Luke Black
Luke Black | |
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Birth name | Luka Ivanović |
Born |
Čačak, FR Yugoslavia | 18 May 1992
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 2014–present |
Labels | Universal |
Website |
lukeblackmusic |
Luka Ivanović (Serbian cyrillic: Лука Ивановић; born 18 May 1992), better known by his stage name Luke Black, is a Serbian singer-songwriter, musician and performer. In early 2015 he signed a recording deal with Universal, became the first solo artist from Serbia to have an exclusive contract with this worldwide music corporation. His debut single D-Generation was released along with a music video in February 2015.[1] D-Generation and another single Holding on to Love is included in Luke's first Extended play Thorns, released on 18 September 2015. [2] Luke Black has the rare privilege to be the only artist from this part of Europe who was featured on a global Instagram platform @music, [3] alongside international mainstream stars like Miley Cyrus, Drake, Foo Fighters, 50 Cent, and many others. [4]
Early life
Luke Black was born in Čačak, Serbia, and he has been making original music for over 12 years. During this time he recorded 7 full-length DIY albums – which were never heard by anyone except for his closest friends. Craving a more turbulent life he moved to Belgrade, where he started studying English language and literature.[5]
Career
Early years
His first public live performance was in May 2014 at the Gruvlend Festival when he presented his single D-Generation for the first time. That's when he was noticed by the representatives of Universal Music Group who called him to their office in Belgrade. He showed up with no demos. Instead sang his heart out at the office, and became the first pop artist in Serbia to get signed by an international major label. Apart from making his music he also does production and direction of his performances and music videos. Looking for his artistic expression, he experiments and tries out new and unexpected forms and styles. Before signing with Universal Music Group, he released single Nebula Lullaby in November 2014, independently via online digital music distribution service Spinnup. Luke Black wrote this song with Kristijan Majić, and the song was recorded over popular VoIP service Skype.
Single D-Generation
Black is the author of the single D-Generation, which was created during the year 2014. The label Gruvlend first digitally released the song, and later the radio stations picked up the song and music editors began putting it on the top charts. At the end of 2014, Radio B92 included D-Generation as a potential candidate for their Single of the Year in their online poll.[6]
D-Generation is a melancholic electropop anthem inspired by the (de)generation of the modern society. As Black himself says in the interview for the Serbian music portal MjuzNews, the song represents the generation D, a society within a society that does not fit in any moods. "D-Generation is proud of the false image they created for themselves, the image which is forced by the rules of the new age in which they grew up. They stay true to that image religiously in order to achieve the feeling of acceptance, even though they don't believe in it."[7]
Together with a young artist Vasilije Vujović (VASSO), Black envisioned the concept for the music video, which follows this single, which was shot during 2014 in Subotica. His premiere of the music video on an international platform Vevo officially announced the collaboration between him and Universal Music Group and his first EP release. The debut single D-Generation was digitally re-released on 24 February worldwide[8] except for US where the release date is 10 March. D-Generation digital re-release includes remastered version of the original single and three remixes by MKDSL, Jan Nemeček and Luminous. Song debuted No. 9 in the Top 20 on the MTV Adria Regional Chart[9] and among the top 50 on the music service Deezer in Serbia. Single also debuted at No. 22 on the Gradski Radio 'Top Chart – Tvoj Hit Na Prvom Mestu.[10]
Single Holding on to Love
The song was created near the end of 2014 and it is published by Universal Music Group. It premiered on 29 May 2015 on Black's official Vevo channel, and it premiered on Radio B92 the same day.[11] On 2 June the song was released in United States, Canada and Mexico.[12]
Holding on to Love is a song full of emotions, interesting beats, phrases and powerful chords. "It is a song about addiction masked in the word 'love'. It does not apply just to your loved one, but anyone or anything you cheris and desire, and it is filled with feeling of guilt because you lost that thing that matters to you"[13]
Discography
Extended plays
- Thorns - EP (Universal Music Group, 2015)
Singles
- "Nebula Lullaby" (Spinnup, independently, 2014)
- "D-Generation" (Universal Music Group, 2015)
- "Holding on to Love" (Universal Music Group, 2015)
Music videos
Title | Year | Director |
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"D-Generation" | 2015 | Vasilije "VASSO" Vujović |
"Holding on to Love" | Filip Mojzeš, Tatjana Krstevski |
References
- ↑ B92.net | Luke Black D-Generation
- ↑ clubber.rs | Luke Black Thorns EP
- ↑ IG @music | Luke Black
- ↑ MTV.rs | Luke Black @music
- ↑ Instagram blog | Serbian pop alchemist Luke Black
- ↑ Radio B92 | Nomination for single 2014
- ↑ MjuzNews | Luke Black: Interview
- ↑ UMG France | Luke Black
- ↑ MTV Adria | Regional Chart
- ↑ Gradski Radio | Top Chart – Tvoj Hit Na Prvom Mestu
- ↑ B92 net | Luke Black has a new singl
- ↑ Elle.rs | Luke Black: Novo ime na domaćoj muzičkoj sceni koje zvuči SVETSKI!
- ↑ MjuzNews | Izašao Luke Black – "Holding on to Love"