The 'What Does This All Mean?' podcast host opens up about the tunes that have meant the most to him during some dark days.
Mike Posner may not be the first person you'd expect to have a podcast. After all, he had a hit song in 2009 -- the earworm known as "Cooler Than Me" -- and made an impressive comeback in 2016 after a few years away from the spotlight, namely with his banger, "I Took a Pill in Ibiza."
But if you know Posner, the opportunity for introspection isn't strange at all. In fact, his new podcast, What Does This All Mean?, is a natural extension for the inquisitive Duke University grad. The new series explores what it means to be human, with a recent episode diving deep into his life-changing, chance meeting with Kanye West that ultimately led to a lesson in how to turn failure into success. Posner knows what it's like to reach the heights of fame and also how to find himself again, which makes the difficult journeys he's taking us on with his 10-episode podcast all the more interesting.
"The point of this podcast is to break this cycle and share whatever insight and wisdom I stumble upon on this journey," he shares.
With that in mind, the 29-year-old singer opened up to ET about the five songs that have ultimately helped him get through some of his toughest times.
"Moment of Truth" by Gang Starr
"Guru bravely takes us step by step through the thought process that transported him from feeling suicidal to peaceful. He reminds us that we all have been through hard times before and guess what? We made it here. So there's no logical reason to believe we can't make it through this tough time as well. This song helped me so much that when Guru died, I remember crying in the Atlanta airport on the way to a show."
"All I See" by Mutemath
"This song reminds us of the divinity that runs through all things. The same force that is growing the trees is growing your fingernails. Don't forget to notice -- notice the trees."
"Ultralight Beam" by Kanye West
"This is probably my favorite song of the last two years. Kirk Franklin reminds us, 'You can never go too far that you can't come back home.' There's a love here and it's on our side. Which brings us to..."
"Stay Alive" by Jose Gonzalez
"Although sadness is a part of life, when observed from a certain perspective, it's beautiful, too."
"To Zion" by Ms. Lauryn Hill feat. Carlos Santana
"Ms. Hill recounts how when she became pregnant amidst her fame, she was encouraged to abort her unborn child. She responds with [some] of the best lines ever: 'Woe this crazy circumstance/ I knew his life deserved a chance/ But everybody told me to be smart/ Look at your career they said/ Lauryn, baby use your head/ But instead I chose to use my heart."
What Does This All Mean? is available on iTunes and Posner's official podcast website.