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 1994 Camden Town, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Labels | Black Butter |
Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr (born on February 12, 1994), known by his stage name Bakar, is an English singer and songwriter. He is famous for his unique indie rock music style. Bakar started his solo music career in 2018 with his first mixtape, Badkid.
In 2019, he released his most well-known song, "Hell n Back". His first full album, Nobody's Home, came out in 2022. He then released his second album, Halo, in 2023.
Contents
About Bakar's Early Life
Bakar grew up in Camden, a part of North London. He went to a public school there. Later, his mother sent him to a boarding school in Surrey. Bakar's family background is from Yemen and Tanzania.
He has said that leaving London and hearing different kinds of music really changed him. It helped him discover new sounds and ideas for his own music.
Bakar's Music Journey
Starting Out Online (2015–2017)
Bakar began making music in 2015. He would take parts of songs from bands like Bombay Bicycle Club and King Krule. Then, he would upload his creations to a secret SoundCloud account. For a few years, he kept sharing his music there. Some of those early songs are not available anymore.
In March 2017, Bakar officially released his first song, "Big Dreams." This song became popular in 2018. It was even featured in the video game FIFA 19. Bakar also performed his song "Scott Free" on a German music show called ColorsxStudios. This performance has been watched hundreds of thousands of times. Before 2017 ended, he released two more songs, "Small Town Girl" and "Something I Said."
Releasing Badkid (2018)
In early 2018, Bakar released "Million Miles." He also announced his first big music project, Badkid. He released another song, "All In," before Badkid came out. Bakar performed at the Live at Leeds festival in May 2018. Music critics from NME magazine called him an "electrifying performer." They said he was one of Britain's most exciting new artists.
A week later, he released "Badlands" as the last song from Badkid. His performance at The Great Escape in May 2018 was also very popular. Badkid was released as a mixtape on May 22, 2018. Bakar celebrated by performing at the Camden Assembly in London. He then went on a sold-out tour across the United Kingdom. After the tour, he released a new song called "Dracula" in October 2018.
Will You Be My Yellow? and "Hell n Back" (2019–2020)
In 2019, Bakar joined two music companies: Black Butter Records and September Management. In January 2019, American rapper Sheck Wes mentioned that he might work with Bakar. In March 2019, Bakar released two songs, "Chill" and "Sold Your Soul." He also announced a new tour in Europe called Bakar & The Badkids.
In August 2019, Bakar announced his EP (a shorter album) called Will You Be My Yellow?. He also released its main song, "Hell n Back." This song became a "sleeper hit" in the United States. A "sleeper hit" is a song that becomes popular slowly over time. "Hell n Back" took a long time to reach number one on a Billboard music chart. It was also very popular in Australia.
The Will You Be My Yellow? EP had six songs and was released on September 20, 2019. It was created in just eight weeks. Bakar worked with Zach Nahome and Matty Tavares on the production. In November 2019, Bakar performed "Hell n Back" on ColorsxStudios again. This video has been watched over a million times. The song "Hell n Back" was also used in a commercial for Arsenal F.C. and Adidas.
New Albums and Big Shows (2020–Present)
In February 2020, Bakar performed "Circles" by Mac Miller on BBC Radio 1Xtra. This was a tribute to the late rapper. Bakar also worked with New Zealand singer Benee and producer Kenny Beats on a song called "Night Garden." In 2021, he performed "The Mission" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Bakar's first full album, Nobody's Home, came out on February 25, 2022. It reached number 31 on the UK Albums Chart. His song "Hell n Back" was even used in the trailer for the 2023 Pixar movie Elemental. In April 2023, Bakar performed at the famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
His second album, Halo, was released on September 22, 2023.
Bakar's Style and Other Work
Bakar has said that artists like Madlib and Foals have influenced his music. He describes his own music as "schizophrenic," meaning it mixes many different styles. He tries to combine different music genres like indie, rap, rock, and punk.
Besides music, Bakar has also worked as a model. He walked in Virgil Abloh's fashion shows for Louis Vuitton twice, in 2018 and 2019. In November 2019, he modeled for Prada's "A Gift to Give" campaign.
Bakar's Music Releases
Studio Albums
- Nobody's Home (Released: February 25, 2022)
- Halo (Released: September 22, 2023)
Mixtapes
- Badkid (2018)
Extended Plays (EPs)
- Will You Be My Yellow? (2019)
