Michael James Scott Shares First Pop Single ‘Brighter’

Michael James Scott, who recently concluded his record-breaking tenure as the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway, has dropped his first pop single, “Brighter.” Listen to it below.

Described as “a feel-good bop,” the song serves as a love letter to his hometown of Orlando and was co-written and produced by Grammy-nominated Sean Douglas, whose credits include 20+ platinum RIAA certifications and more than 4 billion Spotify streams.

“I wrote about Orlando because it’s my home—the place, the people that taught me I could fly. The song is about being back where anything still feels possible,” said Scott.

“Brighter” had its world premiere performance debut in Orlando in early May ahead of the worldwide release. This was crafted by creative director Jeremy Merrifield, working with choreographer duo Kevin & Marcel Wilson, and produced by Merrifield’s multi-platform studio, Dream Three. 

The exclusive live debut featured an immersive production, with Scott arriving in on a red convertible into the Orange County Convention Center’s Valencia Ballroom, which was filled with over 1,000 attendees, including Orange Coutnry Mayor Jerry Demmings, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Florida State Senator LaVon Bracy Davis, representatives from Orange County, Visit Orlando’s board, and senior executives from Orlando’s major hospitality and entertainment companies. The show featured Orlando-based dancers and musicians and was built with local partners, including Adrenaline Films, TripleC Sound, and 3G Lighting.

Michael James Scott is a multi-hyphenate talent known most for his expansive credits on the Broadway stage. He was Aladdin’s longest-running Genie and an original cast member, having played nearly 4,000 performances across four companies on three continents. He joined Aladdin as the Genie standby during the show’s pre-Broadway engagement in Toronto in 2013 and opened in the Broadway company in March 2014. He took take his final bow in the production on May 3.

Scott’s other stage credits include multiple originating roles in Something Rotten!, The Book of Mormon, Elf, Hair, The Pirate Queen, and All Shook Up. He has also held roles in both Tarzan and Mamma Mia!

On television, Scott can be seen as Nurse Francois Dubois in the reboot of Scrubs, which has just been renewed for a second season. Other television credits include General Hospital, Central Park, A Holiday in Harlem, A Killer Party: A Murder Mystery Musical and Black Monday. His debut EP, “A Fierce Christmas”, was released in 2020.

Scott was raised in Orlando, Florida and earned his BFA degree at The Conservatory of Theatre Arts program at Webster University in St. Louis.

Photo credit: Dream Three