Blake Proehl gives it his all, whether he’s on the field or on the stage.

Proehl isn’t your everyday singer-songwriter — he worked his whole life to achieve his dream of making it to the NFL, ultimately joining the Minnesota Vikings as a wide receiver. After a devastating injury during his rookie season, though, his life in football came to a screeching halt. During the recovery period and unexpected downtime, he encountered another surprise: falling in love with music.

His musical journey began with his family, and a video of him sharing his singing voice with his grandmother for the first time unexpectedly went viral on TikTok, surprising even Proehl himself. The tens of millions of views and American Idol appearances say it all — people are ready to hear more from Blake. His pop and r&b sound has the natural likability of predecessors like Justin Bieber, and Proehl’s humility and gentle spirit make it hard not to want to root for him.

As an artist expanding his skill set with the piano, guitar, and co-writing sessions, Proehl isn’t afraid of entering new territory. His smooth vocals are just the beginning — he is constantly gaining artistic inspiration from his interpersonal relationships as well as his own journey to physical recovery.

With each song and piece of content that Proehl creates, he hopes his music can act as a way to help people express themselves and avoid putting on any fronts.