Chicago – I’m going to say what many have surely been thinking but are too afraid to say. Now that Michael Jackson has left us – way too soon, I might add – it’s time to think about who might take on the title of the New King of Pop. Now, I know there will be some shouting, “Blasphemy, the King of Pop can not and will not be replaced!” MJ will always be the King of Pop. His legendary music will live on, inspiring generation after generation. He is the original, but can’t we pass down the throne? I think we can and should. Perhaps not today. After all, there hasn’t been another male pop star selling out arenas or putting out chart-topping albums to the extent Michael did… but it’s not like the King of Pop earned his crown overnight either. If we look at his discography, his fifth album Off the Wall was his “real” entrance, with a few songs written by him, including the single “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough.” Jackson was twenty years old when this album was released. You know who else is twenty? Shamir Bailey! Like Jackson, the Las Vegas native has been making music since he was a child. While Shamir has roots in country and folk, he eventually found himself creating pop music, infused with disco, funk, house, R&B, and hip hop. Though, the songwriter still picks up guitar and busts out a mean ballad every now and then!
This summer Shamir released his first full-length Ratchet, via XL Recordings. Best New Bands’ Corey Bell wrote: ”Shamir’s voice is fearless, resilient, and joyous. Seeing such a young talent illustrate such artistry this early in the game is so heartening.” Spin called it the best debut of the year. Pitchfork gave it a score of 8.3. That’s big in today’s music world. Granted, Ratchet hasn’t won Shamir a Grammy, like “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” did for Jackson, but 2015 awards have yet to go out. Perhaps in February Shamir will see some Grammy love? This year Shamir also opened for Run the Jewels and played a handful of festivals, including SXSW, Pitchfork Music Festival, and Life is Beautiful. I caught Shamir at Pitchfork. It was my first time seeing him live, and he exceeded all my expectations! It was his P4K performance that had me thinking Shamir had what it took to wear the crown, and his recent sold-out Chicago show demonstrated that he could not only fill a room, but get everyone – and I mean everyone - dancing!
The night commenced with “Vegas.” Shamir bounced to the pulsating beat, under a veil of darkness. As blue, red, and purple lights began to paint the singer, the audience started to move to the beat. The dancing really got wild with “On The Regular” and “Make A Scene,” the latter of which he joked was what he’ll be doing in a month when he turns twenty-one. During “Call It Off,” Shamir had the audience singing along and giving solo opportunities to fans up front, passing the microphone duties to a lucky few. Shamir’s latest single “In For The Kill” turned Lincoln Hall into a disco hall, with colorful lights filling the room and fans jumping and frantically dancing.
Though there wasn’t always dancing. Shamir tossed in a few ballads, leaving those up front to sway together, like a gentle moving sea, especially with “If It Wasn’t True,” off his EP Northtown, and the amazingly beautiful “Darker.” One of the most surprising moments of the night came in the form of a cover. Shamir took the punk song “Christmas Card” by Joyce Manor and turned it into an arresting slowed down crooner of a piece, unleashing that incredible voice of his. I nearly had eyes full of tears!
Shamir dedicated “Youth” to “all the young people out there.” He slyly smiled and said, “All the old people, whether you like it or not, we’re gonna run the world one day!” Cheers filled the room. Later on a fan shouted, “You’re an angel!” He smiled and said, “You guys are all angels! Wow, sold out!” After a rush of applause, he continued, “This is not only my first headlining show in Chicago, but my first show in Chicago. Well, besides Pitchfork.”
During “Head In The Clouds,” Shamir jumped off stage to dance with fans. People rushed to get close to the young singer. It seemed “Head In The Clouds” was set to end the night, but after leaving the stage, his band came back out, telling fans Shamir wasn’t ready to call it a night. His backup singer Tiffany asked if those in the packed venue could handle some more. After plenty of screams and whistles, she shouted to Shamir, “Get your ass out here!” He came out, went straight for the microphone, and said to her, “You don’t need to be rude. I’m just trying to get my life together!” Laughter spread through the room, but calmed once Shamir grabbed his guitar. Red lights fell on him as he softly sang “I’ll Never Be Able To Love.” Before breaking into “Sometimes A Man,” Shamir said, ”One more and then I’ll meet you outside for a cigarette.” While leaving the venue, two young ladies excitedly reflected on the evening and dancing with Shamir. One squealed, “Oh my god, I touched him!” The other shrieked,”Let’s go see him and have a cigarette!”
Shamir continues to demonstrate that he has what it takes to be the next big thing. He is a pop star in the making. I’m excited to see what the future holds for him, and when everyone is ready to crown another king, I’ll definitely be giving Shamir my vote for the New King of Pop!
Shamir is on tour now. I highly suggest you see him perform live! A full list of tour dates is available on his Facebook page. Ratchet is available for purchase on iTunes.
Sarah Hess
After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.
You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
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