Bazzi on Tour
Pop singer Bazzi has a gift for making the sincere sound stylish. Take the signature line of his breakthrough single “Mine,” which he coos casually over a staccato trap beat: “You so f*cking precious when you smile.” That sweet sentiment and Bazzi’s off-the-cuff delivery launched this Michigan-born artist’s career when “Mine” became part of a Snapchat meme in 2018, but his infectiousness is hardly a trend. Whether sitting on a stool with his acoustic guitar or standing in front of a full band, when Bazzi opens his mouth to sing live, the room sings along. As a testament to his performative power, he’s toured with both his hero Justin Timberlake and young star Camila Cabello, who also joined him for a re-recording of his “Beautiful.” That song combines real romance with sex appeal, and mellow grooves with soaring vocals, and it sounded great when he sang it from the top of a float — and directly into TV viewers’ homes — during the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Bazzi in Concert
Andrew Bazzi grew up in Canton, Michigan, raised by a Lebanese father who instilled in him a love of the lute-like oud instrument at a young age. He would also learn acoustic guitar at home, at the same time shoring up his role as beloved class clown at school. Elvis impressions and improvised songs got Bazzi the most attention, so by 2012 — around the age of 15 — he had begun posting cover songs on YouTube, and in 2014 he convinced his dad to relocate the family to Los Angeles so he could fulfill his dream of becoming a pop star. Inspired by Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake and Bryson Tiller, Bazzi combined old-school ability, pop-R&B swagger and new-school production. That winning mix garnered him a massive fan base, first on Vine (where he had 1.5 million followers), and later more broadly as he self-released original songs like “Beautiful” and “Mine” and watched as they took on lives of their own. The viral success of “Mine” led to a record deal with Atlantic, as well as high-profile tour placements, and of course a full-length debut. Dubbed Cosmic, Bazzi’s 2018 album is full of starry-eyed anthems about making it big and, naturally, making love. His 2019 mixtape follow-up Soul Searching looks more inward but pulls in outsiders like 21 Savage who solidify Bazzi’s rap bona fides.