Mike Posner

Mike Posner
Posner at the B96 Pepsi SummerBash in 2012
Posner at the B96 Pepsi SummerBash in 2012
Background information
Birth nameMichael Robert Henrion Posner
Born (1988-02-12) February 12, 1988 (age 38)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
OriginSouthfield, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • poet
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2007–present
Labels
Member of
Websitemikeposner.net

Michael Robert Henrion Posner (/ˈpoʊznər/ POHZ-nər; born February 12, 1988) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, poet, and record producer. He was born in Detroit, Michigan. He signed with J Records in 2009. His debut single, "Cooler Than Me," was released the following year. The song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. It received septuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His follow-up single was "Please Don't Go." It peaked in the top 20 of the chart. The song received triple platinum certification. Both songs preceded his debut album, 31 Minutes to Takeoff (2010). It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200. Yet, the album received mixed critical reception. In 2014, Posner parted ways with J Records. He then signed with Island Records.

In 2015, Posner's song "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" received a tropical house remix. It was done by Norwegian electronic music group Seeb. The remix peaked in the top ten in 27 countries. It reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. This success led to the release of his second studio album, At Night, Alone (2016). The album peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200. It received a positive critical reception. His third album, A Real Good Kid was released in 2019. A fourth album, Operation: Wake Up (2020), was released with no announcement. Both albums were met with continued praise. Despite this, both of them failed to chart.

Along with his recording career, he has worked as a record producer and songwriter. Acts he has worked with are Justin Bieber, Big Sean, Maroon 5, Iggy Azalea, Big Time Rush, Austin Mahone, Nick Jonas, Cher Lloyd, and Labrinth. He co-wrote "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber and "Sugar" by Maroon 5, among others. In 2017, Posner released his first book of poetry, Tear Drops & Balloons. He is also one-half of alternative hip-hop duo Mansionz. The other half is Floridian rapper blackbear.

Early life

Michael Robert Henrion Posner was born on February 12, 1988, in Detroit. He grew up in Southfield, a northern suburb of Detroit. Posner attended Bingham Farms Elementary School, Berkshire Middle School, and graduated from Groves High School. There, he ran on the varsity track and cross-country teams. He attended Duke University. There, he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. He graduated with a B.A. degree in sociology. His final GPA was a 3.6.

His father, Jon, was a Jewish criminal defense lawyer. He died on January 11, 2017. His mother, Roberta Henrion, is Catholic. His sister, Emily Henrion Posner, is six years older. She is a civil rights attorney.

Artistry

Mike Posner was often compared to Justin Timberlake.

Musical style

Posner said, in an interview with Digital Spy, that he "grew up a hip-hop kid doing mix-tapes." Critics have described his early work as "pop-rap songs for the college crowd." He was often compared to fellow American rapper Asher Roth. This was because they shared themes of fraternity culture. Posner began to expand his sound on his debut mixtape, A Matter of Time. It still used samples, interpolations, and guest rappers (such as Big Sean). Yet, there are electropop and R&B elements. This hinted at the direction he took on his debut album, 31 Minutes to Takeoff.

Most of Mike Posner's albums are electropop or folk-pop. 31 Minutes to Takeoff and lead single, "Cooler Than Me", fall into the first category. The second single, "Please Don't Go," combines this sound with hip-hop and trance. Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone said he was pioneering a new genre: "frat-house R&B." Other critics compared him to Akon, Chris Brown, Elliott Yamin, Ne-Yo and especially Justin Timberlake. Posner's cancelled second album, Sky High, was intended to bring him further into R&B. This is evident in Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend" and Maroon 5's "Sugar." Both songs were originally meant for the album. His actual second album, At Night, Alone, features a more stripped down sound. Posner said he was "trying to do country and it comes out weird and different." Matt Collar of AllMusic felt it expanded the folk and indie pop sound of his prior EP, The Truth.

His subsequent albums continue to experiment in the pop genre. Ella Chochrek of Student Life said his third album, A Real Good Kid, is "a therapy session in an alt-pop package." Andrew Leahey of AllMusic noted his fifth album, The Begenning, embraced a "folk- and psych-pop-influenced style." This can be heard on the singles, "I'm Not Dead Yet," "Beautiful Day," and "Is It Just Me." Posner has also shown an interest in rock. In particular, "Jade," has been described as folk punk and power pop. Chris DeVille of Stereogum felt his career arc coincided with EDM entering a "soft-rock phase."

Discography

Concert tours

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2010 Z Awards Best New Artist Himself Nominated
MTV Europe Music Awards Best Push Act Nominated
2016 MTV Video Music Award Best Electronic Video "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" Nominated
MTV Europe Music Awards Best Song Nominated
2017 Grammy Awards Song of the Year Nominated
iHeartRadio Music Awards Dance Song of the Year Nominated
Best Music Video Nominated

References

  1. ↑ "‹ ISLAND RECORDS LAUNCHES ISLAND LIFE ! ‹ Austin Fusion Magazine". austinfusionmagazine.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  2. ↑ Zach Sang (March 18, 2014). "Mike Posner Interview". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Mike Posner - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". Allmusic. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  4. ↑ "Mike Posner Song Credits". March 7, 2012. Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Mike Posner turns poet with release of first book". Theoaklandpress.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Leahey, Andrew. "Mike Posner Overview - Allmusic". Allmusic. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  7. 1 2 McCollum, Brian (July 29, 2010). "Groves graduate and was very good friends with me (later mentioned in one of his and pop star Mike Posner heads to the D for the Warped Tour)". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  8. ↑ "3 Questions with Rising Music Star Mike Posner". Coed. December 8, 2009. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  9. ↑ Williams, Nick (April 22, 2010). "Mike Posner's meteoric rise to stardom". Vox. Retrieved August 20, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ↑ Z (February 16, 2010). "Mike Posner Interview". DJBooth.net. Archived from the original on August 22, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  11. ↑ Copeland, Rod (December 6, 2006). "Fly for a White Guy". The Chronicle (Duke). Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Civil liberties attorney Jon Posner dies at 73". World Socialist Web Site. January 19, 2017. Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  13. ↑ Misceo, Penelope (January 28, 2019). "Mike Posner's newest release, "A Real Good Kid" presents a deep personal story, compelling listeners throughout". La Vista. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  14. ↑ Rosen, Jody (August 9, 2010). "31 Minutes to Takeoff". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  15. ↑ Keefe, Jonathan (August 8, 2010). "Review: Mike Posner, 31 Minutes to Takeoff". Slant. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  16. ↑ Wang, Maggy (August 16, 2016). "FLY WITH MAGGY: In the still of night". New Straits Times. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  17. ↑ Collar, Matt. "The Truth Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  18. ↑ DeVille, Chris (May 5, 2016). "Kygo, Mike Posner, And EDM's Soft-Rock Phase". Stereogum. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Z Awards 2010". archive.md. July 1, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  20. ↑ Rainey, Naomi (September 20, 2010). "In full: MTV EMAs 2010 nominations". Digital Spy. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  21. ↑ Geffen, Sasha (July 26, 2016). "Get Ready: Your 2016 VMA nominations are here". MTV. Archived from the original on November 24, 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-09.
  22. ↑ "2016 MTV Europe Music Awards Nominations Are Here". Teen Vogue. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  23. ↑ Graff, Gary (7 December 2016). "Mike Posner Reacts to Grammy Nomination: 'It's a Goal of Mine'". Billboard. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  24. ↑ "Here's The Complete List Of #iHeartAwards Winners | iHeartRadio Music Awards | iHeartRadio". iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on March 8, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2017.