Born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, the only American music Francis Karel heard was the biggest of the big, the massive pop hits that had what it took to cross borders and leap continents. Given that he was raised on a steady diet of global smashes, it makes perfect sense that Francis would learn to write his own. “That’s the kind of music that hooked me,” he reflects, “songs that were instantly catchy and memorable but still felt so fresh and original. It’s the kind of music I dreamed of making myself.” Take a listen to Handle With Care, Francis’s debut EP, and you’ll find he’s more than living up to those dreams. Written and recorded in LA, the collection marks the first entry in a bold and ambitious trio of releases chronicling a yearlong journey of infatuation and heartbreak Francis first rose to fame on Omegle and TikTok, where his jaw-dropping performances for strangers quickly went viral and earned love from high-profile fans like Benny Blanco, Meghan Trainor, Zedd, and Bebe Rexha. Before he knew it, Francis was becoming a pop star in his own right, amassing over 40M streams across streaming platforms, and landing tour dates with multi-platinum powerhouses like MAX and Andy Grammer. Francis will begin releasing new music into his next project for early 2023 very soon!