Entertainment

Who is Aloe Blacc?

by Caroline Pate

The finale of this season of American Idol has a huge lineup of big name performers: Lady Antebellum, KISS, John Legend, Demi Lovato, Jason Mraz, Jennifer Nettles, Paramore, Phillip Phillips and Darius Rucker. But one name in particular is a little new on the scene: Aloe Blacc. You may have heard of him, but he hasn't exactly become a household name just yet. Aloe Blacc has been releasing music since 2003, culminating in some buzz from his first album, Shine Through, a fresh, modern take on old-school soul and R&B. But it was his 2010 album, Good Things, where he really started to break through as an artist — most notably with the single "I Need a Dollar," which quickly become one of those ubiquitous songs used in commercials.

In the past couple years, Blacc has been making some big waves. He collaborated on the huge hit "Wake Me Up" with Avicii. And his latest album, Lift Your Spirit, has spawned the single "The Man" which has peaked at number seven on the Billboard charts. It shouldn't be much of a surprise — the album features production and songwriting from artists like Pharrell and Elton John. Blacc also appeared as a guest judge for Adam Levine's team on the last season of The Voice.

Some may be seeing Blacc on American Idol for the first time tonight, but it most likely won't be the last. His songs have been getting bigger and bigger, things seem like they'll only go up from here.