It’s safe to say that Sam Fender has had quite a monumental 2019. His debut album, Hypersonic Missiles, shot straight to the top of the charts when it was released back in September, and he has since sold out numerous shows all across the UK! After winning the BRITS Critics Choice Award at the start of the year, fans were well and truly anticipating something special from his debut album.
Sam and his band created Hypersonic Missiles in their own studio in the heart of North Shields, the town that Fender grew up in, and the setting for a lot of his tracks. This album was an important breakthrough for music, covering important, hard-hitting topics of male suicide in ‘Dead Boys’ (formerly released in an EP back in 2018), a track that hits close to home for Fender, and domestic abuse in the story of ‘Two People’.
The dazzling saxophone solos on ‘The Borders’, Sam’s favourite track, and ‘You’re Not The Only One’ can’t help but provide a strong, nostalgic 80s feel to the album, taking inspiration from one of his top musical heroes, Bruce Springsteen.
With the album recently going gold in the UK, we may see Fender adding a few more, well deserved BRIT statues to his shelf come February. Sam will also embark on another tour across the country in the new year, including a sell-out show at the notorious Alexandra Palace in London.
Words By Rebecca Togher