Thousands of artists put new music out every day, but don’t get the same attention as big artists like Taylor Swift or Harry Styles. Now, this doesn’t mean they’re bad; unfortunately, there are countless small artists who don’t get the recognition they deserve. There are so many undiscovered talented artists who deserve the spotlight just as much as any other big pop star. A new up-and-coming artist who deserves attention is 21-year-old singer-songwriter, Michael Stolar.
Stolar, originally from a small suburb outside of Cleveland, made the jump to the big apple in 2021 to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a famous singer. From a young age, Stolar would record and upload videos of himself singing and post them on YouTube. He would also perform for his grade school talent show each year, showcasing his talent and love for singing. His all-time favorite song to cover was “King of Anything” by Sara Bareilles.
In high school, Stolar continued to navigate his passion for singing through the theater and joining an acappella group through his school. During his high school years, Stolar’s talent grew immensely, as well as his songwriting. He became a force to be reckoned with.
When it was time to decide his plans for college, he was hesitant. He wasn’t too keen on the idea of attending college, since he knew what he wanted: fame. However, with plans for his future still up in the air, he committed to one of Nashville’s best schools for rising talent: Belmont University. There, he studied music and also joined the school’s acappella group, “Prismatics.”
After fulfilling his freshman year, he knew it was time for a change. A big one. With the support of his friends and family, Stolar dropped out of college and headed for New York City to live out his dreams. He knew it was no easy feat, but he was determined to try.
And that leads us to today, in 2023. Stolar released his first song off of his upcoming EP, “8 Ball” on April 28. With this song being the first of many off his first EP, Stolar’s music encapsulates the trials and tribulations of dropping out of college, moving to New York and trying to pursue his dreams. When Stolar isn’t working as a server and bartender to pay the bills, he is working to create the life he wants by recording music.
“8 Ball is a song about one of the biggest choices I ever made in my life: to drop out of school. I use a game of pool to represent finishing college and the song talks about the difficulty of leaving something behind that didn’t necessarily feel wrong, but never felt completely right. It symbolizes the decisive nature of man and we love (and gain) in the process of changing our direction.” Stolar said.
Stolar’s continued drive and motivation has been unmatched, letting nothing stand in his way. With his wide range of vocals and incredibly heart-wrenching and genius lyricism, Stolar is bound to make it big time.
Stolar’s next single comes out May 26, and the EP will be released June 30. Follow Stolar on Instagram, @michaelstolar, and check him out on Spotify, Apple Music and all other streaming platforms!