Producer Highlight: How Blackbear Built His Own Sound

Blackbear has created his space within the music industry by diving into different genres, collaborating with diverse artists, and musically expressing his journey through life.

blackbear album artwork for, "misery lake"

Article Contributed by Monica Soriano.

Blackbear’s Beginnings: Polaroid, Mat Musto and Early Music

He started his journey as a member of an emo band (Polaroid) during his high school years, then eventually transitioned to making solo music. At one point he sent out demos of his music and thus began to work with Ne-Yo and his team. He attributes a lot of his growth as a producer/ artist to the 3 years he spent in Atlanta with them. To the early fans he was known as Mat Musto, short for Matthew Tyler Musto.

He started releasing projects under this name and creating a buzz through his alternative sound. He later transitioned into the artist he is today - Blackbear.  He continued to grow as an artist by consistently releasing projects, some of which included The Afterglow EP, Dead EP & the deadroses album.

Producing, Creative Vision & More

Many popular songs were written, produced, or remixed by blackbear. A notable track is Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes,” which he remixed with Garage Band, at the time, Billie was not the superstar she is today, and Bear came across her music on SoundCloud.

Other mainstream songs are “Boyfriend,” by Justin Bieber, and “Numb,” by Nick Jonas, both of which he co-wrote. Blackbear’s true strength as a producer lies in the way he crafts his sound and world. He partakes in the writing, and the majority of his tracks are produced by him.

Some of his most successful songs that are self-produced and written include “do re mi,"“hot girl bummer," and “idfc”. 

From the artwork of his music to the stories he chooses to tell, most are accompanied by his artistic and musical input. Bear is often known for his ever changing hair color, his tattoo-covered body and his use of clothing to express himself. Whether he’s rocking the skater style, covered head to toe in pink or mixing high end brands, he is always bold and creative.

Using his creativity in music and fashion, blackbear formed a duo with Mike Posner, a longtime friend and collaborator. This duo is known for their alternative style, the use of bright green for their marketing, and, of course, their memorable music. The music they released together had varying influences of Hip-Hop, Pop, and R&B, as well as the alternative, emo sounds. They have released two albums, Mansionz and Mansionz 2, both of which were written and produced by Blackbear and Mike Posner. 

Living Through Music

As Bear continues his career for over a decade, there are many things in his personal life that make fans wonder what the future will look like. In 2016, he was diagnosed with necrotizing pancreatitis, which required him to be hospitalized for extended periods of time and undergo many surgeries. From that time in his life came his album Digital Druglord, a beloved project by fans.

blackbear album artwork for, "everything means nothing"

After taking time off from performing, blackbear returned to the stage in the summer of 2025. Recently, he released the track “Britney in '07” and has been teasing his upcoming album analogue dream set to be released April 1, 2026. We hope this year brings more health, many live performances, and music that fully aligns with Bear.