Harry Michael (born February 12, 1991), known professionally as Masked Wolf, is an Australian rapper from
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
New South Wales
)
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, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
. He is best known for his song "
Astronaut in the Ocean
"Astronaut in the Ocean" is a song by Australian rapper Masked Wolf. It was originally released in June 2019 before being re-released through Elektra Records on 27 October 2020. Following its re-release, the song achieved chart success, peaking ...
", which became a
sleeper hit
In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little promo ...
in 2021, peaking at number 4 on the Australian ARIA Charts and number 6 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, having been initially released in June 2019.
Early life
In an interview in 2019, Michael said, "I've always been interested in music and as a young kid, my musical outlet was actually playing instruments like the piano, keyboard, guitar and drums." He is a "huge fan" of American
hip hop. He began writing at the age of 13.
Career
Michael signed to Teamwrk Records and released his debut single "Speed Racer" in December 2018. All of his subsequent releases were on the label, up until 2021, when "
Astronaut in the Ocean
"Astronaut in the Ocean" is a song by Australian rapper Masked Wolf. It was originally released in June 2019 before being re-released through Elektra Records on 27 October 2020. Following its re-release, the song achieved chart success, peaking ...
" was re-released.
On 28 January 2021, Michael signed to US-based label
Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...
, owned by
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
, in a multi-album deal. Elektra represent Michael's music in all regions except Australia and New Zealand, where he continues to be represented by Teamwrk Records. In a statement, Michael said: "I'm so happy to be a part of the Elektra family, I am really excited to be able to have the opportunity for the world to now hear my music... not only do they develop artists, but they care about each song and that's why I wanted to join them." On 4 June, Michael released the single "Gravity Glidin". The following week, "Gravity Glidin" debuted and peaked at number 40 on the
NZ Hot Singles Chart for the chart dated 13 June.
On 8 July, Michael released the single "Say So". The following week, "Say So" debuted and peaked at number twenty on the NZ Hot Singles Chart for the chart dated 18 July.
On 21 July, Michael was announced for having the highest listener growth on
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
in the first half of the year, which saw more than 27 million new listeners. On 24 July, Michael performed at the
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
virtual festival Splendour XR. On 4 September, Michael announced his debut mixtape, ''Astrononomical'', and released the single "Razor's Edge", which features
X Ambassadors
X Ambassadors (also stylized XA) are an American pop rock band from Ithaca, New York. Its members currently include lead vocalist Sam Harris, keyboardist Casey Harris, and drummer Adam Levin. Russ Flynn is a touring member that plays guitar and ...
. ''Astronomical'' was released on 10 September.
On 19 November 2021, Masked Wolf released "It's You, Not Me (Sabotage)" with
Bebe Rexha
Bleta Rexha (; born August 30, 1989), known professionally as Bebe Rexha ( ), is an American pop singer and songwriter. After signing with Warner Records in 2013, Rexha received songwriting credits on Eminem's single " The Monster" (which later ...
; a reimagined version of Rexha's own "
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
".
Discography
Mixtapes
Singles
As lead artist
As featured artist
Notes
Awards and nominations
APRA Awards
The
APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the
Australasian Performing Right Association
APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwr ...
to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.
!
, -
,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
, Tyon Hapy & Harry Michael (Masked Wolf)
, Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
,
,
, -
ARIA Music Awards
The
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
is an annual ceremony presented by
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the
music of Australia
The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...
. They commenced in 1987.
!
, -
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2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, , rowspan="4", "Astronaut in the Ocean" , ,
Best Artist , ,
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,
Breakthrough Artist , ,
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,
Best Hip Hop Release , ,
, -
,
Song of the Year , ,
, -
, Daniele Cernera for "Astronaut in the Ocean" , ,
Best Video , ,
, -
Rolling Stone Australia Awards
The
Rolling Stone Australia Awards
The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year. The awards initially commenced in 201 ...
are awarded annually in January or February by the
Australian edition of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year.
!
, -
, rowspan="2", 2022
, Masked Wolf
, Best New Artist
,
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, -
, Masked Wolf
, Rolling Stone Global Award
,
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Masked Wolf
1992 births
Australian male rappers
Rappers from Sydney
Australian people of Greek descent
Elektra Records artists
Living people