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Aloe Blacc is working his way to the top. His single “The Man” is featured in commercials for Beats by Dre, which the advertisements say enable you to “hear what you want.” Based on his growing popularity, Blacc’s music is just that.
Blacc released “Lift Your Spirit,” his major label debut through Interscope Records, in October. On Tuesday, it will drop in the U.S. It features his hit single “The Man,” which has reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hip-Hop and Rhythm and Blues charts. Blacc performed as pregame entertainment for the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 16 in New Orleans and performed the national anthem at NASCAR’s Daytona 500 on Feb. 23.
For Blacc, 2013 was big. He wrote the hit song “Wake Me Up” with Swedish DJ Avicii. The song topped charts in more than 100 countries. The Guardian reported the song became the fastest selling single in the UK, selling 267,000 copies in its first week. The song also gave Blacc success in the United States, as it reached No. 1 on the Mainstream Top 40, Adult Top 40 and Dance and Electronic Billboard charts. However, the song didn’t credit Aloe Blacc; radio stations said the song was by Avicii.
Blacc released his album “Good Things” in September 2010. “Good Things” included the single “I Need a Dollar,” which helped the California native gain international recognition. The song topped R&B charts in Belgium, Israel and the UK. The track also was featured in the video game “Fight Night Champion.” However, it failed to chart in the United States.
Blacc is not new to the music game. He first appeared as a rapper in Emanon in the early 1990s, releasing an EP, a mixtape and three albums. In July 2006, Blacc released his first full-length album under his new name. “Shine Through” was very heavily soul influenced, which stuck with Blacc for the remainder of his music career.
While it might have taken Blacc a little bit of time to gain recognition in the U.S., he is now living up to his lyrics, proving that he is “The Man.”
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