Miguel Gets Deep During WILDHEART Performance At Sonos Studios + Pandora Event In Los Angeles

Published: July 15, 2015
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 13:  Singer-Songwriter Miguel performs onstage during the SONOS Studio + PANDORA: An Evening With Miguel on July 13, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for Pandora)

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 13: Singer-Songwriter Miguel performs onstage during the SONOS Studio + PANDORA: An Evening With Miguel on July 13, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for Pandora)

“The worst thing we can do in life, is to lead a life trying to please or appease others and their perceptions.” Known for his sensual song lyrics and powerful voice, R&B sensation Miguel spoke to a deeper meaning behind his album, WILDHEART, this past Monday during an intimate show at Sonos Studios in Los Angeles. Hosted by Pandora, a small group of Miguel’s station listeners had the chance to see him, along with a three piece band, put on an energy filled performance that started off with renditions of “How Many…” and “The Thrill” from his hit album Kaleidoscope Dreams, before delving into tracks from his latest release, WILDHEART.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 13:  Singer-Songwriter Miguel performs onstage during the SONOS Studio + PANDORA: An Evening With Miguel on July 13, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for Pandora)

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 13: Singer-Songwriter Miguel performs onstage during the SONOS Studio + PANDORA: An Evening With Miguel on July 13, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for Pandora)

With a sensual performance of his latest hit single “Coffee” notwithstanding, Miguel took a few minutes to point out that his new album has more depth than the between-the-sheets music he has become popularized for. During his set, he addressed the crowd and spoke to the inspiration for the track “Hollywood Dreams.” “I hope more than anything that it inspires you to take a moment in solitude to figure out what it is you really stand for, what you believe in, and inspires you to live…live accordingly, honoring what you believe in and your purpose. So many people here in L.A. have lost themselves, because they didn’t know the answer to those questions.” He also threw out a few of the opening lines to the track, “What’s Normal Anyway”, a song that addresses the futile struggle for some to fit in, receiving cheers from the crowd after stating, “Too proper for the Black kids/Too Black for the Mexicans.”

Though Miguel recently made headlines for his comments regarding Frank Ocean and how he thought he made “better music” than him, Monday night’s performance was a reminder that Miguel is very much focused on his current body of work, refusing to live in the past. He took time to address the crowd and further elaborate on the motivation behind WILDHEART, giving a two minute monologue:

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 13:  Singer-Songwriter Miguel performs onstage during the SONOS Studio + PANDORA: An Evening With Miguel on July 13, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for Pandora)

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 13: Singer-Songwriter Miguel performs onstage during the SONOS Studio + PANDORA: An Evening With Miguel on July 13, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for Pandora)

“I was kind of down…you know how we can be really hard on ourselves and I was having a weird moment kind of going through some challenges creatively and on a personal note, and I realized that normality is such a subjective thing. Everyone has their own idea of what “normal” is, based on their circumstances and their experiences, and their own baggage that they carry based on what they’ve gone through in life. And it was in that moment that I realized that we can really free ourselves from worrying about other people’s perceptions of us, if we just take the time to figure out what the fuck we stand for and what we believe in. What we’re willing to sacrifice, what we’re not willing to sacrifice. And that’s what WILDHEART is all about…it’s about that individual journey of knowing yourself, discovering yourself, reaffirming those things that you stand for and believe in.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 13:  Singer-Songwriter Miguel performs onstage during the SONOS Studio + PANDORA: An Evening With Miguel on July 13, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for Pandora)

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 13: Singer-Songwriter Miguel performs onstage during the SONOS Studio + PANDORA: An Evening With Miguel on July 13, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for Pandora)

WILDHEART was released on June 29th. For more info and to preview tracks, visit wildheart.officialmiguel.com.

Words by: Mark Anthony Jenkins

(@MarkAnthonyJ20 on IG and Twitter)

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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