In 2010, his  label turned “Cooler Than Me” into a major worldwide hit and Mike’s major debut album 31 Minutes To Takeoff connected also, but then Mike seemed to consciously disappear as an artist.

He was still writing great songs. He had a string of hits that others performed including Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend”, Emeli Sandé’s “Beneath Your Beautiful”, and Maroon 5’s “Sugar”. Last year at an event of Nick Jonas, Mike unexpectedly jumped on the piano and spontaneously performed two magical songs: the unforgettable “Buried in Detroit” and “I Took a Pill in Ibiza.” It was as if by some mystical energy, everyone ended up singing softly with Mike the refrain of “Ibiza”… “All I know is sad songs, sad songs.”

Sometimes when Mike performs acoustically like this, the world stops. He is naked emotionally to the world, revealing himself with soul, humility, and an exceptional emotional resonance. The real Mike, the passionately committed songwriter and sometimes autobiographer, has crafted an exceptional album which will stand out to music lovers as an outstanding body of work, with perfect lyrics, haunting melodies, the embodiment of his simple truth and his unique voice.

He has come a long way from the hip hop student turned rock star and presents now more closely to a legend like early Elton John and greats such as Neil Young.