February 2007 (PST)
