MUSIC: Upcoming artist Sam Smith astounds with his diverse music.
By Jonathan Whang, Staff Writer
The next big artist is here, and he’s innovating music as we know it, combining a variety of genres to create some interesting songs. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you English singer-songwriter Sam Smith, the alternative equivalent to John Newman.
Smith was born in Bishop’s Stortford and raised in Great Chishill. An alumnus of the Youth Music Theatre U.K., Smith studied singing and songwriting for years under the provision of pianist Joanna Eden. In October 2012, Smith made his breakthrough into the charts as a featured artist on Disclosure’s single “Latch.” The next year, he featured on Naughty Boy’s number one hit “La La La.” In December 2013, Smith earned critical acclaim at the 2014 BRIT Award Ceremony, where he won the Critics’ Choice Award. Now in 2014, Smith has finally made his musical debut in America with Nirvana, a seven-track EP.
Each song on Nirvana shows a different side to Smith’s emotions and talent. While Smith’s strong, passionate vocals portray Smith as vulnerable and heartbroken in the live version of his song “I’ve Told You Now,” “Safe with Me” shows Smith as a confident man upholding a relationship, comforting his significant other through house and breakbeat.
Smith and Newman, his English equal, are actually pretty similar artists. Like Newman’s debut album Tribute, it’s hard to pinpoint what genre Nirvana falls into. Both artists have soulful voices and emotional songwriting with breakbeat elements in their songs. Both also started out the same way, popularized by collaborations on other artists’ hit singles. With so much in common, I’m sensing a possible tour featuring the two in the near future.
Although every song on Nirvana is certainly a great showcase of Smith’s abilities as an artist, only a few are intended for his upcoming full studio album, In the Lonely Hour. But if you need to know anything about Smith, it’s that he does it “for the love” and not for the money, of which I’m sure he’ll make plenty this year.
Photo courtesy of www.theguardian.com