Back when I was in middle school, I would mainly listen to the radio since it would be the best way for me to discover new music as music streaming services were not as popular as they are now. Specifically in 2010, when I was in 7th grade, there was a song that began to get a lot of airplay on my favorite station and it caught my attention for its interesting catchy beats and lyrics.
The verse that stuck out to my twelve-year-old self-was: "You wear designer shades just to hide your face and you wear 'em around like you're cooler than me"
I am 100% convinced that it was because of my Juicy Couture eyeglasses that I used to wear in middle school is what made that line the most memorable for me.
It took a while for me to discover who sang that song for some reason but I was on a mission to find this artist since it was definitely not an artist I was familiar with.
Then after a few weeks, I finally heard the artist's name and therefore decided to do my research.
I typed "Mike Posner" on my Google and after concluding my research on Mike is when and why I became a huge fan.
I really began to dive into his background and his music which to me was inspiring since I always had a special love for music and he ignited it more since he was concurrently attending Duke University while working on music. He managed to graduate from Duke with a good GPA while he worked on releasing his debut album.
I have followed him since 2010 when his career began to unravel, which is the longest I have been a fan of any artist. Since the beginning, he has had a great drive that can be considered humble as he has not cared too much about the fame. His love making music not just for him but for other artists such as Big Sean, Maroon 5, and Justin Bieber is a huge reason that I have wanted to pursue a career in the music industry since I was 12.
Besides following his career, I followed him on social media as well. Early on I was annoying, sending him daily tweets asking him to follow me. In August 2013, it finally came true and my idol Mike Posner followed me on Twitter. After this goal was achieved, my next goal was to see him live and ultimately meet him.
The first time I saw him live was in 2014 at this small venue in Los Angeles called The Mint. t was a 21+ and over. I was bummed since I wasn't yet 21. I emailed the venue and asked if they can make an exception since I was a huge fan of Mike. Fortunately, they did allow me to go but I needed to bring a guardian with me and thankfully my 22-year old sister came with.
It was an intimate acoustic show and I loved it because I got the opportunity to see my idol from 10 feet away. He saw me since I was the only person there that wore a shirt with his face on it and was constantly tweeting him before he went on and after the show.
The second time and third time I saw him was two years after the show at The Mint. I saw him first at The Roxy and then at The Fonda promoting his second album. I made sure I got to the venue early to get a good spot in the pit, wearing my Mike Posner shirt each time. I caught his guitar pick and his attention at the Roxy show. For the show at The Fonda, I purchased VIP tickets to meet the artists performing at this concert as it was showcasing artists who have a contract with Island Records, including Mike of course. He didn't make it to the meet and greet but I managed to get front row during Mike's performance.
He grabbed onto my hand during a few songs and pointed the microphone to me as well which was honestly super fun and it was the best show of Mike's that I have been to.
After the show, my friend who came with me managed to get me the setlist and I died internally. Then, I waited to see if I could manage to meet Mike. I went to the VIP rooftop as I had VIP wristbands from the meet and greet and nothing. I then walk back down into the venue and suddenly I see Mike and we make eye contact. He was taking pictures with another fan and as I walk by him, he walks away from that fan, comes up to me and says "Hi, Emilia" and gives me the biggest hug ever.
*SHOOKETH*
My idol ACTUALLY recognized me from previous shows and from Twitter. My life was made and I did not know how to react. I surprisingly did not scream nor cry over the fact I met my favorite artist after waiting 6 years to do so.
Mike signed my setlist, took a picture with me, and gave me a hug before his team was telling him he had to leave.
In the car ride back home, I was reminiscing when I was back in middle school and how I wanted to attend Duke and be a music producer like Mike and how I was a crazy fan earlier on.
Although now I am attending UCLA and I am studying to be a professor at a community college level, I am still planning to minor in music industry. I still want to pursue a career in this field and if I make a breakthrough, I will owe it to the man who relates, loves, and inspires with this music.
Thank you, Mike Posner. Brains up!
