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and now for another atypical post. mika, or michael penniman for formalities, is a lebanese born english rockstar that pulls influence from many of the more obscure rock icons from the mid to late 20th century, and emerged on the rock scene in late 2006. it’s hard to shake the comparisons to elton john and freddy mercury with his style of singing and songwriting- which is definitely not a bad thing. there is something authentic to his sound that sets him apart from what might seem to some as a regurgitation of these resources. it’s also hard to be discouraged being held up to such amazing talents considering that he just turned 24 years old. many of mika’s tracks border on a harmonic beatles-esque silliness, yet when he ventures into more sentimental and powerful territories, his overwhelmingly succeeds. ‘any other world’ is an example of this, and sets itself apart from the rest of the album whole-heartedly, and though it isn’t the most popular track on the album, it is by far my favorite. many people speculate as to whether mika is gay, and refusing comment on his sex life whatsoever doesn’t help the rumors, and when you take songs like billy brown, where a man falls in love with another man, it becomes kind of obvious that he may be drawing on personal experience to help him write the track. either way, that doesn’t make his music better or worse, but it is interesting.

Mika - Any Other World

Mika - Love Today

Mika - Big Girl You Are Beautiful

Mika - Billy Brown