Miguel On Relearning His Why

Following some of the successes he experienced in his career with hits like "Adorn," "Sure Thing," and more recently, "Sky Walker," Miguel confessed that there came a shift in how he viewed his artistry.

"I think I entered into my career as a musician as an artist with the idea of becoming someone who was on the main stage and on the, you know, TV screen and getting the record," he told The Breakfast Club. "And we've been very blessed. I have an amazing audience and I love them deeply and they really made my music successful."

But over time, he realized there was a disconnect between creating for the love and chasing numbers. The success began to eclipse his purpose.

"I think that can really take priority of and really rinse the real purpose of creating from one's own motivation and it can kinda like cannibalize the whole experience... and I needed to take some time to figure out what was going to be my motivation moving forward."

That intentional pause became a turning point for the musician. And though he didn't stop releasing music—including a feature on K-pop artist J-Hope's "Sweet Dreams" released earlier this year—Miguel chose to spend most of his hiatus doing deep internal work.

"Relearning, re-finding my love and also doing some real hard work on me," he stated.

Through therapy, shadow work, and meditation, he found clarity and reconnected with his purpose.

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On Embracing His Heritage And Fatherhood

A part of that healing journey was leaning more fully into his Mexican heritage. For Miguel, figuring out how to own the parts of himself he used to keep at a distance was a natural extension of his self-work.

Though he was always proud of his mixed heritage (his father is Mexican, his mother is Black), his self-work pushed him more into that heritage and taught him to view it more as something to appreciate about himself versus a challenge to be overcome. The eight-year journey helped him value his racial identity as his "unique perspective" that he now sees as a gift.

That perspective deepened even more when he became a father.

"As you become a parent, you really start to look at the things that are great about your child," Miguel said. "You start to look at everything."

The 39-year-old recently shared with the world that he has a one-year-old son with partner Margaret Zhang. Fatherhood, he explained, gave him energy and clarity like nothing else in his life has. When sharing with The Breakfast Club what fatherhood was like, Miguel said, "It's incredible."

"I don't sleep but I'm the most-I've got the most energy I've ever had. I also I feel so much more sure about what is and what isn't for me...," he said. "Even my next 10 years, I'm the most clear... I think he's you know a catalyst for where I'm at and where I'm going."

"You have to be so clear with yourself,” Miguel added. “You have to have ultimate clarity about what you want. If you’re not clear, you’re susceptible to being pulled in and swayed in different directions."

Miguel On The Meaning Of 'Always Time,' Loyalty, And Letting Go

Another theme present in CAOS is one of heartbreak, something Miguel knows well. The R&B crooner opened up about the end of his nearly two-decade relationship with ex-wife, actress and model Nazanin Mandi that was a cornerstone for his growth and self-reflection.

"It was a big part of my experience as a human being this time around... I was with Naz when I was 19. It was a long time... It was a lot of learning. It's a lot of learning."

A track on the album titled "Always Time" was one he admitted to The Breakfast Club hosts was inspired by that chapter of his life. More specifically, the grief that comes with realizing love isn't enough to sustain a relationship and sometimes the best thing you can do is let go.

"That song was written because I was uncovering a lot of my values in real time. And one of those things I've always been -- the word loyal is crazy because loyalty, I saw my grandparents stay together all my entire life," he explained. "You know, they were loyal to the family. The loyalty, like were they happy? You know, I don't know. That's a crazy one."

Ultimately, within his own values, he has come to understand that loyalty and love are not always synonymous.

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"That song is about kind of like coming to terms with, 'I can't even be the right person for you,'" Miguel admitted. "And discovering that in real time is crazy work when you're like, 'Damn I thought the whole thing was like I'm supposed to fight it out...' and at some point when you stop and you go, 'You know what? The best thing I can do is actually let it go.'"

Even with the heartbreak, Miguel has a lot of gratitude for Nazanin and the love that they shared.

"I was so happy to be married when I was, whether or not I was able to be true to it, I think it's a beautiful idea. The words and the symbolism sometimes take away the purpose... the symbolism takes precedence over the actual core thing of what it's supposed to be."

In a moment of hindsight, Miguel made mention of how things could have been different if he was who he is now back then:

"We would have had a much better shot. But you know the past is, you look back... it's so much clearer. It would have been a different experience but you can't change the past...," he said. "I'm very happy that we've had adult, real [conversations], man... It's different when you're able to come to somebody and go, 'You know, I didn't realize I was doing this and I'm really sorry.'"

Miguel added, "To be able to say that doesn't erase it but it at least let's them know, there's real love here. And that's at the core. 'I just wasn't a big enough person. I wasn't an aware enough person to protect you from my automatic ways.'"

Miguel On Love, Healing & What's Next For Him

After everything, the heartbreak, becoming a father for the first time, and the self-work, Miguel's relationship with love has evolved. He shared with the hosts that he doesn't believe that there's only one person for every person. He believes in love and being in love, but doesn't think love is only true if there is a "one."

Despite alluding to being in a relationship with his child's mother, when asked if he is in love now though, his answer was refreshingly self-aware.

"In love? I need some healing to be in love. Right now, I'm working on being in love with me. If I'm being very, very honest," he said. "And I have to do that work for my son. But I love myself more and more every day because I'm proud of the decisions I've been making, and I lean on those... I'm getting closer and I do hope one day I can be in love again."

Though there is scrutiny around his personal life, Miguel is proud of where he stands now, especially in his decision to become a father.

"I did it with so much intention. I'm really am proud. I'm proud to be a father. I'm proud of my partner. She's incredible. He couldn't have a better mother. Life doesn't always happen the way that we imagine things to happen."

Don't let the name fool you, after years of transformation and self-discovery, with CAOS, Miguel isn't just returning to music. He's returned to himself. Within the CAOS, he's found peace.

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