NEW YORK (AP) — If you're wondering why Miguel hasn't released a studio album in nearly a decade, his answer is simple: life.
“I needed to grow up a little bit. I needed to get my (expletive) together.”
Since War and Rest in 2017, the world has experienced many events of global significance: the second presidency of Donald Trump, the coronavirus pandemic, the American social justice movement, the ongoing three-year war between Russia and Ukraine, and the two-year war between Israel and Hamas, which recently entered into a ceasefire.
“I think we're just seeing a big question mark that humanity is being asked in real time every day,” Miguel said. “I needed to go away, recalibrate, just get in touch with my anger and figure out the best way to move forward productively… I'm really glad I did that because that's what influenced this album.”
“CAOS” is a sharp departure from the superstar's energetic, sensual sound that made him one of R&B's biggest hits. The singer-songwriter's fifth studio project, based on his 2023 record “Viscera,” was released Thursday, coinciding with his 40th birthday. He wrote all 12 tracks and did most of the production with Ray Brady. The only exhibit belongs to the legendary George Clinton, a Parliament-Funkadelic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Led by the singles “RIP”, “New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)”, “El Pleito” and “Angel's Song”, the album exudes a trendy mix of alternative rock, R&B and electronic sounds, but with an unfamiliar, darker tone. Music evokes a sense of urgency, protest and rebellion.
“This album is the most disturbing and angry album I've ever made. But I think at the heart and core of the message and themes is an underlying need to express grievances in a healthy way that creates the feelings and future I want.”
Thief of Joy
Miguel also faced internal problems: divorce, family death and disillusionment with the industry.
“The value of my work was in external appreciation, not internal gratitude,” said the artist, who has four top 20 tracks on the Billboard 100. The recognition comes from the Grammy Award winner who created the latest classics like “Adorn” and “Sure Thing,” as well as fan-favorite sentiments like “All I Want is You” and “Skywalker”.
“When you see something in a culture that's really successful… you can start to compare… and it's such a slippery slope,” said Miguel, who released pieces of music during his hiatus, such as the “Te Lo Dije” and “Art Dealer Chic 4” EPs, as well as the songs “Don't Forget My Love” with Diplo in 2022 and “Sweet Dreams” with BTS's J-Hope earlier this year. “It’s about connecting more deeply and having a deeper conversation with my audience rather than wanting to write a big song.”
Not a sure thing
During the break, Miguel and Nazanin Mandi divorced. The singer began dating Mandi at age 19 and then married in 2018. Four years later they divorced.
“It was painful,” said Miguel, who wrote “Always Time” to talk about the breakup. “Some things you have to let go of if you really like them, and I think that’s a good sign that I need to take some time for myself.”
Last month, at his son's first birthday party, Miguel publicly announced that he had become a father for the first time to director and former Vogue China editor Margaret Zhang. “Angel's Song” is dedicated to his child.
Songs in Spanish
“CAOS,” which means “chaos” in Spanish, also represents another twist on the artist’s genre: songs in Spanish. While 2019's “Te Lo Dije” included Spanish recordings of previous songs, this project contains original tracks such as “El Pleito” and “Perderme.”
“It was always, 'You should lean into Latin as a marketing (tactic).' … It just didn’t feel natural,” said Miguel, whose mother is African-American and father is Mexican-American. “This is where I am now, and it has more to do with my personality and who I am and who I’m proud of.”
Back to the Future
Miguel, this year's NYU Steinhardt School Fellow, is also focusing on his S1C venture, which aims to provide Black, Mexican and Latino authors with development and financial support. He also appreciates the futuristic R&B sound that has grown during his absence and contributed greatly to its introduction.
“I love that I can hear my influences in modern music,” said Miguel, who gained a younger following in 2023 after the song “Sure Thing” went viral on TikTok and Instagram, more than a decade after its release. “You’re like, OK, we were in the right place.”
Even though Miguel tries to stay true to himself and his music without being captive to the charts, he feels valued by his fans and focuses on gratitude.
“I’ve been so lucky to have found a core audience that has really followed me throughout my development,” he said. “I think I've been appreciated. And I think there's an opportunity to make it even bigger and, more importantly, deeper.”
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