Swedish vocalist Sebastian Mikael is a soulful performer known for his sophisticated pop, hip-hop, and contemporary R&B style. He initially grabbed the public's attention with the 2011 single "Beautiful Life" before issuing his 2014 full-length Speechless. His EP I C U U C ME, Pt. 1 arrived in 2018. Mikael scored a Top 20 Billboard Adult R&B Airplay hit with 2020's "Exit" before issuing his 2022 EP Phileo.

Born in 1990, Mikael grew up in Gothenburg, Sweden, the son of a Swedish father and Ethiopian mother. Introduced to music by his father's record collection, he quickly developed a love of performing. By his teens, he was playing guitar and teaching himself songs by Marvin Gaye, Wyclef Jean, Usher, and others. He also began recording, forming a production duo and collaborating on tracks with local hip-hop artists. He eventually moved to the United States, where he spent two years studying audio engineering at California's Musicians Institute. Mikael then relocated to Boston, where he further honed his skills at Berklee College of Music. While there, he caught the attention of Slip-N-Slide Records CEO Ted Lucas, who signed him and issued his debut 2011 mixtape, J'Adore. Included was the song "Beautiful Life," which went viral and helped raise Mikael's profile. He returned in 2014 with the full-length album Speechless, which featured the singles "Money," "4U," and "Last Night." Two EPs -- I C U U C Me, Pt. 1 and I C U U C Me, Pt. 2 -- followed respectively in 2018 and 2019. A standalone song, "Exit," appeared in 2020 and eventually reached number 13 on Billboard's Adult R&B Airplay chart. Following the song's release, the singer parted ways with Slip-N-Slide and returned in 2022 with the independently released EP Phileo. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi