Apple released a new commercial this week advertising their new Series 3 Apple Watch, but viewers seem to be more excited about the catchy tune playing in the commercial's background than the product itself.
After much speculation on social media over who was singing the song -- with many frustratedly tweeting that Shazam and other audio-recognizing apps couldn't identify the artist -- Labrinth, an English-based singer/songwriter has confirmed that he is the mystery man behind the featured track called "Misbehaving," which serves as a sneak-peek to his forthcoming album.
While the name doesn't ring an instant bell, the quietly successful artist is the musical genius behind viral sensations such as Noah Cyrus' "Make Me Cry," Sia's "To Be Human
" from the Wonder Woman soundtrack, The Weeknd's "Losers," and many, many more. Lab has found immense success in his own music too, with his single "Beneath Your Beautiful" featuring Emeli Sandé peaking at No. 34 on the Hot 100 and Adele claiming that his most recent single "Jealous" was her "go-to song during the filming of her 'Hello' video." Madonna even personally picked Lab to sing her tribute song at Billboard's Women in Music 2016 event before accepting her award.
In essence, if you don't already know his name, you should start getting familiar. And if you don't know his music, well, you might be living under a rock.
While Labrinth (born Timothy Lee McKenzie) is already a huge name in the U.K., this new Apple commercial may prove a formative step that launches him into international stardom. The commercial focuses on a young boy skateboarding through hallways, train stations and supermarkets as the heavy, upbeat, synthesized beat of “Misbehaving” plays in the background with Labrinth's crafty lyrics almost narrating the reckless behavior of the commercial’s characters.
“I feel like I have music to share with the world so I’m so ready to make it to that international level so that’s pretty much where I’m at right now,” Lab tells Billboard. "And it feels like all the opportunities that are lined up are based on that. So I’m just mega-excited about sharing what I’ve been creating for such a while.”
But despite all of his past and impending success, Lab reveals that he doesn’t think about it too much. "I don't think about the success that I've had -- I've had a lot of success with music -- but I always look at it like it’s a new day,” he says. “I feel like it makes you think about music and the way you think about life, like fresh every time. So everything I’ve done I really appreciate and I’m so grateful for it but the next step for me is 'how can I make something that brings me right back to the feeling that I created with the last album."
In terms of the artist’s future goals? “My main thing is I just want to share as much hope and happiness as possible for music. If I can share as many moments and help people believe in themselves ... if I can do that, then I’ll feel like my job is done."
