Pacific Northwest R&B Artist Adrian Milanio gaining industry recognition

Adrian Milanio can only be described as a charismatic musician. His musical versatility and talent shine through in whatever he does, whether he is singing, songwriting, producing, or mixing.

The R&B artist hails from Tacoma, Washington, where he grew up surrounded by music and loads of talent. His early influences came from the sounds of his dad’s favorite musicians, these included Stevie Wonder, the Eagles, Michael Jackson.

Adrian Milanio is currently inspired by artists like Bruno Mars, Lucky Daye, and Ne-Yo. Life is a source of many songwriting opportunities, and Milanio does not neglect to use experiences like young love, fun times, and his emergence into adulthood to create songs that resonate with young music lovers.

Industry recognition

It is difficult for the music industry to ignore a young artist with so many professional achievements so far. Adrian is a mixing engineer who sang vocals and played a variety of instruments growing up. His skills were honed from as early as his high school years, where he performed as a part of a nonprofit music band and played music.

Music took on a new meaning for Adrian when he ended up hospitalized for type 1 diabetes. He realized he could use his talent to learn to cope with the news of his diagnosis. All this happened while he was at college, and Adrian Milanio knew that music offered him the ability to express himself while sharing his message with even more people. At this time, Adrian was already a member of a jazz band and had the opportunity to do an internship at a recording studio.

After graduating in 2018, Adrian didn’t only take on a full-time job but also opened his recording studio. This opened doors for him to record for other artists too. The rising star of the Pacific Northwest has been compared to artists like Charlie Puth and Khalid. He has already headlined two college festivals and will host a virtual concert series in his hometown of Tacoma.

Adrian was headlined to do shows that were canceled because of the pandemic, but quickly changed his strategy and started streaming his work. The versatile musician had people sitting up and taking notice after the release of his single “Where You Wanna Go,” featuring Olivia Escuyos and RJ Suave, early in 2020.

Not only was the single picked by 10 Spotify Editorial Playlists, but the artist was approached by London-based label frtyfve records with whom he signed a deal. The independent label is constantly on the lookout for talented young artists.

The song has 10 million streams on Spotify and TikTok combined, and thirty thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. UNOMAS has since produced a remix of “Where You Wanna Go,” propelling it to new heights.

You can join Adrian’s thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram to find out more about his upcoming releases.

Ne-Yo and his mentoring role

R&B legend Ne-Yo discovered Adrian Milanio and has mentored him since. The support of an experienced musician with such talent has been invaluable to Milanio.

“Ne-Yo always listens carefully first and then advises. He is all about the truth and isn’t scared to air his straightforward opinion or advice with me,” Adrian Milanio recently shared with us. He adds, “Ne-Yo’s never makes one feel uncomfortable for reaching out, and this means a lot to a young person. My musical career was able to move to the next level because of him. I am a great admirer of the artistry of both Ne-Yo and Lucky Daye, and they have my utmost respect.”

Other collaborations include his single “No Calls” with IamSu! He has also partnered to work with Nef the Pharaoh, Marylou Villegas, Ilah Dizon from WatchCut, and has promoted the streetwear company eTceTera in Tacoma. 

“I am currently launching my mixing service company, but aim to continue making the music I love and know my followers want to hear. 

This fresh talent rising out of the Pacific Northwest has proven he is past the stage where he is starting out. He has come out into his own and has achieved an exciting level of recognition, both at home and internationally.