When Bluey Robinson debuted in 2011, the Sweden-born, England-raised singer came across as an energetic old soul with a modern sound, inspired by a wide range of artists that included the Jackson 5, Cee Lo Green, and Bruno Mars. As a youngster, Robinson was involved with music and stage performances, and even played the role of Simba, beside future mainstream pop stars Jessie J and Rochelle Wiseman (the Saturdays), in a production of The Lion King. He formed a group and appeared in a 2004 episode of EastEnders, but he hit a snag when he was booted from his group and told that he’d be better off as a solo artist. Robinson persevered and eventually connected with Labrinth, a fledgling producer at the time; the two recorded extensively, and Robinson subsequently took to YouTube, where a clip of the song “I Know” took off and caught the eyes and ears of Ryan Leslie, who remixed the track. An expanded YouTube presence led to a recording contract with Sony. Robinson released his first two singles for the label, “Showgirl” and “Coming Back,” in 2011. ~ Andy Kellman