A singer and songwriter whose soulful electronic pop is tinged with '70s melodic pop inspirations,
Julian Perretta drew comparisons to
Mika when he arrived on the London music scene in the mid-2000s. He made his full-length debut with 2010's Stitch Me Up. The more collaborative, dance-oriented Karma arrived in 2016.
Born in London in 1989,
Perretta began playing
Beatles songs on the guitar with his father at the age of eight before switching to the piano. After briefly studying Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he joined
Mark Ronson on his European tour, performing the producer's interpretation of
the Smiths' classic "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before." A year later, he supported
Beyoncé and
Girls Aloud on their arena tours, was championed on
Perez Hilton's influential blog, and signed a deal with Universal Music.
Perretta's debut album, 2010's Stitch Me Up, was recorded with former
Jamiroquai members
Matt Johnson and
Rob Harris, and reached number 30 in France, where
Perretta now lives. In 2014, he collaborated with
Dimitri Vegas and
Like Mike on the viral single "Body Talk." The trio got back together a year later, adding
Fedde Le Grand to the mix for "Tales of Tomorrow." After moving to Warner,
Perretta returned with his sophomore album, 2016's Karma. Featuring the French Top Five single "Miracle," it climbed to number 25 on the album chart. He issued the single "Private Dancer," a collaboration with
Feder, in 2017, and hit the French Top 20 with the 2018 single "On the Line." ~ Marcy Donelson & Jon O'Brien