Bakar (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bakar
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Bakar performs live in Reading, 2022
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr |
| Born | 12 February 1992 Camden Town, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Labels | Black Butter |
Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr (born 12 February 1992), who is known by his stage name Bakar, is an English singer and songwriter. He is famous for his creative and unique indie rock style. He first became known for his mixtape Badkid in 2018.
Bakar's most famous song is "Hell n Back", which he released in 2019. He has released two albums. His first album, Nobody's Home, came out on February 25, 2022. His second album, Halo, was released on September 22, 2023.
Early Life and Background
Bakar grew up in Camden, a neighborhood in North London. He went to a local state school before his mother sent him to a boarding school in Surrey. His family background is from Yemen and Tanzania.
Bakar has said that moving outside of London helped him discover new types of music. This experience influenced his own musical style.
Music Career
2015–2017: Starting on SoundCloud
Bakar started making music in 2015. He would take samples from songs by bands like Bombay Bicycle Club and King Krule and mix them into new tracks. He posted these early songs on a secret SoundCloud account.
In March 2017, he officially released his first single, "Big Dreams." The song became very popular in 2018 after it was included in the video game FIFA 19. He also performed his song "Scott Free" for the online music show ColorsxStudios.
2018: The Badkid Mixtape
In 2018, Bakar released the single "Million Miles" and announced his first major project, a mixtape called Badkid. A mixtape is a collection of songs, similar to an album. He performed at music festivals like Live at Leeds, where the magazine NME called him an "electrifying performer."
Badkid was released on May 22, 2018. To celebrate, he performed a sold-out show in London. He then went on a tour across the United Kingdom.
2019–2020: The Success of "Hell n Back"
In 2019, Bakar signed with the record label Black Butter Records. That August, he released the song "Hell n Back". The song became a "sleeper hit", which means it became popular a long time after it was first released. It reached number one on the Triple A chart in the United States. "Hell n Back" was also very popular in Australia.
The song was part of an EP called Will You Be My Yellow?, which came out on September 20, 2019. The EP also included the track "Stop Selling...", which featured the American musician Dominic Fike.
In December 2019, "Hell n Back" was used in an advertisement for Arsenal F.C. and Adidas. The ad highlighted the lyric "Will you be my yellow?" from the song.
2020–Present: Albums and Major Performances
In 2021, Bakar performed his song "The Mission" on the American TV show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. His first full album, Nobody's Home, was released in 2022 and was a success in the United Kingdom.
The song "Hell n Back" continued to be popular. It was used in the trailer for the 2023 Pixar movie Elemental. In April 2023, Bakar performed at the famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Bakar released his second album, Halo, on September 22, 2023.
Musical Style and Other Work
Bakar has said that his musical influences include the producer Madlib and the band Foals. He describes his music as a mix of different styles. The website Ones to Watch called his sound a "melting pot of indie, rap, rock, and punk."
Besides music, Bakar has also worked as a model. He has walked in fashion shows for the famous brand Louis Vuitton. He also modeled for a Prada campaign in 2019.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
AUS Hit. |
SCO |
|||||||||||
| Nobody's Home |
|
31 | — | 42 | |||||||||
| Halo |
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15 | 5 | 20 | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Mixtapes
- Badkid (2018)
Extended plays
- Will You Be My Yellow? (2019)
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
AUS |
CAN |
IRE |
POR |
NLD |
NZ |
SWE |
US |
US Rock |
||||
| "Big Dreams" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Badkid | |
| "Small Town Girl" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | ||
| "Something I Said" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Million Miles" | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "All In" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Badkid | ||
| "Badlands" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Dracula" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | ||
| "Chill" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Hell n Back" (solo or featuring Summer Walker) |
20 | 28 | 47 | 26 |
156 | 65 | 15 | 80 | 53 | 6 | Will You Be My Yellow? | ||
| "1st Time" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | |
| "Play" (featuring Lancey Foux) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "The Mission" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Nobody's Home | |
| "Free" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "In Disguise" (with Aitch) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Close to Home | ||
| "Good News" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | |
| "Alive!" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Halo | ||
| "Right Here, for Now" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I'm Done" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album/EP | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEL (FL) Tip |
NZ Hot |
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| "Hell of a Heart" (Jaxxon D. Silva featuring Bakar) |
2017 | — | — | Open to Closure | |||||||||
| "Like a River" (Shy Luv featuring Bakar) |
— | — | Lungs | ||||||||||
| "Sober" (SebastiAn featuring Bakar) |
2019 | — | — | Thirst | |||||||||
| "Stone" (Collard featuring Bakar) |
— | — | Non-album single | ||||||||||
| "Night Garden" (Benee featuring Kenny Beats and Bakar) |
2020 | 26 | 4 | Hey U X | |||||||||
| "We Found It" (Myd featuring Bakar) |
2021 | — | — | Born a Loser | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other performer(s) | Album/EP |
|---|---|---|---|
| "$even" | 2017 | Yeek | Sebastian |
| "Lock and Load" | Milkavelli | Cult Member |
SoundCloud releases
- Happy BDay To Me - EP (2015)
- "Little Secret" - Single (2016)
- "Sharing is Caring" - Single (2016)
- "Best For You" - Single (2017)
- "New Day" - Single (2017)
- "i-D" - Single (2020)
