Paul Jarbro

**Sir Paul Alexander Jarbro**, **SKR** (born 17 March 1988) is a Reshan singer, songwriter, model, and dancer. Born and raised in Emilet, Jarbro first began his career at age 16 as a professional male model. When he was 18, he began performing as a dancer in music videos and concerts, before signing a recording contract with LittleLight Records and Asmer Music Resha in 2008. Jarbro's debut single, "Good Lovin'", was released in November 2008 and became his first number-one hit in his home country. His debut studio album, *Still Unbroken*, released the following year, hit number-one in thirteen countries and solidified Jarbro as a teen icon.

Jarbro's second studio album, *Hold My Hand*, was released in May 2011. The album sold over 10 million copies internationally, becoming one of the best-selling Pravian albums of all-time. He has went on to release three subsequent albums; *Every Little Step* (2013), *4* (2014), and *From the Darkness* (2016). Over time, Jarbro's style and image have changed drastically. After beginning his music career in 2008, Jarbro was often categorized as performing teen pop and R&B, a label he later announced he hated. His second studio album followed the same pattern, also incorporating dance music. His third release saw a heavy influence from the music of the 1980s, such as new jack swing and synthpop, while his recent releases have seen a shift towards alternative R&B and electronic music.

Jarbro has been dubbed the "Prince of Reshan Pop", the "Reshan R&B Prince", and a teen icon. Internationally, he is one of the best-selling Reshan artists of all-time, and the best-selling Reshan musician of the 2010s. In 2015, he was granted the title Sir Commander of the Kingdom of Resha, by Queen Sabina.

## Life and career

### Early life and education

Jarbro was born in Emilet to parents Arnold Jarbro and Kristine Kammermann. Arnold owns and operates a small movie theatre in Emilet, while Kristine works as a secretary in a law office. As a child, he recalls listening to R&B and dance music from the 1980s and 90s. He grew up in a working-class family with one older sister, Karina. When he was thirteen years old, his parents divorced and he was subsequently raised by his mother, seeing his father every other weekend. In 2005, his mother remarried and he has two stepbrothers and a stepsister.

Jarbro first showed interest in music when he asked to sign up for dance classes at age three. His mother then signed him up for a hip hop class, where he was the only boy in his class. By age eight, Jarbro had taken classes in hip hop, ballet, jazz, ballroom, and Reshan folk dance. He recalls being teased by classmates at school for dancing, and that he would be called "gay" and a "faggot" because of his love for music. Jarbro first began singing at age 12, after he began taking part in musical theatre. In a 2013 interview, he stated, "From that point on I stopped seeing myself as solely a dancer, and instead as a performer".

Jarbro attended a public elementary school, which he graduated from in 2004. After graduating, he began studying a history program at a gymnasium, where he aspired to become a history teacher. He dropped out of gymnasium in 2005 to further his career.

### 2004–2009: Breakthrough and *Still Unbroken*

In 2004, Jarbro was discovered by a modeling scout while walking the family dog at a local park. He later signed to an agency and began modeling professionally. He was forced to drop out of high school in 2005 due to his demanding schedule of traveling back and forth between his hometown of Emilet and Hederhelm, where most of his jobs were located. In 2006, Jarbro began performing as a professional dancer in music videos and live concerts. In 2007, he began choreographing shows for musicians, something which he has continued doing long into his career. The following year, he signed a recording contract with LittleLight Records and Asmer Music Resha, and began working on solo music.

In 2008, Jarbro released his debut single, "Good Lovin'". The song took heavy influence from R&B music from the 1990s, and was also inspired by synthpop. "Good Lovin'" became his breakout hit internationally, becoming his first number-one hit in Resha and reaching the top forty in fourteen other countries. His debut studio album, *Still Unbroken*, was released the following year and hit number-one in thirteen countries, solidifying Jarbro as a teen icon. Following the success of "Good Lovin'" and *Still Unbroken*, Jarbro went on the *Still Unbroken International Tour* in 2009.

### 2009–2011: *Hold My Hand*

While on tour for *Still Unbroken*, Jarbro became dissatisfied with the music he was putting out and his reputation as a "cookie-cutter" teen idol. However, his record label refused to give him any more creative control and Jarbro reluctantly agreed to continue with the image that he created during the *Still Unbroken* era.

In 2010, he released the lead single to his upcoming sophomore release, "Forget You". The song was once again R&B in style, but also had strong influences from soul, pop, and doo-wop music. It became a massive hit, reaching number-one in twenty two countries and further solidifying Jarbro as an international sensation. The album, *Hold My Hand*, was later released in May the following year. In addition to the R&B sound, it also featured a strong influence from dance music as seen on the singles "Bright Lights (In the Big City)" and "Hold My Hand", which both became top ten hits in Resha. The album sold over 10 million copies internationally, becoming one of the best-selling Pravian albums of all-time. He promoted the album with the *Hold My Hand Tour*, performing show in every Pravian nation.

### 2011–2014: Career maturity and *Every Little Step*

Following the success of *Hold My Hand*, Jarbro's record label gave him creative control over his third studio album, something that he had been pushing for for years prior. Jarbro later confirmed that the music featured on his upcoming release would be a "heavy departure" from the music released on his first two albums. Jarbro began writing for his third studio album while on tour, and became heavily influenced by the 1980s and 90s R&B and dance music he listened to as a child, especially new jack swing.

The album's lead single, "Every Little Step", was released in 2013. The song was a smash success, peaking at number-one in sixteen countries throughout Pravia, including Resha. The song was also noted for its simple and retro music video, which featured Jarbro performing an elaborate dance routine while dressed in 80s garb. After the success of its lead single, the album of the same name was released later that year. Much like its lead single, the album became a smash hit, becoming his best-selling album of all-time in Resha. It became noted for its 80s aesthetics and lo-fi production, something unusual for a Reshan pop artist. The album was also critically acclaimed and cemented Jarbro as both a Reshan icon and a respectable musician in his own right. He supported the album with the *Every Little Step Tour*, which became one of the best-selling Reshan concert tours of all-time.

### 2014–2015: *4*

In 2014, Jarbro revealed that he'd be releasing another album before the end of the year including songs that were cut from *Every Little Step* and new songs written while on tour. He later revealed that a majority of the songs recorded for *Every Little Step* had been cut from the upcoming album, and that it would largely consist of newly recorded music.

During summer 2014, he released the lead single to his upcoming studio album, "Cold Water". The song saw a departure from the 1980s R&B and dance featured in his previous album, and instead incorporated electronic music and EDM. Nevertheless, the song was still a large success and became a top ten hit throughout Pravia. The song's parent album, *4*, was released later that year. Like its lead single, it became a success, and Jarbro went on the *4 Tour*, visiting Resha, East Resha, Kypa, Titovania, Zornia, Berats, and the Velkanian Isles.

### 2015–present: *From the Darkness*

Jarbro began writing music for his fifth studio album while on the *4 Tour*. He later revealed in an interview that the music on his upcoming release would share similarities with *4*, but would also feature a stronger influence from the music that influenced *Every Little Step*.

Jarbro released the album's lead single, "Right Here", during summer 2016. The song was heavily electronic in style, but also had strong influences from 90s R&B and deep house. It went on to become a top ten hit throughout Pravia. Also in 2016, Jarbro was named the "Sexiest Man in Resha" by Reshan entertainment magazine *Entertainment Resha*. He released his fifth studio album, *From the Darkness*, in autumn 2016, which went on to become a chart topping success throughout Pravia. He promoted the album with the *From the Darkness Tour*.

## Personal life

During his early career, it was heavily speculated that Jarbro was secretly gay. The rumors began circling after his debut in 2008, and continued until he addressed them in 2010, stating, "I'm not gay, if I was you would know". In 2013, he revealed that he had experimented with men during his teenage years, but does not identify as gay or bisexual, stating, "I tried it out but I realized I wasn't into it".

In 2011, it was confirmed that he was in a relationship with Reshan model and actress Elina Brusarmann. The following year, *Entertainment Resha* magazine named them the "Cutest Celebrity Couple of 2012". Jarbro and Brusarmann became engaged in 2013, and were married later that year in their hometown of Emilet. On 17 December 2014, Brusarmann gave birth to their first child together: Ola Uljana Jarbro. The family resides in the Lagner borough of Hederhelm, while they also own property in Emilet and a beach house in Rosa.

## Discography

*Main article: Paul Jarbro discography.*

* *Still Unbroken* (2009)
* *Hold My Hand* (2011)
* *Every Little Step* (2013)
* *4* (2014)
* *From the Darkness* (2016)