In a time when autotuned voices, remixed melodies, and rapping YouTubers rule the music scene, musician Jamie Hannah’s voice literally soars above the rest. No stranger to music, he’s given his talent a modern edge by mashing up his five-octave range, opera-trained voice with pop music – and it has more than worked.
Jamie’s Italian Aria series has become a social media phenomenon, racking up over 10 million views and 200 thousand new followers in just eight months. He uses his classical training as a countertenor to give his spin to songs like “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” “Like A Prayer,” “Hallelujah,” and more. This British-born artist has found his space in Los Angeles and is using his continued success as inspiration for a full album, scheduled to be released in Spring of 2026. Despite his social media star climb, he remains humble, grounded, and completely candid. Not only has he mixed classic opera with modern pop, but his personality is a mix of English manners and Los Angeles passion.
Jamie’s place in music was destiny, as he was born into a family of musicians. His first recollections of music come from family time.
My grandfather could hear a piece of music and immediately go to the piano and play it. I always thought that was such a beautiful thing. I remember that as a family, we would kind of get along and sing, and my sister would bring her clarinet, and I’d be the singer. My mom and dad always remind me about when we used to play hide and seek growing up. They could find me very quickly because I would always be the one singing behind a sofa. My method was that if they can’t see me, that means they can’t find me.
Jamie’s successful operatic covers of popular music in his signature style are not surprising. As a queer boy growing up, both styles had his heart. His classical training would give him the skill set to sing in any genre.
I went to go and study at the Royal College of Music, and there was always a little bit of a discrepancy because, despite studying Handel and Monteverdi, I would get home in the evenings, and I was doing the Ariana Grande covers. I was just kind of doing them both in tandem.
I think for my whole life, I’ve always been immersed in the classical music world. I was in the National Youth Choir of Great Britain for about 12 years. I was welcomed into the choral world and was able to sing repertoire from all around the world with loads of other singers. And I think there’s a beauty in building the foundations of being a vocalist. I think that is really stemmed from some of the classical greats of our past. I was like, okay, I want to be like Whitney Houston. I want to be like Frank Sinatra. And many of them were trained and had those foundations classically.
Covid was a turning point for Jamie. Though it was a bittersweet decision, it was time to leave England. He found his home in Los Angeles.
Lockdown was just very tough. I got dropped from my music record label and I was just finding things to be quite stagnant. I was never going to give up on my career. I thought, where have I had glimmers of interest before in the past? And LA was one of them, and I knew nobody, but all of my perception of Americans was that they’re very optimistic. They’re very warmhearted. That’s what I’ve experienced is that in LA, it is this melting pot of people trying to really pursue their dreams and just kind of make something happen. That’s so inspiring to be around. There’s a real celebration of creativity and talent in this city, which is addictive.
Going into lockdown, Jamie was putting his original music out there but not getting the audience growth he was looking for. Knowing the power of social media, he released his take on Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball.” He was a literal overnight success, waking up the next day to over 1.2 million views and 7,000 comments. He would follow that viral hit up with another, his take on “I Will Always Love You.” Brides from around the world literally flew him out to their weddings to sing his version. Being a viral sensation was new to Jamie; not only did he have to deal with the pressures of going viral, but he had to adjust his love/hate relationship with social media.
Even my management at the time just said, “Great, you’ve gone viral, do it again.” It was kind of like, no one’s really caring for my mental health here. No one is looking out for what my actual purpose of doing this is. With the greatest respect to Instagram and TikTok and this content, which has built an audience, it is a long-term tool to really get to where you want to be. I am a songwriter. But for my original music to be heard around the world, it’s a necessary evil really. But I don’t think of it as a necessary evil anymore. I think of it as a way to connect with people. Behind every (like) there is a person with a story that wants to be told. I connect with every single person who messages me. Whether that’s a lady in her late seventies who comments that it’s the final few days of her life and I’ve really brought something, brought some emotion out of her, or whether it’s a 10-year-old who wants to start singing lessons. It is truly remarkable. I get so much out of that, and I focus on that rather than the metrics of what the industry kind of demands from me.
To say that Jamie’s five-octave range is impressive is an understatement. There is a unique beauty in his soaring notes. His voice plays with both the feminine and masculine energies. What has become a stunning part of his skill wasn’t always celebrated by the singer.
That was something I really, really struggled with for so long, because I think after training, I fought against it so much, and I jumped into more of a commercial side of things where I wasn’t utilizing that high register in my voice because I was scared nobody would want to date me. It really just came down to that. I threw all those years away. I suppose the silver lining of lockdown was that you had so much time to reflect on what mattered to you most. My purpose on this earth is to perform and connect with people and sing.
When I sing in that register, it just resonates with people on a different frequency and vibration. So I just had to say to myself, if people want to date me, take me or leave me. This is who I am, and I’m going to show up as who I am. Every gay boy had to do that at some point in their life, whether or not it’s a high voice or the way that they dress. It’s just standing in your truth and just saying, this is me, this is who I am. It’s not all butterflies and rainbows. I think to myself, it would be really nice to go on a date. I wonder why men don’t ask me out. Is that because I’m showing myself as this kind of more feminine person online? I mean, people have made remarks in the past, oh, you’re so much straighter in person. People are always going to have an opinion of you, regardless. I think I’ve proven over the past 12 months that I’ll be able to find my community and people who want to be a part of it. I’m working through the personal struggle.
Another element that Jamie lives his truth in is his sobriety. Being sober has helped him live his life with clarity, with the good and the difficult, and is also instrumental in his musical journey.
I’m sober seven months. I’m a work in progress, and I’m going to be putting that into my original music, and I want people to be able to know that just because I’m a public figure or whatever, doesn’t mean I’m pristine.
There are plenty of sober opportunities here in LA and in London, and I’ve really jumped into them. I think just choosing to be sober was a way for me to ensure that I was going to be the best person on that stage, at my top potential. I mean, on a day-to-day basis, I’m singing for at least an hour.
It was hard initially being in LA and being a mid-20-year-old and wanting to go out and have a good time. But I really had to put firm boundaries within myself because I want to be a performer, and I want to be a singer. And some things that are usual for a 20-year-old don’t align with how my voice needs to cooperate in a studio.
Jamie’s fan base goes beyond the LGBTQ community. His followers are diverse in age, sexuality, location, and class. But Jamie will always remain grounded in the queer community. As an immigrant, he has stood by our community in resisting the current political climate sweeping Southern California, affecting both the queer and immigrant communities.
I will always show up for my community. I’m friends with many kinds of other queer artists here in LA and in London and across the world, and I suppose it’s really nice to celebrate one another, no matter what genre they’re performing; it’s showcasing their creativity and their authenticity, and it should always be celebrated. I will always stand up for what’s right for my community.
Jamie continues to build his legacy, with his eyes on finishing his album. He knows the title, but is keeping close to the vest for now. He appreciates where his Italian Aria series has gotten him, but his true passion remains his ultimate goal.
Right now, what’s bringing me the most joy is hearing how people connect to these Italian arias. It happened in the past with my original music, but nowhere near on this scale. What I would love, which is in the works right now, is to have this album released and to really tour it across the world and be able to connect with audiences globally. I’ve had glimmers of this from doing covers and being hired to go to South Africa, Japan, Sweden, Italy, Mexico, and the USA, and people hiring me who don’t even speak English, but they’re hiring me for my voice. It blows my mind sometimes that I’ve been able to achieve that for my career. But what I would love to do is make my original music have that same impact; I’m confident I’m getting there. I’ve got about four songs I want to get to seven. It’s all coming into fruition.
There are a few themes running through it… many sober-related – resilience, overcoming, finding your strength, and authenticity. It’s just been such a pleasure to be able to be in LA with some of the top collaborators in the world. And most of the time I’m shooting, I’m a one-man band. I’m not with a record label, but I have faith in my talent and what I can bring. Sometimes you just shoot your shot, and nine times out of 10, you don’t get responses from people. But then sometimes you get that one response and you’re working with one of the greatest songwriters of all time. I’ve learned so much just to be audacious and to reach out. We’re all human; the worst they can do is not respond. That’s been kind of a great lesson through all of this as well.
Follow Jamie on IG: @JamieHannah
[Photos by Mark Short]
Last modified: September 4, 2025
