Working his way through coffeeshops in San Diego in the early 2000s, singer/songwriter Jason Mraz caught his big break in 2002 with his hit "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," which reached #15. Intertwining freestyle rap into his acoustic folk melodies, Mraz had a unique sound that resonated with people who liked all sorts of different musical styles. He chilled on the chart until 2008 when "I'm Yours" flew to #6 and gave him his biggest hit yet. He teamed up with Colbie Caillat to take "Lucky" to #48 and took home a Grammy for Pop Vocal Collaboration. He scored again in 2012 with "I Won't Give Up" reaching #8. Mraz is still going strong and who knows what additional chart successes he'll have. But don't let his hits distract you from mining the gems in his growing catalogue of pleasant pick-me-up tunes. "3 Things," from 2014's "YES!" album, is but one example of what you might be missing.
Daughter of the man who produced the classic Fleetwood Mac albums "Rumors" and "Tusk", Colbie Caillat expanded the family tradition and became a chart sensation throughout the 2000s. In one of the biggest missed opportunities for American Idol, for which she was rejected twice, Colbie's debut album "Coco" soared to #5 on the Billboard Top 200 in 2007. The record spawned "Bubbly", one of the songs she played to audition for American Idol, which also got to #5. "Begin Again" can be found on her 2009 sophomore record, "Breakthrough", which debuted at the #1 position on the album chart. This song was considered as a single, but eventually others were chosen. I think it would have been another hit for her.
