Wikipedia

AJ Mitchell

(Redirected from Hopeful (EP))

Aaron Fredrick "AJ" Mitchell Jr. (born May 17, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He gained a following in 2017 after posting clips of himself singing his original songs and performing covers on YouTube and Instagram. His first independent single, "Used To Be", was written by Mitchell at age 13 and has over 100 million streams.[2]

AJ Mitchell
AJ Mitchell performing at the December 2019 93.3 FLZ Jingle Ball
AJ Mitchell performing at the December 2019 93.3 FLZ Jingle Ball
Background information
Birth nameAaron Fredrick Mitchell Jr.
Born (2001-05-17) May 17, 2001 (age 23)
Belleville, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active2015–present
Websiteajmitchellmusic.com

Mitchell has four songs that have reached the Top 40 on the US radio charts, the July 2018 release "Girls", which reached No. 39,[3] the March 2019 release "All My Friends", which reached No. 24,[4] "Slow Dance" (featuring Ava Max), which reached No. 28,[5] and "Stop" from his debut studio album Skyview (2021), which reached No. 33.[6]

Early life

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AJ Mitchell was born in Belleville, Illinois on May 17, 2001.[7] His mother, Allison Mitchell, is a small business owner and his father, Aaron Fredrick Mitchell Sr, is a traveling nurse. AJ is the couple's only son and youngest child, after their daughters Andrea and Addison (Addy).

Mitchell began piano lessons at 4, inspired by his father, who was also learning to play piano and write songs. Mitchell attended Belleville West High School, where he played on the football team and sang in the school choir.[2]

Career

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2015–2016: Career beginnings

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By 13, Mitchell began performing at local open-mic nights in his hometown and posting covers on YouTube and Instagram, which helped him gain a significant following.[2] Mitchell's social media fan base helped him capture the attention of the LA-based artist manager Mike Spitz whom Mitchell has worked with since 2015.

Mitchell's videos on social media granted him an opportunity to relocate to Los Angeles in 2015 to collaborate with internet marketing agency Team 10. After a brief period together, Mitchell left the group to focus his energy entirely on music.[8]

2017–2018: Hopeful

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In 2017, Mitchell released his first independent single "Used to Be", a song he wrote at age 13. The song was produced by hip-hop producer and engineer Mike Dean. "Used to Be" has now gained over 150 million streams.

After departing the social media group, Mitchell received interest from many different record labels but eventually decided to sign with Epic Records. He inked his first major deal with the label in February 2018.

Mitchell's first studio EP with Epic, Hopeful, was released in July 2018. Its lead single "Girls", co-written by Mitchell and Romans, reached No. 39 on the US Mediabase pop radio chart.[3] In November 2018, Billboard and Vevo named Mitchell one of the top 19 artists to watch in 2019.[9]

Epic Records CEO Sylvia Rhone referred to Mitchell's music as "exciting things to come", when discussing the growing talent roster at the record label.[10]

In 2018, Mitchell collaborated with Bay Area R&B singer-songwriter Marteen for the song "No Plans". Marteen later joined Mitchell in a support slot on the following year's 2019 Hopeful Tour.

2019–2022: Slow Dance and Skyview

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In May 2019, Mitchell collaborated with songwriting duo Teamwork and Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt on the song "After Hours".[11][12]

In June 2019, Mitchell signed a new joint deal with Insanity Records,[13] a subsidiary to Sony Music.[14]

On August 23, 2019, Mitchell released his second EP Slow Dance, which includes his singles "Talk So Much", "Move On", and the title track featuring American singer Ava Max.[15]

Mitchell's debut studio album Skyview was released in October 2021 and includes the singles "Used to Be", "Slow Dance", "Cameras On", and "Stop".[16]

2023–present: As Far as the Eye Can See

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Mitchell released a new single "Passionate" in December 2023, followed by "Foolish" and "Flowers on the Moon" in early 2024.[17][18][19] His second album titled As Far as the Eye Can See was originally scheduled for release in May 2024 and a North American tour was announced.[20] However, on May 25, 2024, Mitchell announced that he had parted ways with his record label and postponed the album and tour.[21]

Influences

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Mitchell cites a wide variety of music as influential to his songwriting style, regularly noting his admiration of artists like Bruno Mars and Lil Wayne.[22]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Title Details
Skyview
As Far as the Eye Can See
  • Scheduled: January 24, 2025[24]
  • Label: Vol I
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays

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Title Details
Hopeful
  • Released: July 20, 2018[25]
  • Label: Epic
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Slow Dance
  • Released: August 23, 2019[15]
  • Label: Epic
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

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As lead artist

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List of singles as lead artist, showing year released, selected chart positions, certifications and album details
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
Pop
[26]
"Somebody"[27] 2018 — Non-album single
"Used to Be"[28] — Skyview
"Mind"[29] — Non-album single
"Girls"[30] — Hopeful
"No Plans"
(featuring Marteen)[31] 		— Non-album singles
"All My Friends"[32] 2019 24
"Talk So Much"[33] — Slow Dance
"Afterhours"
(with Teamwork and Nina Nesbitt)[34] 		— Non-album singles
"Without You Now"
(with Digital Farm Animals)[35] 		—
"Move On"[36] — Slow Dance
"Slow Dance"
(featuring Ava Max) 		28 Slow Dance and Skyview
"Down in Flames"[38] — Non-album singles
"Like Strangers Do"[39] —
"Say It Again"[40] —
"Unstoppable"[41] —
"Spring Break"
(featuring Rich the Kid)[42] 		2020 —
"Burn"[43] —
"Blame It on the Mistletoe"
(with Ella Henderson) 		—
"Cameras On"[44] 2021 — Skyview
"Stop"[45] 33
"Growing Pains"[46] — Non-album singles
"One More Fight"[47] —
"Passionate"[17] 2023 — As Far as the Eye Can See
"Foolish"[18] 2024 —
"Flowers on the Moon"[19] —
"One on One" —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released.
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List of singles as featured artist, showing year released, selected chart positions and album details
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
Dance
[48]
"Imagine"[49]
(Steve Aoki and Frank Walker featuring AJ Mitchell) 		2020 42 Non-album singles
"Stuck in My Head"[50]
(Captain Cuts featuring AJ Mitchell) 		—
"Hate You + Love You"
(Cheat Codes featuring AJ Mitchell) 		2021 11 Hellraisers, Pt. 1
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released.

Guest appearances

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List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
Title Year Other artist(s) Album
"After You" 2020 Meghan Trainor Treat Myself

Tours

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References

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  1. ^ none, Kevin (August 26, 2018). "From Hopes to Reality: AJ Mitchell's Path to Fulfilling a Lifelong Dream". pop-culturalist.com. Pop Culturalist. Retrieved August 10, 2022. Pop R&B singer-songwriter AJ Mitchell is having the time of his life.
  2. ^ a b c Maddox, Teri (May 3, 2019). "Is a former Belleville teen headed for singing stardom? His L.A. manager says 'yes'". Belleville News Democrat.
  3. ^ a b "AJ Mitchell's "Girls" Enters Top 40 at Pop Radio". Headline Planet. November 25, 2018.
  4. ^ "Billie Eilish, Bryce Vine, AJ Mitchell Songs Make Top 25 at Pop Radio". Headline Planet. May 12, 2019.
  5. ^ "Songs By Ariana, Miley & Lana, Maroon 5, AJ Mitchell & Ava Max Reach Top 40 At Pop Radio". Headline Planet. September 22, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  6. ^ "AJ Mitchell". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  7. ^ "AJ Mitchell | Biography". AllMusic.
  8. ^ "AJ Mitchell Talks Breakout Single 'All My Friends' & Plans for His 'More Mature' Debut Album: 'It's So Personal'". Billboard.
  9. ^ "Billboard Reteams With Vevo to Announce 2019 DSCVR Artists To Watch List: Exclusive". Billboard. November 15, 2018.
  10. ^ Halperin, Shirley (May 2, 2019). "Epic Records Chairman Sylvia Rhone: 'It's a Watershed Moment for Black Culture'". Variety.
  11. ^ "AJ MITCHELL & NINA NESBITT LIGHT UP SUMMER WITH JOINT SINGLE "AFTER HOURS" PRODUCED BY TEAMWORK". Epic Records. May 10, 2019. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  12. ^ "Afterhours – Single by teamwork, Nina Nesbitt & AJ Mitchell" – via music.apple.com.
  13. ^ "AJ Mitchell". Insanity Records. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  14. ^ "AJ Mitchell". Sony Music UK. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Slow Dance – EP by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  16. ^ "AJ Mitchell continues to cement his rise with electric new single "Stop"". Sony Music. April 9, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  17. ^ a b "AJ Mitchell Shares New Single 'Passionate'". Clash Music. December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  18. ^ a b "AJ Mitchell Feels 'Foolish' On Personal New Song". 94.1. January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Flowers on the Moon – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  20. ^ "Illinois budding star AJ Mitchell announces 2024 The Afatecs North American Tour". GRUNGECAKE™. March 11, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  21. ^ Mitchell, AJ (May 25, 2024). "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  22. ^ "AJ Mitchell | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  23. ^ "SKYVIEW by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  24. ^ "As Far As The Eye Can See by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music NZ. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  25. ^ "Hopeful – EP by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. July 20, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  26. ^ "AJ Mitchell Chart History: Pop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  27. ^ "Somebody – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. May 20, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  28. ^ "Used To Be – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. May 25, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  29. ^ "Mind – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. May 25, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  30. ^ AJ Mitchell- Girls on YouTube
  31. ^ "No Plans (feat. Marteen) – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. December 14, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  32. ^ "All My Friends – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. March 1, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  33. ^ "Talk So Much – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. 2019. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  34. ^ "Afterhours – Single by teamwork, Nina Nesbitt & AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. May 10, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  35. ^ "Without You Now – Single by Digital Farm Animals & AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. June 28, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  36. ^ "Move On – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. 2019. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  37. ^ "American certifications – AJ Mitchell". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  38. ^ "Down in Flames – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. September 20, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  39. ^ "Like Strangers Do – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  40. ^ "Say It Again – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. November 8, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  41. ^ "Unstoppable – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. November 22, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  42. ^ "Spring Break (feat. Rich the Kid) – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. March 6, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  43. ^ "Burn – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music US. June 12, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  44. ^ "Cameras On Pre-Save". Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  45. ^ "AJ Mitchell STOP Pre-Save". Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  46. ^ "Growing Pains – Single by AJ Mitchell on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  47. ^ "AJ Mitchell "One More Fight" Pre-Save". Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  48. ^ "AJ Mitchell Chart History: Dance/Electronic Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  49. ^ "Imagine (feat. AJ Mitchell) - Single by Steve Aoki & Frank Walker". Apple Music. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  50. ^ "Stuck in My Head (feat. AJ Mitchell) - Single by Captain Cuts". Apple Music. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  51. ^ "AJ Mitchell to Headline 2019 'Hopeful' Tour". Tiger Beat. November 17, 2018.
  52. ^ "AJ Mitchell announces winter headline tour". Epic Records. November 16, 2018. Archived from the original on February 8, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
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