Miguel had his musical breakthrough in 2010, and nothing has been the same since.
 

The singer’s signature style, made up of R&B, Hip-Hop, funk, rock, pop, and several other genres, has made him one of the standout acts within his generation. There are very few who can capture the erotic and erratic nature of human beings who deal with the multi-faceted feeling of love.
 

The Grammy winner’s biggest selling point is the conviction within his music. There are many people who sing well, but Miguel truly makes you believe that whatever he is belting is true, at least for him. That’s why he has several hooks from songs that have taken over the culture, and will always be welcome on the aux.
 

The Los Angeles native doesn’t need to go too in-depth conceptually, nor does he always need an eye-opening simile. He has kept it simple throughout most of his career, winning fans over with relatable messages and undeniable grooves.
 

Join VIBE as we count down eight of Miguel’s most iconic hooks in celebration of the crooner’s 38th birthday.

 

"Coffee"

One of the best parts of developing feelings for someone new is the unpredictability of it. You might meet up for just a dinner date and end up spending an entire weekend with one another. With every experience being new, there’s the excitement of breaking down barriers and getting closer to one another. Miguel outlined that process accurately in his 2015 track “Coffee.”

 

In the pre-chorus, he expresses his desire to take on the role of a painter who crafts the new experiences a man and woman share as they get to know one another and end up in bed. “I wish I could paint our love/ These moments and vibrant hues/ Wordplay turns into gunplay/ Gunplay turns into pillow talk/ Pillow talk turns into sweet dreams/ Sweet dreams turns into coffee in the morning,” he sings.
 

The chorus itself is the man admiring the woman as she is asleep. It is that dormant state when a woman sometimes looks the most beautiful, especially when it is a novel discovery for the man, even after they have had sex. “Coffee in the morning/ I don’t wanna wake you/ I just wanna watch you sleep/ It’s the smell of your hair/ And it’s the way that we feel/ I’ve never felt comfortable like this,” Miguel sings.
 

The Grammy winner captures so much within these 12 total lines, that it would be impossible to not deem this one of his most iconic hooks. If you have ever been infatuated with someone, then you understand it completely.

 

"Quickie"

While Miguel excels at recounting the tender moments with a lover, he is equally talented at capturing one of humanity’s most innate desires: sexual intercourse. It’s not always rose petals, candle lights, and sensual music; sometimes, people just want to go at it and get their climax. That is the story of his 2010 record, “Quickie.”

He keeps it honest right from the beginning of the chorus, repeating “I don’t wanna be loved” before admitting he wants a quick session. Perhaps he had a partner to go home to, or a professional event to attend because he followed that up by saying there can’t be any “bite marks, scratches, or hickies.” He continues on, singing “I just want a quick fix/ Up in your mix, miss, send your wishlist/ I have you addicted, so mami come hit this.”
 

The calm temperament he sings these lines with conveys a sense of swagger. There is a playful nature to this entire chorus which doubles as flirtation, but also temptation. He knows what the woman wants and he attempts to trigger her to go after it. This song may not play outside, but it is the quintessential record to soundtrack a moment between two people who may not have plans for each other beyond one intense night of passion.

 

"My Piece"

When mutual feelings reach a certain point, people become willing to do whatever for their partner; defending them and the relationship falls within that category. In 2010’s “My Piece,” Miguel empowers his women to be the “shooter” in their union and believes that with her on the frontlines, they are unbreakable.
 

“You can be my piece/ Click, clack/ Click, clack,” he sings, likening his woman to a gun. “Tell them all get back/ Cause we’ shootin’/ Shootin’ them down.” And then he repeats it again. That’s literally it. It’s another simple hook, but it gets the message across. No matter what may try to tear them apart or ruin what they have, he’s got faith in the person he selected.
 

It is especially important because he is a man falling back and allowing the woman to be their line of defense. It was pretty progressive for a song from 2010, but Miguel has often been ahead of the curve when it comes to music. Besides, women usually handle things better than men, anyway.

 

"Power Trip"

There is a special chemistry between J. Cole and Miguel, and “Power Trip” may be the best example of it. Though they split the chorus responsibilities here, with the Los Angeles singer technically handling the pre-chorus, Miguel’s part is truly the most memorable.
 

It’s short, sweet, and sticky. “Would you believe me if I said I’m in love?/ Baby, I want you to want me,” he sings twice. Cole follows it up with the affirmation that “we are” and how a woman keeps him up all night, but his repetitive chorus would be nothing without the alley-oop from Miguel. His yearning inquiry shows how willing he was, and is, to put his pride aside for a woman. And it makes for one of the best Hip-Hop/R&B collaborations of the last decade.

 

"Sure Thing"

Miguel‘s 2010 hit “Sure Thing” showed how far being timeless can really get you, as it burst into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 within the last year.
 

It is a songwriting masterclass from Miguel, and while the true art lies within the metaphor-heavy verses, his hook is an earworm, as well.
 

“Even when the sky comes fallin’/ Even when the sun don’t shine/ I got faith in you and I/ So put your pretty little hand in mine,” he sings. It’s a track where he asserts no matter what is happening in the world, as long as he and his lady are together, it doesn’t matter. Even when the stakes get very high.
 

“Even when we’re down to the wire, baby/ Even when it’s do or die/ We can do it baby, simple and plain/ This love is a sure thing.” It’s an audio hug. Such warm and reassuring delivery from Miguel, hence why it is still impactful to this very day, as TikTok users have had it soundtrack their posts. It is arguably his seminal; well, this or the next song.

 

"How Many Drinks?"

“How Many Drinks?” is interesting to look back on in hindsight. Had this record come out in this day and age, it would most certainly be used as a catalyst to cancel Miguel. And rightfully so, as the record carries implications of using alcohol to get a woman to release her inhibitions and go home with him. Given the fact one can’t rightfully give consent when inebriated, and he and the woman in the song are far from already being a couple — as it is clear they are meeting in a public space — it’s conceptually problematic.
 

That said, and certainly not to absolve the singer of any malintent, there are some feelings in this hook that men can relate to, even if that may not be a good thing. “How many drinks would it take you to leave with me?/ Yeah, you look good, and I got money/ But I don’t wanna waste my time,” he sings. Men often spot what they want, approach them, and try to utilize how easy it is to move on to someone else as a selling point for why a woman should get with them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and they can just easily find someone else, regardless.
 

“Back of my mind, I’m hoping you say two or three/ You look good; we came to party/ But I don’t wanna waste my time,” he continues at the end of the hook. He definitely isn’t interested to the point where he’d truly ball out on the woman, and, rather, hopes for this exchange to be swift. In the pre-chorus, Miguel admits that he doesn’t want to leave the spot alone and that they are both “grown,” insinuating he’s not here to beat around the bush, metaphorically anyway.
 

Many men don’t actually want to court women and hope it will come easy for them. In this instance, Miguel is hoping a few drinks will accelerate the process and he can get what he wants. Again, it’s not the easiest or best-aged listen in 2023, but it is memorable for the impact it had in the years following and the sheer honesty. Human nature is imperfect; he sang the thoughts many people have but wouldn’t openly admit in this era.

 

"All I Want Is You"

It is crazy how the hook that started it all, 2010’s “All I Want Is You,” was perhaps the most simple one Miguel has ever written. Again, it’s not about the complexity of the pen, but the emotion of the tongue. This was the first collaboration between J. Cole and the eclectic singer, and it displayed why people love their collaborations so much.
 

The pre-hook features the Wildheart artist marveling over a beautiful woman. “‘Cause her eyes, and those hips/ And that a**, don’t compare, at all, no/ And at best, all they do is distract me but now/ Deep down, when I face it,” he sings before getting into the true gem of the record. “All I want is you/ All I want is you, now/ All I want is you now/ Now that you’re gone, gone, gone.”
 

It’s romantic, but it also hints at “the one that got away.” Miguel emphatically sings the word “now” in each line to insinuate that he’s having a moment of clarity after, perhaps, taking her for granted before. That is confirmed in the final line when he sings “Now that you’re gone, gone, gone.” It’s equal parts recognizing he messed up and fighting to get his woman back, which often go hand-in-hand. The relatability and do-or-die stakes made this a slow-burning hit in 2010 that still rings off to this day.

 

 

"Adorn"

Last but most certainly not least, Miguel‘s submission for “Forever Cookout Music” in the form of 2012’s “Adorn.” This chorus is so great because he sings it multiple different ways throughout the record. It almost feels like he wrote something down but caught such a vibe in the studio, that it just ended up being loaded with riffs, runs, and ad-libs.
 

The first chorus is pretty standard: “Just let my love/ Just let my love adorn you (Art dealer chic)/ Please, baby (Would you be my friend, my freak?)/ Yeah, you gotta know, you gotta know/ You know that I adore you (Art dealer chic)/ Yeah, baby (Would you be my friend, my freak?).”
 

The next time it comes around, he doubles the amount of lines and gets creative. He demands that the woman let his love “dress her down,” though he extends the word “let” quite a bunch. “Ahh, le-le-le-let it dress you down,” he sings. The vocal delivery and passion here continues when he says “Don’t you ever, don’t you let nobody tell you different, baby/ I’ll always adore you/ You gotta know now/ You gotta know na-nah-now, yeah.”

 

There is truly something to be said about how using the same words, but singing them in different ways and making people believe the feelings behind them has catapulted Miguel into being a highly coveted hook guy. Other artists recognize it, too. There’s power in depth, but even more power in creating something catchy. Miguel has done this his entire career. One could say he’s let his hooks adorn the fans.