Wrabel's Meteoric Rise
by Alessandra Guarneri
Stephen Wrabel, better known by his stage name Wrabel, is spreading his music through streaming platforms and connecting with listeners around the world. But the now 30-year-old singer did not just rise to fame overnight. His work behind the scenes with pop superstars like Kesha and Adam Lambert provided him with a platform to build off of as a solo artist. Beginning as a songwriter in a competitive industry, Wrabel was the auteur behind popular hits like Ellie Goulding’s song “Devotion” before he segued into releasing his own music. It was not until one of his singles caught the attention of a big brand that his solo career gained mainstream attention. Wrabel’s track “Ten Feet Tall” with Afrojack ended up in a Bud Light commercial that appeared during the Super Bowl back in 2014 and his work was instantly heard by over 100 million viewers.
His newfound popularity and exposure helped him land a deal with Island Records. After the success of “Ten Feet Tall” with Afrojack, he decided to release his own recording of the song and follow that release with his debut EP. However, despite all of the positive feedback and accomplishments he achieved in a short amount of time, the singer felt as though something was still missing from his experience as a recording artist and parted ways with the label after the release of his EP in 2014.
The journey to find himself as an artist was an uphill battle for years. Wrabel had been writing and playing music since he was a teen, but the transition from songwriter to solo artist was not easy. He began his music education at a very fitting place for a talented singer: The Berklee College of Music. While he was producing music from dorm rooms and pouring his heart out into lyrics like countless other artists, his work was recognized as unique and different from his peers. It touched large groups of people, including some members of the LGBTQ+ community and people from various backgrounds. Wrabel played all the right cards to get to where he wanted to be, but through school and his record deal that phantom hole in his early career remained.
The personal decision to take a leap of faith and relocate ended up being how he found himself. He moved out to Los Angeles to decide whether or not he wanted to continue writing for other people or to remain a solo artist. And with perfect timing, Alex Hope, a songwriter/producer, reached out to him over Twitter with an idea for a new song. They ended up working together to produce his smash hit “11 Blocks” which now has over 50 million streams on Spotify alone. Lyrics like “11 blocks from my door to your doorstep. Three years later and it feels so close,” allow fans to connect with missing someone even years after parting ways. Without any knowledge of the track’s overnight success, Wrabel’s manager had sent the track over to L.A. Reid in the middle of the night. Reid instantly recognized the potential in both the track and Wrabel’s persona as an artist and was desperate to know more about him. He was so interested that he called the singer’s manager seven times that same night. Eventually, the two met and discussed Wrabel’s talent as a singer-songwriter. He later was offered a deal with Epic Records in the spring of 2016. It wasn’t until then that he felt satisfied and content with where his mind and heart were at in regards to his career in the music industry. Wrabel eventually left Epic Records in August of 2018, although it was a difficult decision for him to make. Following his departure, he stated "I love record labels, and when they work, oh my gosh it's wonderful ... I kind of just wanted to make something completely outside of that."
Over five years after that initial premiere of “Ten Feet Tall” during the 2014 Superbowl, Wrabel has captured millions of listeners around the world with vulnerable lyrics that address sexuality and internal struggles. He has managed to maintain popularity through his solo career and is currently wrapping up a tour in the United States with more international dates in 2020. Since the start of his career, he has written for even more artists, such as P!nk, Kygo, and Backstreet Boys, to create hits that have taken over both the radio and streaming platforms. He has also founded his own label: Big Gay Records. Wrabel’s work behind-the-scenes and as a solo artist continues to impact the music industry in the most organic way possible.