Sufjan Stevens (IPA pronunciation: [?suf i ?n]) (born July 1, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Michigan. He is known for his lyrically focused and instrumentally rich songs that often relate to faith and family. Stevens has enjoyed wide critical success in the United States. He is considered part of the folk revival in indie pop, but his influences are very broad. His music has been likened to electronica[1] and the minimalism of Steve Reich.[2] Stevens has announced plans to make a concept album for each of the 50 U.S. states, having begun the series with Michigan (2003) and Illinois (2005).