"AJ Rafael"
| AJ Rafael | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Arthur Joseph Rafael |
| Born |
March 12, 1989 Moreno Valley, California, United States |
| Genres | Pop, acoustic, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, Guitar, Ukulele, Piano, Keyboard |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | 37 Entertainment LLC |
| Associated acts | Tori Kelly, Jesse Barrera |
| Website |
ajrafael |
AJ Rafael (born March 12, 1989)[1] is an American musician of Filipino descent who has self-released two EPs and one album. Originating from Moreno Valley, California, United States,[2] he has toured internationally.
Career
In 2005, AJ Rafael auditioned for American Idol,[3] but never progressed to the later stages. After the show he started posting his songs on YouTube in 2006, which garnered considerable interest.[4]
Some of his influences are pop-rock based and his performances and recordings are generally within this genre.[1] In 2011, he was nominated to be a part of Billboard's Battle of the Bands alongside Gentlemen Hall, Otenki, Hotels, Lightning Love and Side by Side.[5][6] In the same year he released the kickstarter funded Red Roses album.
- Charity
AJ is involved in the charity Music Speaks and has run the annual autism benefit concert since 2006. Every year, Music Speaks has donated revenues to the nonprofit organization Autism Speaks.[7][8] Performers for these concerts include Jennifer Chung, Quest Crew, JR Aquino and Mike Isberto.[1][9]
Discography
AJ's full-length album, Red Roses, was released on June 7, 2011 by 37 Entertainment and distributed worldwide by Select-O-Hits. The CD was available in national retailers including Best Buy, Transworld and Target.[6] Many of the songs, including "Emma Watson" and "We Could Happen," were made available on streaming music discovery sites Pandora and Spotify. "We Could Happen" was licensed by DMA for sensory marketing in mainstream retailers including Ambercrombie & Fitch & Hollister.[10]
Juicebox EP
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Showstopper" | AJ Rafael | 4:25 |
| 2. | "When We Say (Juicebox)" | AJ Rafael | 3:46 |
| 3. | "I Just Want You" | AJ Rafael | 4:07 |
Red Roses
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Here, Tonight (Intro)" | AJ Rafael | 1:29 |
| 2. | "Emma Watson" | AJ Rafael | 3:38 |
| 3. | "Red Roses" | AJ Rafael | 3:25 |
| 4. | "We Could Happen" | AJ Rafael | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Without You" | AJ Rafael | 3:02 |
| 6. | "Mess We've Made (Live) ft. Tori Kelly" | AJ Rafael, Tori Kelly | 4:52 |
| 7. | "Five Hundred Days" | AJ Rafael | 4:27 |
| 8. | "She Was Mine ft. Jesse Barrera" | AJ Rafael, Jesse Barrera | 4:10 |
| 9. | "When We Say (Acoustic) ft. Andrew de Torres" | AJ Rafael | 4:21 |
| 10. | "Starlit Nights" | AJ Rafael | 4:11 |
| 11. | "Here All Alone, pt. 3" | AJ Rafael | 6:26 |
Beautiful Escape EP
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Here, Tonight" | AJ Rafael | 2:54 |
| 2. | "Matchmaker" | AJ Rafael | 3:25 |
| 3. | "Jetsetter" | AJ Rafael | 5:07 |
| 4. | "Beautiful Escape" | AJ Rafael | 4.20 |
| 5. | "Goodbye (Chatham Square)" | AJ Rafael | 3.12 |
Singles
- 2009: "My Soldier"
- 2009: "I Just Want You"
- 2011: "We Could Happen"
- 2011: "Without You"
- 2013: "Beautiful Escape"
- 2014: "Brand New"
References
- 1 2 3 "A.J. Rafael – Biography". Let's Sing It. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
- ↑ "A.J. Rafael". Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
- ↑ Paul Saitowitz (June 17, 2010). "AJ Rafael Is a Big Deal on YouTube". Retrieved 2011-05-15.
- ↑ "AJ's Youtube". Archived from the original on April 22, 2011. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
- ↑ Christina Luna. "AJ Rafael Jumps To #20 on Billboard's Uncharted (@AJRAFAEL #AJRAFAELBILLBOARDS)". Retrieved 2011-05-15.
- 1 2 "Billboard's Battle of the Bands 2011". Archived from the original on April 22, 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
- ↑ Toksala, (writer) (November 16, 2011). "Q&A With AJ Rafael: The Revolution Will Be On YouTube". MTV Iggy. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
- ↑ channelAPA. "Music Speaks – APA". Retrieved 2011-05-12.
- ↑ "Music Speaks". Retrieved 2011-05-12.
- ↑ "My first full-length album preview! "Emma Watson" by AJ Rafael". Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-31.