Mikoláš Josef (Czech pronunciation: [ˈmɪkolaːʃ ˈjozɛf]; born 4 October 1995),[1] also known mononymously as Mikolas, is a Czech singer-songwriter and former model.[2] He represented the Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal, with the song "Lie to Me", and finished in sixth place, the best result for the Czech Republic in Eurovision history.
Mikolas Josef | |
|---|---|
 Josef in 2020 | |
| Born | Mikoláš Josef 4 October 1995 Prague, Czech Republic |
| Alma mater | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
|
| Website | mikolasjosef |
Early life and career
editJosef was born on 4 October 1995 in Prague into a musical family.[3] He is of Czech, Moravian, Austrian, German and Italian descent.[2] He has a brother named Karel and an older half-sister called Martina. He has been playing guitar since he was five years old.[4] He grew up in Znojmo and in a small village in south Bohemia.[5][non-primary source needed]
Between 2006 and 2008 he studied at an art school, majoring in playing the guitar, which he was not able to finish. He continued his studies at a grammar school where he received an E in a music class.[6][7]
In 2015 he graduated from the English College in Prague.[8] At the age of 17, he was awarded a gold medal for solo acting by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.[9] While studying, he was involved in many fashion shows and photoshoots for major brands, including Diesel, Replay or Prada.[10] However, he later left modeling as he did not agree with its industry practices.[11]
After his modelling experience he made a living by busking in large European cities, such as Prague, Oslo, Zurich, Hamburg, and Vienna.[12][13] During this period, he was also cleaning a recording studio during the week – so that he could produce his own music there once a month whenever it was empty.[14]
Music career
edit2015–2018: Beginnings and Eurovision Song Contest
editJosef decided to pursue music professionally. He independently released his debut single "Hands Bloody" in 2015.[15] The following year, he released the single "Free", which became a top 15 hit in the Czech Republic.[16][17] That same year, he also released the single "Believe (Hey Hey)".[18][19][20] After this, he moved to Vienna following an invitation by Nikodem Milewski.[2]
Josef was approached to represent the Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "My Turn", but rejected the offer as he did not believe the song suited him.[21] In November 2017, Josef released the single "Lie to Me",[22] and later confirmed that the song would be competing in the Czech national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon.[23][24][25] "Lie to Me" later won the national selection, and represented the Czech Republic in the 2018 contest. It finished in sixth place with 66 points from the juries and 215 points from the audience, giving the Czech Republic its best result so far in the competition.[26][27] In May 2020, "Lie to Me" reached 30 million streams on Spotify, becoming the most-streamed Czech song on the platform.[28]
2018–present: Post-Eurovision projects
editIn April 2018, in Munich, Josef signed an international deal with Sony Music and RCA Records.[29] In October 2018, he released the single "Me Gusta".[30] He later appeared in the selection of "18 inspiring people of 2018" for Forbes.[14] "Abu Dhabi", released in February 2019, was his final release for Sony Music. He was featured in an advertisement campaign for Tezenis underwear and Huawei in the same month.[31] In April 2019, Josef performed his first headlining show, My Name Is Mikolas, in a sold-out Forum Karlin in Prague, where alongside his released songs, he performed a range of unreleased singles accompanied by six African vocalists.[32]
Josef and his family later established their own independent record label, Vivienne Records.[33] "Acapella", released in May 2019, was his first release under this label, which achieved success in Czech Republic (his first chart-topper in the country) and in Poland, where it was certified gold in February 2021.[34] In November 2019, he released "Colorado".[35] In December 2019, he embarked on his Closer to You Tour in the Czech Republic.[36] In October 2020, he released "Lalalalalalalalalala".[37] In March 2023, he released "Boys Don't Cry".[38]
In 2024, Josef announced his first studio album, "One", would be released on 22 March 2024.[39]
Discography
editSingles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CZE [40] |
CZE (Dig.) [41] |
AUT [42] |
FRA [43] |
GER [44] |
POL [45] |
SCO [46] |
SPA [47] |
SWE [48] | |||||
| "Hands Bloody" | 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Free" | 2016 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Believe (Hey Hey)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Lie to Me" | 2017 | 52 | 2 | 9 | 122 | 29 | — | 56 | 39 | 21 | |||
| "Me Gusta" | 2018 | 7 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Abu Dhabi" | 2019 | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Acapella" (featuring Fito Blanko and Frankie J) |
1 | 20 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Colorado" | 46 | 64 | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Lalalalalalalalalala" | 2020 | 18 | 29 | — | — | — | 21 | — | — | — | |||
| "Boys Don't Cry" | 2023 | 98 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Delilah" (with Mark Neve) |
— | 10 | — | — | — | 30 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Never Get Over You" | 98 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Diamonds"[50] | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||||||||
Other songs
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Used to This"[51] (Lukas Rieger featuring Mikolas Josef) |
2019 | Justice |
Tours
edit- Closer to You[52] (2019)
References
edit- ^ "Official webpage of Mikolas Josef". Mikolas Josef. Vivienner Records s.r.o. Archived from the original on 21 December 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- ^ a b c "Mikolas Josef – Lidé — Česká televize". ceskatelevize.cz (in Czech). Česká televize. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
- ^ "Mikolas Josef je novou tváří návrháře Lukáše Macháčka" (in Czech). ČTK. 14 February 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ Coufalová, Veronika Angelina (10 July 2016). "ROZHOVOR: Zpěvák Mikolas Josef, sám sobě producentem" (in Czech). Krásná.cz. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ "Bio". Mikolas Josef. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ "Jít svou cestou bylo nejlepší rozhodnutí, říká Mikolas Josef". Forbes. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ "Mikolas Josef: Rodiče se mnou měli svatou trpělivost". Youtube.com. Radiožurnál. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ "Watch 2015 ECP graduate, Mikulas Josef, give his first interview, on Óčko today at 15.35!". Facebook. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- ^ "Soutěžící > Mikolas Josef". Česká televize. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ "Mikolas Josef interview: Do školy už nikdy v životě nevlezu, leda ji podpálit". iREPORT (in Czech). Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Mikolas Josef: český model, který zběhl k muzice". iDNES.cz. 17 September 2015. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Mikolas Josef je novou tváří návrháře Lukáše Macháčka". Protext. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Mikolas Josef vydává osmý single "Colorado"". tv.nova.cz (in Czech). 25 November 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ a b "Mikolas Josef mezi 18 inspirativními roku 2018". 18 inspirativních – Forbes speciál (in Czech). Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ Herrmannová, Nela (17 September 2015). "Připadal jsem si jako hadr, říká český model, který zběhl k muzice". Mladá fronta DNES (in Czech). Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ "Mikolas Josef na Apríla odpremiéruje nový videoklip k písničce "Free"" (in Czech). Musicserver.cz. 31 March 2016. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ "Talentu Mikolase Josefa nelze nevěřit. Potvrzuje to i v novince "Believe"" (in Czech). Musicserver.cz. 30 September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ Martínek, Josef (29 September 2016). "PREMIÉRA: Mikolas Josef singlem Believe potvrzuje mezinárodní ambice. Žánrové hranice nemá" (in Czech). iREPORT.cz. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ Balušek, Honza (5 December 2016). "Mikolas Josef do "Believe" obsadil Island a krásnou holku" (in Czech). Musicserver.cz. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ "VIDEOPREMIÉRA: Mikolas Josef, kandidát na účast v Eurovizi, natočil klip Believe (Hey Hey) na Islandu" (in Czech). iREPORT.cz. 8 November 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ Adams, William Lee (14 January 2018). "Mikolas Josef: "Lie to Me" is about not getting swallowed by negativity during tough times". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
- ^ "Mikolas Josef v Kompotu: o Eurovizi, budoucnosti v Los Angeles a španělských fanoušcích". Radio Wave (in Czech). 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "CZECH REPUBLIC: SIX ACTS TO CONTEST EUROVISION 2018 NATIONAL SELECTION". wiwibloggs.com. 7 December 2017. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ "CZECH REPUBLIC: JAKUB ONDRA AND MIKOLAS JOSEF SET FOR SIX-ACT NATIONAL FINAL". wiwibloggs.com. 9 December 2017. Archived from the original on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ "CZECH REPUBLIC: CT REVEALS PHOTOS OF THE SIX FINALISTS… BUT ONLY SHOWS THEIR LEGS". wiwibloggs.com. 15 December 2017. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ Halpin, Chris (29 January 2018). "Czech Republic: Mikolas Josef wins Eurovision Song CZ with "Lie to Me"". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ Weaver, Jessica (29 January 2018). "Czech Republic: Mikolas Josef to Lisbon with Lie To Me!". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ Lie to Me, 6 April 2018, retrieved 28 July 2020
- ^ Granger, Anthony (4 April 2018). "Czech Republic: Mikolas Josef Signs Worldwide Record Deal". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ Witek, Jan. "Nový song Mikolase Josefa je venku: "Je to zatím má nejlepší práce, tak doufám, že se bude líbit"". lui.cz (in Czech). Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Tezenis: Mikolas Josef ve spodním prádle (2019)". TVspoty.cz (in Czech). 25 February 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "NAžIVO: Mikolas Josef ve Foru Karlín – ambiciózní koncertní debut s výpravou z říše snů". musicserver.cz. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ Lukeš, Filip (3 May 2020). "Zpěvák Mikolas Josef: Fanynky někdy reagují dost drsně, píší o sebevraždě". Deník.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Albums and singles certified Gold in 2021" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "REPORTÁŽ: Najpočúvanejší spevák v Čechách a na Slovensku Mikolas Josef: V Čechách mnohí netušia, že som Čech". Netky.sk. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "Mikolas Josef: vánoční turné Closer To You – Ostrava". Informuji.cz (in Czech). Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Zkrvavený Mikolas Josef se po roce ticha vrací se silným prohlášením a singlem "Lalalalalalalalalala"". Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "VIDEO: Mikolas Josef se vrací. Klip ke světově znějícímu singlu "Boys Don't Cry" láká na dlouho očekávané album". musicserver.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 26 March 2023.
- ^ "Czech Star Mikolas Josef Readies Debut Album 'ONE' for March 22nd – Culture Fix".
- ^ "CZ – Radio – Top 100 Mikolas Josef" (in Czech). ČNS IFPI. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ "CZ – Singles Digital – Top 100 Mikolas Josef" (in Czech). ČNS IFPI. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
"CZ – Singles Digital – Top 100 Mikolas Josef & Mark Neve" (in Czech). ČNS IFPI. Retrieved 10 July 2023. - ^ "Discographie Mikolas Josef". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "Discographie Mikolas Josef". lescharts.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ "Mikolas Josef – German Charts". GfK. Archived from the original on 18 May 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ Peak positions for singles in Poland:
- "Acapella": "AirPlay Top: 14.09. – 20.09.2019" (in Polish). ZPAV. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- "Colorado": "AirPlay Top: 18.01. – 24.01.2020" (in Polish). ZPAV. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- "Lalalalalalalalalala": "AirPlay Top: 26.12. – 01.01.2021". ZPAV. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- "Delilah": "OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay" (Select week 02.09.2023–08.09.2023.) (in Polish). OLiS. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ Peak positions for singles in Scotland:
- "Chart Archive > 18 May 2018". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
- ^ "Discography Mikolas Josef". spanishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ "Discography Mikolas Josef". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 18 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ "Albums and singles certified Gold in 2021" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "New music this week: Songs from Nemo, Joost, Lara Fabian and more". wiwibloggs. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ Rieger, Lukas (16 May 2019). Used to This (YouTube.com). Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "Mikolas Josef v úterý vyráží na krátké předvánoční turné" (in Czech). Musicserver.cz. 10 December 2019. Archived from the original on 17 December 2020.