Bazzi

R&B-influenced pop singer/songwriter Bazzi hit the mainstream after finding viral success with his breakthrough single “Mine.” The track made a slow climb up the charts, peaking just outside the Top Ten on the Hot 100, and appeared on his Top 40 hit debut, COSMIC. Bazzi’s sophomore full-length, 2019′s Soul Searching, cracked the Top 20 of the Billboard 200, buoyed by the viral hits “Paradise” and “I.F.L.Y.” More singles followed, including 2021′s ebullient “I Like That” and 2022′s yearning “Will It Ever Feel the Same?”
Born Andrew Bazzi to Lebanese-American parents in Canton, Michigan, he was a natural performer from a young age, imitating Elvis and Ricky Martin as a child and later playing oud and acoustic guitar. At the end of high school, he moved to Los Angeles with his father to pursue a music career. In addition to building an audience online, he appeared on Fancy Cars’ single “Fun” in 2016. Influenced by the likes of Justin Timberlake and Bryson Tiller, Bazzi released his solo debut, “Alone,” soon after. In 2017 he issued the singles “Sober,” “Beautiful” (featuring Camila Cabello), and “Got Friends?,” but it wasn’t until “Mine” went viral with the help of an Internet meme that his audience grew. With its smooth, breezy sound, the romantic “Mine” became a streaming hit and landed Bazzi on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2018. His debut full-length, COSMIC, arrived months later. Featuring additional singles “Gone” and “Honest,” the set debuted at 35 on the Billboard 200.
Just a year later, Bazzi issued another effort, this time in the form of a mixtape. Soul Searching featured the title track and the single “No Way!” as well as appearances by 6LACK and 21 Savage. Upon release, the set debuted at number 20 on the U.S. album chart. An array of singles appeared throughout the front half of 2020, including “Young & Alive” and “I Got You,” with the amiable “I Like That” arriving in 2021 and “Will It Ever Feel the Same?” in 2022. ~ Neil Z. Yeung