Mike Posner

**Michael Robert Henrion Posner** ( ; born February 12, 1988) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, poet, and record producer. He was born in Detroit, Michigan. He signed with J Records in 2009. His debut single, "Cooler Than Me," was released the following year. The song peaked at number six on the _Billboard_ Hot 100. It received septuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His follow-up single was "Please Don't Go." It peaked in the top 20 of the chart. The song received triple platinum certification. Both songs preceded his debut album, _31 Minutes to Takeoff_ (2010). It peaked at number 12 on the _Billboard_ 200. Yet, the album received mixed critical reception. In 2014, Posner parted ways with J Records. He then signed with Island Records.

In 2015, Posner's song "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" received a tropical house remix. It was done by Norwegian electronic music group Seeb. The remix peaked in the top ten in 27 countries. It reached the top five of the _Billboard_ Hot 100. This success led to the release of his second studio album, _At Night, Alone_ (2016). The album peaked at number eight on the _Billboard_ 200. It received a positive critical reception. His third album, _A Real Good Kid_ was released in 2019. A fourth album, _Operation: Wake Up_ (2020), was released with no announcement. Both albums were met with continued praise. Despite this, both of them failed to chart.

Along with his recording career, he has worked as a record producer and songwriter. Acts he has worked with are Justin Bieber, Big Sean, Maroon 5, Iggy Azalea, Big Time Rush, Austin Mahone, Nick Jonas, Cher Lloyd, and Labrinth. He co-wrote "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber and "Sugar" by Maroon 5, among others. In 2017, Posner released his first book of poetry, _Tear Drops & Balloons_. He is also one-half of alternative hip-hop duo Mansionz. The other half is Floridian rapper blackbear.

## Early life

Michael Robert Henrion Posner was born on February 12, 1988, in Detroit. He grew up in Southfield, a northern suburb of Detroit. Posner attended Bingham Farms Elementary School, Berkshire Middle School, and graduated from Groves High School. There, he ran on the varsity track and cross-country teams. He attended Duke University. There, he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. He graduated with a B.A. degree in sociology. His final GPA was a 3.6.

His father, Jon, was a Jewish criminal defense lawyer. He died on January 11, 2017. His mother, Roberta Henrion, is Catholic.  His sister, Emily Henrion Posner, is six years older. She is a civil rights attorney.

### Musical style

Posner said, in an interview with _Digital Spy_, that he "grew up a hip-hop kid doing mix-tapes." Critics have described his early work as "pop-rap songs for the college crowd." He was often compared to fellow American rapper Asher Roth. This was because they shared themes of fraternity culture, dorm life, and young adulthood. Posner began to expand his sound on his debut mixtape, _A Matter of Time_. It used samples, interpolations, and guest rappers (such as Big Sean). Yet, there are electropop and R&B elements. This hinted at the direction he took on his debut album, _31 Minutes to Takeoff_.

Most of Mike Posner's albums are electropop or folk-pop. _31 Minutes to Takeoff_ falls into the first category. The lead single, "Cooler Than Me", best exemplifies this. The second single, "Please Don't Go," combines this sound with hip-hop and trance. Much of the album also has an R&B feel. Jody Rosen of _Rolling Stone_ said he was pioneering a new genre: "frat-house R&B." Other critics compared him to Akon, Chris Brown, Elliott Yamin, Ne-Yo and especially Justin Timberlake. Despite this, Posner stuck to his hip-hop roots on his following mixtapes. _Keep Going_ is conscious hip-hop, specifically.

Posner's cancelled second album, _Sky High_, was intended to bring him further into R&B. This is evident in Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend" and Maroon 5's "Sugar." Both songs were originally meant for the album. Instead, he stripped down his sound on his actual second album, _At Night, Alone_. Posner said he was "trying to do country and it comes out weird and different." Matt Collar of AllMusic noted it expanded his folk and indie pop sound. This was started on his prior EP, _The Truth_. The lead single from both records, "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" exemplifies this. However, the version that charted was a tropical house remix.

His subsequent albums continue to experiment in the pop genre. Ella Chochrek of _Student Life_ said his third album, _A Real Good Kid_, is "a therapy session in an alt-pop package." Andrew Leahey of AllMusic noted his fifth studio album, _The Begenning_, embraced a "folk- and psych-pop-influenced style." This can be heard on the singles, "I'm Not Dead Yet," "Beautiful Day," and "Is It Just Me." Posner has also shown an interest in rock. In particular, "Jade," has been described as folk punk and power pop. Chris DeVille of Stereogum felt his career arc coincided with EDM entering a "soft-rock phase."

## Discography

- _31 Minutes to Takeoff_ (2010)
- _At Night, Alone_ (2016)
- _A Real Good Kid_ (2019)
- _Operation: Wake Up_ (2020)
- _The Beginning_ (2025)

## Concert tours

**Headlining**
- Warped Tour (2010)
- Up in the Air Tour (2010)
- The Layover Tour (2011–12)
- Unplugged Tour (2014)
- The Legendary Mike Posner Band Tour (2015–17)

**Promotional**
- European Tour (2011)
- MTVU VMA Tour (2011)

**Opening act**
- Believe Tour  (2013)
- Warrior Tour  (2013)
- Future Now Tour  (2016)

## Awards and nominations

|Year|Award|Category|Nominee|Result|Ref.|||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|rowspan=2|2010|Z Awards|Best New Artist|rowspan=2|Himself|||
|MTV Europe Music Awards|Best Push Act|||||||
|rowspan="2"|2016|MTV Video Music Award|Best Electronic Video|rowspan="5"|"I Took a Pill in Ibiza"|||
|MTV Europe Music Awards|Best Song|||||||
|rowspan="3"|2017|Grammy Awards|Song of the Year|||||
|rowspan=2|iHeartRadio Music Awards|Dance Song of the Year||rowspan=2||||
|Best Music Video||||||||

## Infobox (musical artist)

- **name**: Mike Posner
- **image**: Mike-Posner B96 Summerbash 2012-06-16.jpg
- **caption**: Posner at the B96 Pepsi SummerBash in 2012
- **birth name**: Michael Robert Henrion Posner
- **birth place**: Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
- **origin**: Southfield, Michigan, Southfield, Michigan, U.S.
- **years active**: 2007–present