Jake Miller

With a style that combines influences like John Mayer, Mac Miller, and Jon Bellion, Jake Miller balances exuberant party rap with sleek, R&B-influenced pop. He hit the Top 30 of the Billboard 200 with his 2013 debut LP, Us Against Them, and steadily honed his vision with yearly releases, reaching number 18 on the Independent Albums chart with 2017's 2:00am in LA. Along with singles and EPs, he further coalesced his sound with 2018's Silver Lining and 2021's Silver Lining II. Born in 1992, Miller first emerged while still a student at the University of Miami, but he got his start in high school, posting videos online from his Weston, Florida home. In 2011, he self-released his debut EP, Summer Session, and performed his first live gig opening for Snoop Dogg. His second EP, Spotlight, arrived in 2012. After signing a deal with the E1 Music label, he released the Road Less Traveled EP in 2013. That same year, he also unveiled his debut album, Us Against Them, which incorporated smooth pop hooks with an acoustic heart, and Miller's introspective rapping. It garnered the singer attention, cracking the Top 30 of the Billboard 200 and reaching the Top Five of both the rap and indie charts. Continuing his one-EP-per-year schedule, he unveiled Dazed and Confused in 2014. It featured appearances from Nikki Flores and Travie McCoy. The feel-good party EP Rumors arrived in 2015. With each release, the Jake Miller sound slowly drifted toward a more R&B-pop-oriented style similar to Nick Jonas or ZAYN. It became fully apparent on his 2016 EP Overnight, which included the sleek title track. That same year, he embarked on a tour opening for Fifth Harmony. In 2017, the singer self-released his neon-washed sophomore LP, 2:00am in LA, after parting ways with Warner Bros. It returned him to the Top 20 of Billboard's Independent Albums chart. He also taught himself how to play piano and saxophone. Less than a year later, Miller issued his third full-length, Silver Lining, featuring the single "The Girl That's Underneath" with Jabbar Hakeem. By 2019, he had signed with RED Music and released the singles "Wait for You" and "Nikes," which landed on his 2019 EP Based on a True Story. More singles followed, including 2020's "Let's Go Home" and "Wanna Be," and 2021's "Adderall." His fourth album was also released in 2021, Silver Lining II, which featured the song "Ross and Rachel." Heralded by the single "8 Tattoos," the EP Based on a True Story II appeared the following year. ~ Matt Collar & Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi