For nearly a decade, singer, songwriter and producer Matthew Musto, better known as Blackbear, has balanced his work with some of the biggest stars in popular music with a thriving underground career in alternative R&B and hip-hop, releasing cutting-edge singles on SoundCloud alongside collaborations with Justin Bieber and Nick Jonas. Blackbear co-wrote mainstream hits for Bieber (“Boyfriend”) and G-Eazy (“These Things Happen”), among others, and he’s toured with artists ranging from Fall Out Boy to Tinashe. As a teenager, he was the frontman for the rock band Polaroid, and he’s kept up his rock connections by working with artists like Linkin Park.
With the freedom to follow his own idiosyncratic inclinations in his solo work, Blackbear has released a steady stream of albums, mix tapes and EPs since 2008. Although he’s now signed to a major label, he continues to put out highly personal music, including his latest album Anonymous, which dropped in April. “I’m calling it that because I want to take the ego out of the process,” he said in the album’s release announcement. “I wanted to make a human album, by a real person, not hide behind the character of this sad ‘Blackbear’ guy.” Whatever he calls himself, his music remains raw and real.
House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, 7 p.m. June 23, starting at $35 plus tax and fee. 702.632.7600
