Over three increasingly innovative albums, Miguel has offered a 21st-century update on classic psychedelic soul music. Following in the footsteps of pioneers like Marvin Gaye and Sly & the Family Stone, the Los Angeles native — he was raised in the beachfront community of San Pedro — has drawn from funk, rock, punk, dub and the full range of bedroom-focused R&B while ruminating on subjects like love, sex, intimacy, identity and politics. Along the way, he has collaborated with Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and Mariah Carey, among many others, and in 2012, he won a Grammy for Best R&B song for “Adorn.” Now, in the first installment of the new NPR Music documentary series Noteworthy, the singer reveals the secrets behind his creative process.
