SoMo

SoMo
Birth name Joseph Anthony Somers-Morales
Born (1987-09-11) September 11, 1987
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Origin Denison, Texas, U.S.
Genres R&B
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • guitar
Years active 2009–present
Labels Republic
Associated acts
Website officialsomo.com

SoMo (born Joseph Anthony Somers-Morales; September 11, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter from Denison, Texas. He began his professional music career in 2011, gaining fame on YouTube with the release of original music and popular cover songs from singers such as Chris Brown, The Weeknd, and Drake.[1] In 2013, he signed a record deal with Republic Records,[2] and released remastered versions of his 2012 mixtape My Life and debut single "Ride".[3] His self-titled debut album SoMo was released on April 8, 2014.

Early life

Early in life, SoMo sang at popular clubs in Austin, Texas with his father. His father was in a jazz rock band called Duck Soup, and as a young child SoMo says his father was not always there for him due to music. Throughout high school he distanced himself from music; however, in 2008, he received a piano from his mother for Christmas and taught himself to play by ear.[4] His stage name "SoMo" is a contraction of his hyphenated last name, Somers-Morales. That's why the M is capitalized. [5] SoMo is ethnically Hispanic, with a mother of Caucasian descent and a Hispanic father.

Career

In 2009, SoMo started recording covers in Denton, Texas. A few years later, after a successful 2011 mash-up of Drake's Take Care,[6] his cover videos were viewed over 200 million times total on YouTube.[7] Throughout 2012, SoMo began to work on original music. His efforts in the studio yielded the independent debut mixtape My Life,[8] merging R&B spirit with pop soul and showcasing his dynamic voice and songwriting powers. The mixtape was released for free on his birthday, September 11, 2013.[6] Simultaneously, he released a new cover video every Sunday as part of his "SoMo Sunday" campaign. The series gained more than 200 million views on YouTube.[9]

Struck by the success of SoMo's independent national tour, Republic Records signed him to a record deal in October 2013. Following the release of his single "Ride" in November 2013, the song peaked at #76 on the Billboard Hot 100.[10] On February 12, 2014, SoMo announced the release date of his self-titled debut album, "SoMo", set for April 8, 2014.[11]

On September 11, 2015, his 28th birthday, SoMo released My Life II, a sequel to his mixtape My Life.

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions, sales and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications Sales
US
[12]		 US R&B
[13]		 US Heatseekers
[14]
My Life
  • Released: November 19, 2013[15]
  • Label: Republic
  • Format: Digital download
 — — 24
SoMo
  • Released: April 8, 2014[16]
  • Label: Republic
  • Format: CD, digital download
 6 2 —
My Life II
  • Released: September 11, 2015
  • Label: Republic
  • Format: Digital download
 50 9 —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[10]		 US R&B
[17]
"Ride" 2013 76 20 SoMo
"Show Off" 2014 — —
"Hush" — —
"Hide & Freak"
(featuring Trey Songz)		 2015 — — My Life II
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Headlining

References

  1. ↑ "Exclusive: R&B Artist SoMo Talks New Record Deal, Hip-Hop Influences & More". TheSource. December 17, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  2. ↑ Republic Records. "Republic Records Artists: SoMo". Republic Records. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Republic Records New Artist, SoMo, Is Ready to Take Listeners For a "Ride"". blog.thenext2shine.com. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  4. ↑ http://officialsomo.com/bio/
  5. ↑ "SoMo: Living in the fastlane on the "Ride" of his life". oregonmusicnews.com. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Republic Records New Artist, SoMo, Is Ready to Take Listeners For a "Ride"". blog.thenext2shine.com. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  7. ↑ "TheMrSoMo Channel". YouTube. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Album: My Life". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Exclusive Interview: Joseph SoMo Debuts "My Life"". freshmusikk.com. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  10. 1 2 "SoMo – Hot 100 Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  11. ↑ "SoMo – Debut Album Announcement". Facebook. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  12. ↑ "SoMo – Billboard 200 Albums Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  13. ↑ "SoMo – Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  14. ↑ "SoMo – Heatseekers Albums Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
  15. ↑ "My Life by SoMo". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  16. ↑ "SoMo by SoMo". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  17. ↑ "SoMo – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Gold & Platinum: SoMo". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 16, 2014.

External links

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