Michael Holbrook Penniman, Jr, better known by the stage name Mika, is a British singer-songwriter and musician.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon on 18^th August 1983, Mika moved to Paris with his family at the age of one. He began to learn the piano and to write his own songs after listening to Nirvana, and continued his musical education after the family relocated again to Kensington, London in 1992. In his late teenage years Mika studied at the renowned Royal College of Music in London, but dropped out after landing his first recording contract with Casablanca Records.

The singer released his first EP Dodgy Holiday in 2006, along with the single Relax, Take It Easy – which was made Record of the Week by BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills and would later enter the UK Top 20. This was followed by his debut album Life in Cartoon Motion in February 2007. The record debuted at number one in the UK and has sold over 5.5 million records worldwide to date, earning Mika his first BRIT Award as well as a Grammy nomination. It produced the number one smash hit single Grace Kelly, which stayed on the top spot in the UK for five consecutive weeks, as well as the Top 10 singles Love Today, Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) and Happy Ending.

After releasing the EP Songs for Sorrow in mid-2009, Mika released his second studio album The Boy Who Knew Too Much in September that year. It debuted at number four in the UK Album Charts, at number nineteen on the US Billboard 200 and at number one in France, receiving generally positive critical reviews around the world. The album’s lead single We Are Golden reached number four in the UK charts, while the follow up singles Rain and Blame It on the Girls both reached number 72.

Mika is currently working on his third studio album.