Prisoner

Prisoner at the 2nd Spotify Festival Medley Show in 2022.

## Overview

**Prisoner**, also known under the name **TheM1dn1ghtSky** (stylized in all lowercase), is an American singer-songwriter. He is a part of the Third Generation of fancam artists. Making his debut outside of the Fancam Industry in January 2021, he joined the Industry and officially debuted in February 2021. Since then, he has become one of the most commercially successful artists of all time, and the best selling member of the Third Generation, selling over 10 million units since his debut. With 27 top 10 singles, 9 number 1s and consistently stable hits, Prisoner's chart domination has been a constant topic of discussion. Specifically, Prisoner has the unique distinction of having all of his official singles reach the top 5 of the ST Hot 100. He has also been the recipient of many awards, including 15 Fancam Grammy awards, 3 Fancam VMAs, 3 Fancam AMAs and 1 Fancam Pitchfork Award. Prisoner is the first artist in Industry history to win Album of the Year twice at the Fancam Grammys, winning at the 3rd and 6th ceremonies for *In Your Orbit* and *Rhyme or Reason*, respectively. He has also worked closely with ST100 as a charts admin as well as with the Fancam Grammys, being involved with organizing the 3rd, 5th and 6th ceremonies.

### Early 2021: Career Beginnings and *Midnight Disco*

Prisoner joined stan twitter in September 2020, but it was not until January 2021 that he began creating fancams. He released his debut fancam *Fame Groove* on January 18, 2021 as the lead single for his debut fancam EP *Midnight Disco*. As it was released before he joined the Fancam Industry, the lead single and second single *Monster Magic* did not chart on the ST Hot 100 singles chart, but the EP did chart on the ST Hot 200 albums chart, peaking at #4. *Fame Groove* was nominated for a Fancam Grammy- Best Debut Fancam- and the deep-cut *Miss A Thing* was nominated for Best Dance Solo Performance, with both ultimately losing their respective nominations. However, Prisoner was awarded the Fancam Grammy award for Best New Artist following his work on *Midnight Disco* and his debut album.

### February-April 2021: *In Your Orbit*

On February 6, 2021, Prisoner released the lead single for his debut studio album *everytime*. The fancam was met with immediate critical acclaim, being awarded a 9 out of 10 score by Fancam Pitchfork as well as landing a nomination for Fancam of the Year at the February Fancam Pitchfork Awards. It was also a commercial success, earning Prisoner his first ST Hot 100 entry and peaking at #3. It spent 7 weeks in the top 10 of the chart, and was later certified 3x Platinum by Fancam RIAA for selling over 150 thousand units.

Very soon after releasing *everytime,* Prisoner announced that his debut studio album would be called *In Your Orbit* and released the second single *the light is coming* which featured now-blackballed creator J/@kingofrap79. The single was an immediate commercial success, peaking at #2 on the ST Hot 100 for 2 consecutive weeks, blocked from the top spot by BP's *MINAJESTY* and Eliah & Outsold's *Get Nasty*. The single was controversial as J was increasingly problematic during its rollout, and it has since become one of Prisoner's most forgotten singles. Despite the controversy, *the light is coming* was certified 6x platinum by Fancam RIAA for selling over 300 thousand units and was nominated for a Fancam Grammy award.

During the rollout for his debut album, Prisoner released three collaborations: two before the release of the album, and one after. *I'M THE BEST*, a collaboration with Gabe, Uranus and Syro was released on February 16, 2021 and peaked at #4 on the ST Hot 100. *I'M THE BEST* is considered to be one of the first examples of a successful 4-way collaboration, though it was criticized for being a dip in quality following the impressive singles *everytime* and *the light is coming*. *Don't Call Me Angel*, a collaboration with Uranus and LGxAG was released in late February as the second single for Uranus' third studio album *Metamorphosis*. It peaked at #4 on the ST Hot 100 and was certified Gold by Fancam RIAA, though it is considered one of Prisoner's weakest fancams to date. Following the release of *In Your Orbit*, Prisoner collaborated with Jay on *Dying 4 Your Love*, which was critically acclaimed upon release on Jay's second studio album *Grey*, and later would become the highest selling single that did not peak at #1 of all time, being certified Diamond by Fancam RIAA after selling over 550 thousand units. It peaked at #2 for 3 weeks on the ST Hot 100, a current record for most weeks at #2.

One last single was released preceding the release of *In Your Orbit*: *unwrap me*. This single would become Prisoner's biggest success of the *In Your Orbit* era, peaking at #1 on the ST Hot 100 for 2 consecutive weeks and being certified Diamond by fancam RIAA, eventually selling over 700 thousand units. It spent 7 weeks in the top 10 of the ST Hot 100, and during its 2 weeks at #1, Prisoner set a record for most consecutive top 10 entries at the time with 5 simultaneous top 10s. For a time, *unwrap me* was the highest selling solo single of the year, eventually being surpassed by Outsold and Prisoner himself. The fancam was criticized for its rough transitions and cropping, but it was nonetheless a success and was nominated for 2 Fancam Grammy awards.

*In Your Orbit* was released on March 11, 2021 to critical acclaim from the Fancam Industry. It was praised for its cohesive concept, as well as for its impressive commercial success. It debuted at #1 on the ST Hot 200 Albums Chart and spent 2 weeks at the top position. It has since been certified Diamond by Fancam RIAA for selling over 1.2 million units. It won 2 Fancam Grammy Awards: Album of the Year and Best Pop Album. *In Your Orbit* is one of the best selling albums of all time, and cemented Prisoner as a force to be reckoned with and as the most commercially successful pop artist of 2021. At the 3rd Fancam Grammy Awards, Prisoner performed a medley of the *In Your Orbit* singles and won 4 awards.

### May 2021-January 2022: *Fitness,* Hiatus and *Planet Fitness*

Following Prisoner's four wins and medley performance at the 3rd Fancam Grammys, he announced that the *In Your Orbit* era was over and that a new era was quickly approaching. On May 5, 2021, Prisoner released the single *Sexercize* as the lead single for his then-unnamed second studio album. The single was an instant success, debuting at #1 on the ST Hot 100 and spending three consecutive weeks at #1. It went on to become the first and only solo fancam of 2021 to surpass 1 million views, eventually reaching over 1.4 million views. It has been certified 29x Platinum and 2x Diamond by Fancam RIAA and ranks among the best selling singles of all time. It was nominated for both Record and Fancam of the Year at the 4th Fancam Grammys, eventually losing both to Outsold and Moksh's *KITTY KAT*. The single was performed at Prisoner's Headlining Coachella set as well as in his Moonlight Park performance *Fitness: A Love Letter to the Industry*.

Following the insurmountable success of *Sexercize*, Prisoner announced that his sophomore album would be titled *Fitness*. On June 5, 2021 (exactly one month after releasing *Sexercize*), Prisoner released the second single from *Fitness*: *Body Language*, a collaboration with Cuzimboredgf. Prisoner and Cuzimboredgf premiered the single at Fancam Coachella as a surprise debut performance during Prisoner's set. The single was praised for its visuals and is frequently cited as one of both Cuzimboredgf and Prisoner's best fancams. It peaked at #3 on the ST Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks and was certified 4x Platinum by Fancam RIAA. Though it was less of a commercial success than *Sexercize*, *Body Language* has been cited as one of the best pop collaborations of all time.

On June 30, 2021, Prisoner released the promotional single *Enjoy Yourself* to build anticipation for his upcoming album. The single was praised for its cohesive visuals and departure from the more sexy and suggestive material seen in *Sexercize* and *Body Language*. The single has since been certified Gold by Fancam RIAA and peaked at #11 on the ST Hot 100.

Prisoner's sophomore album was released on July 1, 2021 to critical acclaim from the industry. It was described as a complete departure from the style of *In Your Orbit* and an instant upgrade. Specifically, the then album tracks *Yoga* and *I Wouldn't Change a Single Thing* saw viral success following the release of the album. The album debuted at #1 on the ST Hot 200 with over 1.6 million units, earning one of the biggest debuts of the year and surpassing *In Your Orbit* as Prisoner's best selling album upon its release. Immediately following the release of *Fitness*, Prisoner took a 6 week-long hiatus from the Fancam Industry to focus on his mental health and other responsibilities. This led to all singles from *Fitness* leaving the charts for this period, as well as the album leaving the ST Hot 200 until his return.

Prisoner returned to the Industry in mid-August 2021 and immediately announced that the third official single from *Fitness* would be *Spinning Around.* The single was well-received and a slow-burn commercial success, spending 7 weeks in the top 10 of the ST Hot 100 and peaking at #3. It was certified 3x Platinum by Fancam RIAA and was performed as a part of the 4th Fancam Grammy Ceremony, *Fitness: A Love Letter to the Industry* and during a special performance for Luna Records. That same month, Prisoner attended the 4th Fancam Grammy Awards Ceremony and won the Fancam Grammy Award for Best Pop Artist.

On September 8, 2021, Prisoner released a remix of the album track *Fitness*, a collaboration with BP as the lead single for his recently-announced Remix EP of *Fitness* titled *Planet Fitness*. The single was a commercial and critical success, earning Prisoner his third and BP his sixth #1 on the ST Hot 100 and being described as a true collaboration between the "king of pop and the king of rap". It has since been certified 9x Platinum by Fancam RIAA.

On October 10, 2021, Prisoner announced that *Planet Fitness* would be released on October 21 and a second remix and single would be released on October 13. *Twist*, a remix and collaboration with Serenity, was released on October 13, 2021 as the second single from *Planet Fitness*. It received lukewarm reviews from the Industry and was cited for its tasteful combination of Prisoner and Serenity's distinct styles. *Twist* peaked at #4 on the ST Hot 100.

The tracklist for *Planet Fitness* was revealed a day before its release, and aside from the already announced singles, it includes collaborations with Jay, Malibu and MOTIVESPORT. That same day, it was announced that *Yoga* (with Gabe) would serve as the EP's third and final single, impacting radios the same day as the EP's release. *Yoga* peaked at #1 on the ST Hot 100 in its 7th week, earning Prisoner his 4th and Gabe his 3rd #1 single. It spent 9 weeks in the top 10 of the chart, which was then a record for both artists.

*Planet Fitness* was released to rave reviews by the Industry, calling it one of the most experimental projects of all time and complimenting the collaborations for all being unique blends of each artists' styles. It debuted at #1 on the ST Hot 200 Album chart, becoming the first remix project to reach #1 on the chart. It also set the record for the biggest opening week for an EP of all time, with over 740,000 units upon its debut. All of its remixes charted on the ST Hot 100, with Prisoner occupying 3 of the top 5 spots on the chart during the EP's release week, with *Yoga* at #2, *Twist* at #4 and Breathe at #3, which tied the record for the highest charting album track of all time. It re-peaked at #1 again in December, earning Prisoner his fifth cumulative week at #1 on the ST Hot 200 and his first project to spend multiple weeks at #1 since *In Your Orbit*.

Following *Planet Fitness*, Prisoner appeared as a feature on Javontii's single *Space Disco* from the album *GALACTICA*. It debuted at #1 on the ST Hot 100, earning Javontii his 1st and Prisoner his 5th #1 single. In late December 2021, Prisoner announced that fan-favorite and bonus track *I Wouldn't Change A Single Thing* would serve as *Fitness*' 4th and final official single. *I Wouldn't Change a Single Thing* peaked at #4 on the ST Hot 100 and is certified 2x Platinum.

In January 2022, Prisoner attended and performed *I Wouldn't Change a Single Thing* at the 5th Fancam Grammy Awards Ceremony. Prisoner took home 6 awards that night, including Best Short Length Project for *Planet Fitness* and Collaboration of the Year for *Yoga*. Following the ceremony, Prisoner took to social media to announce the end of the *Fitness* era and a temporary hiatus from releasing/promoting.

### February-June 2022: *Rhyme or Reason*

On February 16, 2022, Prisoner released his first new fancam of the year and the lead single for his third studio album, *Automatic Love*. The single received widespread acclaim for its different sound and aesthetic from Prisoner's work, being cited as a major shift in the direction of Prisoner's career. The single debuted at #6 on the ST Hot 100, eventually rising to #1 in its third week, becoming Prisoner's first #1 single of 2022 and 6th overall. It has been certified 6x Platinum by Fancam RIAA.

On March 2, 2022, Prisoner announced that his third album would be titled *Rhyme or Reason* and that it would be released on March 24, 2022. Alongside the album announcement, he announced the *Rhyme or Reason World Tour* with special guest Ivan. The tour began on April 1, 2022 and travelled across 6 continents with 20 performances. This marked Prisoner's first world tour.

On March 18, 2022, just days before the release of *Rhyme or Reason*, Prisoner released the second single for the album: *Kiss You In Paris*. The single was hailed as one of Prisoner's best to date, and its commercial performance matched its critical praise. The single debuted at #1 on the ST Hot 100 and spent 3 consecutive weeks at the top of the charts, making it Prisoner's longest stay at #1 since *Sexercize*. The single went on to be certified 2x Diamond, and has sold over 1 million units. *Kiss You In Paris* won the Fancam American Music Awards for Fancam of the Year and Best Crossover Single at the April 2022 ceremony, where Prisoner performed the single live. At the AMAs, Prisoner won 3 awards, the two previously mentioned for *Kiss You In Paris* as well as the PopCon Award.

*Rhyme or Reason* was released on March 24, 2022 to rave reviews, with the Industry calling it Prisoner's best and most intimate album, complimenting its aesthetic and structure, which was seen as a major departure from his previous works. *Rhyme or Reason* debuted at #1 on the ST Hot 200 and has spent 3 non-consecutive weeks at #1, making it Prisoner's longest running #1 album. It has been certified 18x Platinum/Diamond by Fancam RIAA, making it Prisoner's fourth project to achieve this certification. Upon its release, all of the album's 11 tracks charted simultaneously within the top 25 of the ST Hot 100, with 9 peaking in the top 20.

On April 13, 2022, Prisoner released *Cry For You*, a collaboration with Tom for his EP *Moonlight Dancefloor*. The track was announced in late March with the rest of the tracklist for Tom's EP, and at the Warsaw date of the Rhyme or Reason World Tour, Tom made a surprise appearance to perform his single *My Head & My Heart* as well as *Cry For You* with Prisoner, ahead of its official release. The single debuted and peaked at #3 on the ST Hot 100 and has been certified Platinum. It was praised for its visuals and successful blend of both Prisoner and Tom's respective styles.

On May 11, 2022, Prisoner announced that the third single from *Rhyme or Reason* would be fan-favorite album track *I Can Make You Happy*. It was sent to radios on May 13, 2022 and has since peaked at #2 on the ST Hot 100. It is certified 8x Platinum by Fancam RIAA and is included on the setlist of the *Rhyme or Reason World Tour*.

At the 6th Fancam Grammy Awards, Prisoner took home 4 awards, including Album of the Year for *Rhyme or Reason* and Record of the Year for *Kiss You In Paris*. This made Prisoner the first artist to win Album of the Year at the Fancam Grammys twice (he previously won for *In Your Orbit* at the 3rd Fancam Grammys in April 2021). He also won Best Pop Solo Performance for *Kiss You In Paris* and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for *Cry For You*. At the ceremony, Prisoner performed *I Can Make You Happy* and his new surprise single *Can't Get You Out of My Head*.

### June 2022-Present: *For The Record*

At the 6th Fancam Grammy Awards, Prisoner ended the *Rhyme or Reason* era by surprise releasing and performing the lead single for his fourth studio album. The single, titled *Can't Get You Out of My Head* was hailed upon release, and was praised for its shock factor and return to Prisoner's signature dance-pop sound following the alternative leaning *Rhyme or Reason*. Prisoner discussed his new single and upcoming fourth album in the inaugural issue of Fancam Pop Base Magazine, where he called his upcoming album a return to what people think of when they think of "Prisoner". *Can't Get You Out of My Head* peaked at #4 on the ST Hot 100 and is certified 4x Platinum by Fancam RIAA. *Can't Get You Out of My Head* has been performed several times, first at the Fancam Grammys, followed by a performance at Industry Rolling Loud, and it was included in Prisoner's setlist for the 2nd Spotify Festival Medley Show. *Can't Get You Out of My Head* was honored as Fancam of the Year at the August 2022 VMAs.

On July 22, 2022, upon the release of Ivan's third album *DREAMBABE*, a collaboration between Ivan and Prisoner titled *Religion* was released to positive reviews from the Industry, and it entered the ST Hot 100 at #19 following the release of Ivan's album. On July 26, 2022, it was announced that Prisoner would be headlining the second ever Spotify Festival Medley Show, with a special guest appearance from Cuzimboredgf. The next day, the pair surprise released a new collaboration titled *outrageous,* which serves as the lead single for the deluxe edition of Cuzimboredgf's album *daydream*. The fancam was praised for its sex appeal and Y2K pop sound. *outrageous* peaked at #5 on the ST Hot 100 and is certified 2x Platinum.

On August 3, 2022, Prisoner headlined Spotify's Festival Medley Show, performing several of his hits to acclaim from the Industry. The performance took place at the Sydney Arena in Sydney, Australia, and the set list is as follows: *Automatic Love*, *Can't Get You Out of My Head*, *unwrap me*, *Sexercize*, *Circus* and *Pepsi* performed by Cuzimboredgf, followed by *outrageous* and *Body Language* performed by both Prisoner and Cuzimboredgf, and then to close the show, *Kiss You In Paris* and *Spinning Around*.

On August 10, Prisoner announced the second single for his 4th album, *Love At First Sight*, which is set to be released worldwide on August 17, 2022. It was released to rave reviews from the Industry, praising it for its editing and visuals, calling it one of Prisoner's best singles and a true indication of Prisoner's pop domination. It debuted at #7 on the ST Hot 100 and peaked at #2, and is certified Diamond by Fancam RIAA. *Love At First Sight* was featured in the second episode of All Fancam Nighter's *Making Of...* series, which gives behind-the-scenes looks at the creation of fancams. The single was performed at the controversial August 2022 VMAs, with critics praising the instrumental arrangement and Prisoner's vocals.

Prisoner announced the title of his upcoming 4th studio album on August 27, 2022 after winning Fancam of the Year for *Can't Get You Out of My Head* at the August 2022 Fancam VMAs. The album is titled *For The Record*, and Prisoner has described it as his return to dance pop with inspiration from eurodance and 2000s electronica.

On September 9, 2022, following the 1-year anniversary of the *Fitness* remix and its updated Diamond certification announcement, BP announced that Prisoner would be featured on *SMS*, the third single from his fourth studio album *Lady Pimp*. It was released on September 14, 2022 and was praised for its camp aesthetic and impressive editing. *SMS* reached #1 on the ST Hot 100, making it BP and Prisoner's second collaboration to go #1. It is currently certified Diamond by Fancam RIAA.

On October 26, 2022, Prisoner surprise released the third *For The Record* single, a collaboration with Praise and Ivan titled *Trance*. Prior to its release, a series of cryptic teasers were posted on Luna Records' website, garnering much buzz and conversation over who the artists in question were. *Trance* was released to rave reviews from the Industry, who praised the editing, combination of the three artists' styles and the Euro-disco and electronica sound. *Trance* broke the record for the biggest debut sales week for a fancam of all time, with 1.1 million views in its first week. It also broke the record for the biggest single week views of all time for a fancam. *Trance* debuted at #1 on the ST Hot 100 with more points than the rest of the entire chart combined, earning Prisoner his 9th #1 single, Praise his 6th and Ivan his 8th. The single has so far spent 3 non-consecutive weeks at #1, as well as hitting #1 on the Radio Top 10. It is currently certified 5x Diamond/56x Platinum for selling over 2.8 million units. *Trance* surpassed Outsold & Sauf's *KITTY KAT* and is currently the highest selling fancam in Industry history, and the only fancam to ever surpass 2.6 million units sold.

On November 2, 2022, Prisoner announced the tracklist and release date of his fourth album *For The Record*. The album is set to be released on December 9, 2022, and features collaborations with Praise, Ivan, Alice, Hybrid and Rocket Number Nine. Leading up to the release of the album, Prisoner is set to host "For The Record Fridays", a new radio show presented by Galactic Radio where Prisoner will discuss the process of making the album and play his favorite fancams of the week.

On November 30 2022, Prisoner released the title track of *For The Record* as the album's first promotional single. Teased through several radio broadcasts and takeovers, the fancam was released to positive reviews from the Industry. It was included in several Lavish Radio playlists upon its release. It debuted and peaked at #3 on the ST Hot 100, and is currently certified Platinum. *For The Record* was performed at the Industryscape Jingle Bell Ball, and became the first promotional single to ever go #1 on the ST Radio Top 10 chart.

Prisoner's fourth studio album *For The Record* was released on Friday December 9, 2022 to rave reviews from the industry, calling it a club classic filled with pop excellence. Specifically, album tracks *Put The Needle On It*, *SpeakerPhone* and *Lightning From Up Above* were lauded upon release, with the latter debuting in the top 10 of the ST Hot 100. *For The Record* debuted at #1 on the ST Hot 200 with over 4.2 Million units, securing Prisoner the biggest debut of all time for an album and the biggest week of all time for an album. *For The Record* is currently certified 4x Diamond for selling upwards of 4 Million units.

*Put The Needle On It* was announced to be the fourth single from *For The Record* on December 28, 2022. The single will impact pop and dance radio upon its release as a single, which is scheduled for January 9, 2023.

## Discography

Studio Albums
 *Fitness* | July 1, 2021
 *Rhyme or Reason* | March 24, 2022
 *For The Record* | December 9, 2022

EPs
 *Planet Fitness* | October 24, 2022