Few people expected Miguel's song "Adorn" would be such a sleeper hit. But in 2012, it surpassed the one million mark in sales, and received a Grammy in the process. That unexpected rise to the spotlight allowed Miguel to snag loads of year-end honors, including one of the best reviewed records of last year.

With a team of over 60 people employed to work on Kaleidoscope Dream, the album is truly an orchestral affair. Miguel has been lauded — like many of his groundbreaking contemporaries — for his exploration of several genres over the span of the 11 songs.

Fresh off new Grammy nominations for his collaborations with J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, Miguel stopped by The Current studios to chat with Andrea Swensson and perform songs from his acclaimed body of work.

"I'm a firm believer that it's really important to honor the history of your influences, and where they come from," Miguel said, reflecting on the way modern R&B has evolved in recent years. "As much as people would like to categorize [my music] as traditional R&B because of my skin tone or the vocal choices I've made, I think that the sonic that I've built around it is such a tribute to rhythm and blues. And that's the flag I like the wave."

Songs played: "The Thrill," "Arch and Point" and "Adorn"

Related

• Official Website