UNiQUE Programs will host R&B singer Anees to perform for their spring concert in the University Union Thursday.  

Anees, a singer and songwriter from Washington D.C., performs a genre-blending of hip-hop, R&B and soul. His music can remind listeners of a style similar to artists such as Mac Miller, Jon Bellion and Chance The Rapper. 

Anees has been passionate about his craft gaining popularity this past year. It grew exponentially when Justin Bieber joined his Instagram live. Fans admire his upbeat rhythmic music and his take on optimism. He now has over 900,000 Instagram followers and 3 million followers on TikTok. Anees even became the number one selling singer in the Philippines last year.

Shane Q and Oke Junior will be performing as the opening acts for this concert. 

All ages can attend, and the performance will be open to the general public. The first 100 students can pay $15 for early bird tickets. After the first 100 tickets sell, Sac State students can get tickets for $18 — $25 for the general public. 

Students are only able to buy one ticket at the student rate. 

Tickets are available in person or online at the Hornet Ticket Office in the Hornet Athletic Center building. Some tickets will still be available at 6 p.m. in the University Union Lobby on the concert day. 

Anees has 11 singles released, but his most popular songs are “Sun and Moon,” “Free Me” and “What Lovers Do.” He has reached over 200 million streams of his music on all platforms. 

Anees is dropping his debut album, “Summer Camp,” this spring. He also has a sold-out tour for his album that starts on May 21. 

Volunteer and Social Coordinator for UNiQUE Yuseli Campuzaml recommended Anees to the program advisor, Ajamu Lamumba.

“I pitched the idea to Ajamu in October; I kept bugging him and I wouldn’t leave him alone till November,” Campuzami said. “Ajamu looked into him and [told me he] reached out to [Anees] and waiting to hear back.”

Lamumba has been the UNiQUE program advisor since 2012. He has had artists such as Twenty One Pilots,  Kiana Lede, Bryce Vine, and so many others perform through the program. 

When Camapuzami proposed Anees to Lamumba, it sparked his interest. 

“We’ve got to find artists that are appropriate for not only our venue but for our ability to host the show,” Lamumba said. 

Anees upbeat music generates a feel-good vibe that catches Lamumba’s interest. 

“It’s a heavy time we’re in right now and [his music’s] more positive, more honest about his feelings towards his relationships,” Lamumba said. ”This is more uplifting.”

Valentina Duong is a design intern for the University Union. Doung said she hadn’t heard of Anees before UNiQUE announced he was performing at the Union. 

“I got to listen to the kind of style that he has with his music, and I think it’s a pretty chill and relaxed kind of style,”Duong said. 

Doung said she had attended UNiQUE events in the past, including the Kiana Lede concert last semester.

“There’s a lot of energy going to a concert — it’s kind of like a community event,” Doung said. “It’s overall a fun time to get to know other people and just really bond over the kind of music that you will be listening to.”