"Michael Collins is a known quantity in the corpo world, taking on contracts and negotiating deals—his speciality apparently lies in hostile takeovers and rocky mergers. That might explain his nerves of steel and mind-bending improv skills—a virtuoso at everything he touches."
entries defeated
In 2022, CD Projekt Red opened submissions for Growl FM—an in-game radio station for Cyberpunk 2077. Musicians worldwide submitted original tracks for a chance to be featured in one of the most anticipated games of the decade.
Over 7,500 entries. A handful of winners. Michael Collins was one of them.
The winning track was "Candy Shell"—co-written by Michael and released under the band Spirit Machines. You can hear it on 89.7 Growl FM in-game.
CD Projekt Red didn't just include the music—they wrote Michael into Night City itself. Visit the Growl FM Netsite in-game and look under Spirit Machines to find:
"Michael Collins is a known quantity in the corpo world, taking on contracts and negotiating deals—his speciality apparently lies in hostile takeovers and rocky mergers. That might explain his nerves of steel and mind-bending improv skills—a virtuoso at everything he touches."
The lore isn't far off. In real life, Michael is an entrepreneur and strategist—someone who understands negotiation, persuasion, and how to move people.
Projects he's been involved with have been shared by Tool and Alice Cooper. At 17, he was handpicked as an extra on High School Musical 3 by director Kenny Ortega—the man behind Michael Jackson's "This Is It"—who told him he had "star aura."
Some people are destined to end up in the credits. This was just the next chapter.