Michael Aldag

Meet Michael Aldag: a singer and a songwriter (but not a singer-songwriter), a producer, an accidental TikTok star and — let’s not beat around the bush here — every inch a total pop star. At just 19 his prodigious knack for observational tune-smithery vividly captures life’s joys, sorrows, and confusing in between bits.! My music’s for anybody who feels slightly-to-constantly overwhelmed and unsure of who they are, flailing around in this massive ridiculous world,” hesitates. “When I feel like I’m in a clouded headspace I can go and write, and by the time I’m doneI’ll have a better idea of how I feel, even if what I’ve made is not a particularly good song.”The better you get to know Michael the more you’ll get used to his self-effacing turns of phrase but, for the record, his songs really are particularly good. Since uploading his debut single Entitled in 2019 he’s released a barrage of songs combining razor-sharp lyrics that recall Lily Allen, Lorde andThe Streets, with fresh beats that see 80s synth pop through the prism of 21st Century existential angst. Somewhere among it all, Michael says, are some unexpected influences. There’s Marina &The Diamonds, whose music Michael’s dad would often play in the car on family trips, while his penchant for an anthemic chorus could give Bastille or The Killers a run for their money.! I remember seeing The Killers at the Echo Arena a few years back,” Michael adds. “And when I saw Brandon with his foot on the monitor I just thought: ‘Okay. Wow. That is exactly what I want todo.’”Home for Michael is West Kirby (but he won’t be mad if you say he’s from Liverpool).