My Top 10 Modern Christmas Songs

Hello!

So...my last post focused on classic Christmas songs that I felt deserved to be in a top 10, which you can view here. Now, it's all about those modern hits that already could be seen as classics.

As before, my top 10 is in no particular order.

10.  Leona Lewis- One More Sleep

Back in 2006, Leona Lewis won the third series of The X Factor. Having released 3 albums, in 2013, she decided to release a Christmas album, called Christmas, with Love. One More Sleep was the lead single from this album.

One More Sleep tells the story of a protagonist waiting for her partner to come home, with her counting the days within the chorus. One More Sleep earned Leona a place on the Singles Chart at number 3.

9. Kelly Clarkson- Underneath the Tree

Kelly Clarkson burst onto the scene with her classic song Miss Independent. After tons of other hits, such as Since U Been Gone and My Life Would Suck Without You, She decided to release a Christmas album, with the lead single of this album being Underneath The Tree.

The music video is just as christmassy, which involves Clarkson performing on the set of her Christmas special, Kelly Clarkson's cautionary Christmas Music Tale, dressed in a beautiful red dress. The song itself became Clarkson's 14th top 40 hit. It reached number 78 on the Billboard top 100.

8. Gabriella Cilmi- Warm This Winter

2008 was the year of Gabriella Cilmi. Following the success of her top 10 hit, Sweet About Me, she decided to release a Christmas song, in the form of Warm This Winter.

A cover of 1962's I'm Gonna Be Warm this Winter, by Connie Francis, Cilmi's version reached 22 on the UK singles chart. It was actually recorded specifically for the Winter season campaign of The Co-operative supermarket but it was since announced in November 2008 that it would be an addition to the deluxe edition of her top 10 album, Lessons to be Learnt. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be played much nowadays because it is a good song.

7. George Michael- December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)

Okay...everyone has heard of the Christmas classic Last Christmas but did you know that George Michael released another Christmas song? Yep...in 2009, without the support of his Wham bandmate, Andrew Ridgley, George released December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas).

There was a surprise in that originally it was going to be for the Spice Girls and less surprisingly, due to the fact it's a Christmas song, it was also a possibility that it was to go to the King of Christmas himself, Michael Buble. However, George Michael kept it.

In fact, keeping it was the best thing George did. After performing it on The X Factor, the physical copies of the single sold out within a day. It debuted at number 14 on the UK singles chart.


6.  Sam Smith- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Yes...I know that Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is a classic song but considering that Sam Smith had a big comeback in 2017, I thought it was only right that his version should be included.

Originally sung by Judy Garland in the classic film, Meet Me in St. Louis, this melancholic song is perfect for Sam's voice.  Smith's version fared better than the original, reaching the Billboard 100 for the first time, at number 90. In the UK, he reached number 65 on the singles chart with this song.

5. The Darkness- Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)

Let's be honest, The Darkness are only known for two songs: I Believe in a Thing Called Love and this one.  In fact they both had the same success as well...they both hit number 2 in the UK singles chart. Christmas Time... was beaten to Christmas number one in 2004 by Gary Jules' Mad World (seriously...a Christmas song was beaten to number one by this?).

Anyway, despite this issue, Christmas Time is still getting regularly played and it has since become a Christmas classic, 13 years after it was released.

4.  Justin Bieber- Mistletoe

I think we can all agree that Justin Bieber is not to everyone's taste, including mine. However, what some of you may not know is he released a Christmas song.

Yep,  at the age of 17, Bieber released his first Christmas single, Mistletoe and later, he released a Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe. Mistletoe is a typical Bieber song, about him kissing someone under the mistletoe. Cue loads of young girls screaming at this blog post "That should be me!"

Mistletoe debuted at number 21 on the UK singles charts, selling 280,000 copies and being streamed 9m times. It fared a bit better in the US, entering the Billboard chart at number 11.

3. Sia- Santa's Coming For Us

Sia's had a great career so far since she burst onto the scene with David Guetta to sing on Titanium. Following on from other successful hits, such as Cheap Thrills and Chandelier, Sia decided it would be her turn to crack the infamous Christmas market. The result? This catchy little number.

Describing a typical Winter season, with the protagonist singing "Nights are getting shorter now/Hot chocolate fills the air." It is also hinted that the protagonist is singing about spending Christmas with a loved one, singing to this loved one "You're the angel at the top of the tree," and that "Santa's Coming For Us," after the loved one is encouraged to write and send a letter to Santa.

It was the lead single off her new album Everyday is Christmas, which just entered the top 40 in the UK albums chart. It did better compared to Santa's Coming For Us, which only entered the UK singles chart at 65.

2. Coldplay- Christmas Lights

Chris Martin had already tried his hand at releasing a Christmas song, by being part of Band Aid 20 in 2004. However, in 2010, he joined his fellow band members and Coldplay released their first (and as far as I know only) Christmas song, Christmas Lights.

This song is a typical Coldplay song. Featuring a beautiful piano melody, the song depicts Christmas gone wrong; "Christmas night, another fight," with the protagonist saying that because of this, "it doesn't really feel like Christmas at all."

The song was very popular in both the UK and USA.  In the UK, it reached number 13 in the singles chart and in the US, it hit 23 in the Billboard top 100.

1. Michael Buble- Cold December Night

Let's be honest...Michael Buble is the King of Christmas. You don't here from him all year and then suddenly, in December, his Christmas songs start playing and he gets at least one Christmas special.

This particular song features on his Christmas album and describes a typical christmas with stockings hung up on the fire place and children waiting for Santa. It's also a chance for the protagonist of the song to pour their heart, begging their crush 'Please fall in love with me this winter" and "Kiss me on this cold December Night."

Buble's album, Christmas, beat Snow Patrol's album Fallen Empires to the number 1 on the UK album charts in the winter of 2011. It has featured in the album chart during the Christmas season ever since.

My Top 10 classic Christmas songs

Hello!

We all love Christmas don't we? The decorations. the Christmas dinner (apart from Brussel Sprouts!). the Christmas TV. The time spent with family, etc.

However, I think we can all agree that we can start to get into the Christmas spirit when Christmas songs start playing on the radio. Therefore, with Christmas around the corner, I decided that I would give you my top 10 classic christmas songs.

As always, the top 10 in no particular order.

10. Greg Lake- I believe in Father Christmas

I like this song as it shows the excitement of being young at Christmas. It tells the story of the protagonist as they share memories of a "Christmas tree smell," and how they believe in Father Christmas, as they "saw him and through his disguise."

Released in 1975, it reached number 2 on the UK singles chart, kept off the number one spot by none other than Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Sadly, Lake died in 2016 but this classic ensures that he will never be forgotten.

9. Elton John- Step into Christmas

Elton John is known for his outfits sometimes being shiny and in your face so what better than him doing a song during a season that is shiny and in your face...A.K.A Christmas.

Step into Christmas was released in 1973 and reached number 24 in the UK singles chart. It fared better in the USA, getting to number one on the Billboard Christmas singles chart. The video features Elton sitting at his trademark piano, wearing a glitzy suit and equally trademark wacky glasses. Fun fact: this song has a B-side single, with the title being the stupidly brilliant Ho Ho Ho (Who'd Be a Turkey at Christmas?).

In 2009, it was announced that Step Into Christmas was the ninth most played Christmas song in the UK and in 2016, it was certified silver, after selling 200,000 copies.

8.  Wizzard- I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day

I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day has lyrics that describe the joy of Christmas: snow falling during Christmas day (although if you live in the UK, the snow usually falls too early and is gone by Christmas), the excitement for children about Santa coming during Christmas Eve, and other Christmas traditions.

It was released in 1973 and peaked at number 4 on the UK singles chart. Of course, it is well known nowadays as not only a classic Christmas song but also to sci-fi fans as being in the Christmas special of the Netflix hit, Black Mirror.

7. Chris Rea- Driving Home For Christmas

You Know the feeling: It's Christmas time and you're travelling to see relatives and because of how many people have decided to do the same, you're stuck in traffic. What are you going to put on to cheer you up? Well, I think this song is perfect to sing along to. Yes...it describes the situation you're in but it does it in a cheery way. It reminds you of the reason you are stuck in traffic...you "can't wait to see those faces," and that the driver next to you is "just the same."

The song peaked at number 26 in 1988 and in 2009, it was re-released with the proceeds going to the charity Shelter. It has also been covered by X Factor stars, Stacey Solomon and Joe McElderry.

6. Mariah Carey- All I Want For Christmas is You

As soon as those Christmassy chimes start and Mariah utters those first few notes, you know you are in for one hell of a sing song with this track.  Oh...and if you have a crush, it could also be seen as a perfect song to sing to them. However, as much as everyone loves singing this song at the top of their voices, I would not recommend singing like that in front of your crush as it might scare them off.

All I Want For Christmas is You has entered the UK single charts multiple times, originally at number 2, in 1994. Most recently, it has been at number 5, showing that this song will be loved for many years to come. Yes...she is considered a diva but this song will forever be a Christmas classic.

5. Shakin' Stevens-Merry Christmas Everyone

Yes...this song is a bit cheesy but it's still a classic.  Released in 1985, it became Shakey's fourth number 1 on the UK singles chart. The song has a real Christmassy feel, describing a typical scene of families playing in the snow, as well as how Christmas is a "time for parties and celebration." The lyrics perfectly match the video, which features Shakin' Stevens visit Santa's Grotto, which includes a visit to Santa's workshop.

It is still a Christmas classic and it would be difficult to not find it on a Christmas compilation album. Altogether now: "Merry Christmas Everyone!"

4.  The Waitresses- Christmas Wrapping

This song probably isn't as well known as the others but I really like it.  It tells the story of the problem that everyone has during Christmas...there's just not enough time to sort out everything. It describes the typical process of preparing for Christmas, such as decking halls and getting trees. It's also hinted that the person is single, as it references how it "flashes back to spring time, saw him again," concluding with the person saying they "couldn't miss this one again," having previously debated about whether to attend a Christmas party and even celebrate Christmas itself, because they had reunited with the guy.

Unfortunately, it didn't chart in 1981, when it was released but it did chart at 45 the following year, on the UK singles chart. It has since featured in a few Christmas movies, notably Fred Claus. Furthermore, here's a possible, little-known fact: it was covered by the Spice Girls!

3.  Paul McCartney- Wonderful Christmas Time

Paul McCartney's little ditty about having a great Christmas with your friends and family and that the joy of Christmas "only comes at this time of year," is one that is fun to sing along together. McCartney recorded this track on his own but in the video, he is accompanied by his Wings bandmates and his late wife Linda.  Wings themselves performed on tour in 1979.

It peaked at number 6 in the UK singles chart when released in 1979 and it was at number 10 on the Billboard's Christmas singles chart in 1984.  Furthermore, it was featured in the 1998 film, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer- The Movie.

2.  Band Aid- Do They Know it's Christmas?

In 1984, a large group of pop stars, brought together by Boomtown Rats frontman, Bob Geldof, to record a charity single, with the aim to raise money for those in poverty in Africa. Celebrities such as Wham, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet among others. Band Aid was the name and Do They Know It's Christmas? was the name of the single.

It was a massive hit, beating Wham to the UK Christmas number 1 single in 1984, staying there for five weeks.  It also became the fastest selling single of all time and the best selling single of all time, until Elton John's Candle in the Wind surpassed it in 1997.  33 years later, it is still a bonafide classic.

1. Wham- Last Christmas 

I have to admit, this song has a certain melancholic feel this year, due to George Michael's death last year. However, it is still a firm favourite among people at Christmas. It tells the story of unrequited love, with the protagonist talking about how they declared love to their loved one but the loved one then proceeded to "give it away." Despite the sad topic, it still remains popular, with loads of artists covering it including Ariana Grande, Carly Rey Jepson, Billie Piper, Arctic Monkeys (during their Humbug tour) and...the crazy frog (Unfortunately, I am not making this up).

It was a big hit, with it close to becoming number one, only to be beaten by Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas?. Despite this, Wham didn't mind, due to the former being for charity. In fact, Wham donated money made from sales of this record to a similar charity to Band Aid.  In addition, it has since sold 2 million copies, making it the best selling single of all time in the UK that never got to number one.

REVIEW: Sam Smith- The Thrill of it All

Hi Guys!

So, after much anticipation, thanks to him teasing clips on Instagram followed by an announcement, Sam Smith released his second album, The Thrill of it All. We had a hint of what his new stuff would sound like, when I reviewed his comeback and Too Good at Goodbyes here, but now, we get to hear the whole album. Yay!


This album has songs that we all know and love from Sam, which is beautiful melancholic songs relating to heartbreak. One of the songs that really brought attention to me was Midnight Train, with these beautifully sad lyrics: I picked up the pieces on the Midnight Train/ Darling I have my reasons but I can't explain.  The other poignant song is One Last Song, which is effectively a message to an ex: I know you don't want to talk to me/So this is what I'll do/...Here's one last song for you.

Not only does this album feature some beautiful songs, it also contains a personal song, in the form of Scars. Unfortunately, it is only available on the Special Edition of the album but it is a song that shouldn't be skipped. It is written about and for his parents, making a point that he is proud of his mother and father and that despite their separation, they still found time to help him and his siblings through it and cleared up (my) scars.

The thing about Sam Smith is he uses his platform as an opportunity to speak out on topics that still get prejudice, with one them being homosexuality, which is why the track HIM is probably the most important track out there. Listening to the song, you maybe thinking, "It's about a son coming out to his dad. How sweet." When you delve deeper, it is actually about a boy with a religious background coming out, which is important as it is often people with a religious background who suffer prejudice with coming out, due to the views of the bible. Having someone like Sam, who writes songs like HIM can help these people to come to terms with their sexuality.

Overall, The Thrill of it All is another beautiful and personal album from Sam Smith, which I am sure will be as successful as In the Lonely Hour. As for awards? Well, here's hoping it'll pick up at least one...or two...or three, because it deserves it!

Em x

Did Sounds Like Friday Night sound like...er...Friday Night?

This Friday, a new show started called Sounds Like Friday Night. Hosted by Greg James and Dotty, two hosts from Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra respectively, the idea was the show would be similar to Top of the Pops. For those not from the UK, Top of the Pops was THE show to watch on a Friday if you wanted to know who was number one that week, whether it be albums or  singles. Bad News: It got cancelled in 2006. Good News: it is still shown over Christmas and New Year.

Anyway, back to Sounds Like Friday Night. It was...Ok. I liked the introduction of the celebrity co-host, which, for the first episode, was Jason Derulo, which I think is a nice touch. Furthermore, I thought the main hosts fitted right in. One thing I found was they didn't seem uncomfortable when interviewing the guests. Okay, they are DJs after all, so they do this for a living anyway but sometimes I find that even those in the  music profession can look awkward as a music programme host. The other good thing about Greg James and Dotty is that they are current. People will know them (well, people who manly listen to Radio 1 and 1xtra) and they both know their stuff about all types of music: Rock, Grime, Pop, everything. Perfect!

The problem I had was it felt a bit rushed. If anything, I would have preferred an hour rather than half an hour, as I feel they would be able to put more in, such as music and interviews. It would also enable more music videos, singles and albums to be previewed, rather than one music video by a random guest, one song each from the musical guests and two songs from the guest presenter.

So...overall...what did I think of it? Well, for someone who used to watch Top of the Pops, it's a disappointment. However, I think we can all agree that we need a music show that the whole family can sit down and watch together and Sounds Like Friday Night fits the need almost perfectly. Yes, there are a few things that would make it better, but overall, it's good light hearted entertainment...Sounds Like Friday Night to me!

Em x

George Michael: Freedom- Review

Most documentaries tend to just be...well...documentaries. You Know, someone would probably spend hours researching the life of that particular celebrity, collect old footage clips together and then edit this into an hour long film, interspersed with clips of fellow celebrities talking about said celebrity.

Okay...the George Michael documentary was almost like that but there was one important difference. He directed it. He wrote it. It was his own story, in his own words.

It was a very poignant opening, with supermodel Kate Moss reminding us that George Michael passed away on Christmas Day 2016, aged 53. It  became even more emotional, as the hauntingly beautiful cover of Fastlove that Adele performed at The 2017 Grammys became the soundtrack of the opening credits. In fact, the documentary was almost like a bookshelf; you had the first bookend, which was Adele's tribute, the documentary was the books, telling his story, and the final bookend was the equally beautiful tribute from Coldplay's Chris Martin, singing A Different Corner, featuring George Michael via a big screen.

But what about the documentary itself? Well, it was a perfect balance of the good and bad times in Michael's career and the fact that he was brave enough to reveal everything in the documentary was inspiring to me and no doubt, many other people who would have watched it. Issues within his career included his court battle with Sony regarding his recording contract and his substance abuse. However, the good times were, of course, his hits, both from Wham and his solo career; Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Last Christmas, Everything She Wants, Careless Whisper, Freedom, Outside...the list is endless!

It wasn't only George Michael's words though...it was words from contributors; people who knew him and fans of him. These included; Liam Gallagher, Mark Ronson, Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers and Ricky Gervais, as well as, mentioned earlier,  Kate Moss. We also heard from people who worked with him, such as Mary J. Blige and Elton John, who both performed duets with Michael, As and Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me respectively, and James Corden, who some claimed his first Carpool Karaoke featured Michael, during 2011's Comic Relief UK telethon.

Overall, the documentary was stunning from start to finish. It allowed George to reveal exactly what was going on in his life and I feel that is important for everyone to do, as there is so much speculation about celebrities' personal lives that can be skewed by the press. It also allowed us to be reminded of how much of a creative genius that George Michael was. To be honest, I don't think anyone else would make another song like Careless Whisper, for example...

Em x

You can catch up on, or rewatch, the documentary on All 4.

Can People be Too Much of a Fan of Musicians?

Hi Guys!

Today, I'm discussing something that I have been asking myself recently...can people be too much of a fan of musicians? I mean, there are casual fans, who  buy the albums, go to live concerts and follow their favourite musicians on social media. Then there are the uber-obsessive fans who not only follow the band members but also probably their families on social media, go to not one, but maybe every single tour date of a tour and buy the single, despite it being on an upcoming album.

I have to admit, when I was younger, I was a massive fan of Steps. I went to their tours, I got t-shirts from the tour that were usually a size too big, I had a lot of other merchandise, including magazines, a teddy bear, a game etc. However, I only went to one date of their tour. I had videos of their concerts that I would watch all the time but I still did my homework and I made sure that I accepted people's views about them. Yes, they were vey popular anyway but I wouldn't be offended if someone didn't like them. We didn't have social media at the time when I liked Steps but I would still only follow the band and the members.

I not going to lie, I do wonder why fans get so involved with the activities of their favourite bands and musicians. Is it necessary? (Apologies if this sounded like a documentary; I did Psychology as a University degree!) As a fan, I do get disappointed when one of my favourite musicians doesn't get nominated or win an award and share my disappointment on social media but I wouldn't harass the awards ceremony. An example is when The BRITs awarded The 1975 Best British Group that Little Mix were also nominated for. Little Mix fans went nuts on Twitter about this, despite them winning Best British Single for Shout Out to my Ex. Why couldn't they be happy that Little Mix won that award? Also, why do they still send tweets saying give Little Mix a nomination?

The other thing is I have heard that some fans insult musicians' girlfriends purely because either they don't like the girlfriend or because the fans believe members are together. I am talking mainly about fans of a certain boyband. Also, sometimes fans can't get over the fact that celeb couples have split. For example, I follow an ex-girlfriend of a member of one of my favourite bands on social media. She posted a photo on Instagram where a picture his band used as their album cover was in the background. All the comments were focused on this, rather than her. Why I wonder? Whether a celebrity couple has split up or not doesn't really concern me. Yes I my be sad for a few seconds and read celeb gossip articles but I wouldn't cry about it and bombard each person within that relationship with comments if they alluded to each other on social media.

What I'm trying to say is when being a fan of musicians, it is always best to be a casual fan than an uber-obsessive fan. Yes there's disappointment if they don't get awarded or don't win an award but think of all the awards they have won already and/or awards might win in the future. As for insulting their girlfriends, friends and families? This might cause you to be blocked from viewing their social media pages, which is something you definitely won't want to happen!

Em x

Live Lounge Month 2017 is Finished...Who was the Best?

So...another year of Live Lounge Month is over. For those of you not from the UK, Radio 1 host a month of Live Lounge specials every day in September, where each artist does about two songs from their most recent album and then a cover, usually a relatively recent song. This year was a special live lounge month though as it also coincided with the 50th celebrations of Radio 1. Therefore, the covers were classic songs from the last 50 years of Radio 1. These songs would have most likely had their first plays on Radio 1 before any other station.

But...Who did the best Live Lounge during Live Lounge month 2017? Without further ado, here are the results! (please note, these are just 10 of my favourites, they are in no particular order.)


10. Lorde

I have to admit, back in 2013, I wasn't a massive fan of Lorde, in particular her song, Royals, with the main reason being that it was just heard too often. However, I appreciate her more. During her Live Lounge,  she performed her latest hit, Green Light, taken from her latest album Melodrama, and she covered In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins: a song that suited her voice to a tee.



9. London Grammar

Okay...So I am a bit biased as London Grammar went to the same University as me. In fact, it is only this year that I have heard a lot of London Grammar and I have been impressed! In the Live Lounge, they performed their newest song, Non Believer, and classic, Hey Now. In terms of their cover, they performed classic: Purple Rain by Prince. The song was perfect for Hannah's voice, creating a very relaxing and peaceful version of the original.



8. Pink

Yep...She's Back! Pink made a much welcomed return to the Live Lounge, with the last time being in 2012, five years (!) ago. She opened up about what life was like being a busy, world famous popstar with two young children, and performed her latest single What About Us. Her cover surprised me as it was quite a recent song, Sam Smith's Stay With Me, but hey, it doesn't matter. what matters is that it was great and was it? It was Pink singing so of course it was good.



7. The Killers

Another music artist that has had quite the comeback is The Killers. In what is their first Live Lounge (apart from Radio 1 presents The Killers at the Royal Albert Hall), they performed their latest song, The Man, from their recent UK number one album, Wonderful Wonderful, as well as their timeless classic, Mr Brightside (let's face it, not many people can hold themselves back from singing this at the top of their voices). "What was their cover?" I hear you ask. Well, you may have noticed that parts of The Man sounds very much like a certain Mr David Bowie's Fame. so you can probably guess which song they decided to cover!



6. Wolf Alice

I wasn't a particular fan of Wolf Alice's debut stuff, as I am not a massive fan of heavy rock records. However, their recent stuff is not too bad, as it is less heavy.  Their recent song, Beautifully Unconventional, taken from their latest album, Visions of a Life, sounded great in the Live Lounge and so did their cover, the beautifully melancholic Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day.



5. Jay Z

Okay...honestly, I did not expect this but yes, Jay Z came to do a Live Lounge, 8 years after his debut Live Lounge in 2009. Now, he did do a song of his latest album, 44:44, called Family Feud but I think we can all agree that the track he did that got everyone talking was his cover (or classic track, depending on how you see it) of his and Linkin Park's track Numb/Encore, in tribute to lead singer, Chester Bennington. Jay Z also used the Live Lounge as a way to raise awareness of mental health, which you can watch here.



 4.  Rag 'n' Bone Man

Rag 'n' Bone Man has had a great career so far, earning two Brit Awards, a UK number one album and earning slots at various festivals but then he gets a coveted Live Lounge Month slot. Live Lounge gives an artist a real chance to show off their vocals and wow...Rag 'n' Bone Man was definitely no exception! He performed his latest single, As You Are, as well as a beautiful version of Skin. His cover? Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones, which sounded fantastic.



 3. Craig David

Along with The Killers and Pink, Craig David has had an amazing comeback and it seems to be going strength to strength, as he has just announced a new album, The Time is Now, the follow up to Following My Intuition. During the Live Lounge, he performed his new song, Heartline and the ultimate classic, aside from Fill Me In, 7 days. At first, I was slightly disappointed with his cover when he said it was Wild Thoughts. Mainly because I had heard the song too many times. However, he then said that he would mash it up with Music Sounds Better With You. His R 'n' B sound would have sounded great for Wild Thoughts but it was even better for Music Sounds Better With You. And the two songs together? Amazing!



 2. George Ezra

It seems the Live Lounge was full of music artists making a comeback, which included George Ezra. Ezra had last released a single in 2015, releasing the relaxing and peaceful Barcelona. Now he is back, with the cheerful Don't Matter Now. He performed this track, along with the song that I actually guessed he would cover, purely because of how well it would suit his voice: Don't Worry (Be Happy). As for a new album, the follow up to the smash hit, Wanted on Voyage? No word yet but I would definitely keep your eyes and ears out for news of it.



 1. Sam Smith

Probably one of the biggest acts in the world, Sam Smith is back to see whether he can continue his success of winning award after award, gaining UK number ones in the single charts and, in terms of the purpose of this blog post, performing in the Live Lounge. We last saw Sam in the Live Lounge in 2016, so it was a welcome return. In fact, he got a whole Live Lounge special. During his special, he performed his UK number one single, Too Good at Goodbyes as well as classic songs, such as Lay Me Down, Like I Can and Stay With Me. He also performed a cover of Alicia Keys' Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart and, poignantly, Father Figure, by the late George Michael.

You can read more of what I thought of Sam's comeback here.



Here's to next year's Live Lounge Month!

 Em x