With the Justin Bieber juggernaut showing no sign of slowing down and Australian newcomer Cody Simpson starting to gather momentum, 13-year-old Greyson Chance is hoping to grab a piece of the teen-pop pie with his debut album Hold On ‘Til The Night. Since rocketing to fame with a much-talked about cover of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi”, the Ellen DeGeneres championed middle school student has released two singles and an EP. Now that he’s about to drop his full-length LP, will Greyson be able to mix it up with the big(ger) boys? Find out all you need to know about the “Unfriend You” singer below.
ALBUM: Hold On ‘Til The Night is Greyson’s debut album. The piano playing Okie, who released a 4-song EP last year, became an overnight Internet sensation after Ellen DeGeneres featured a YouTube clip of him performing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” on her talk show.
RELEASE DATE: August 2.
SINGLES RELEASED SO FAR: Greyson’s lead single is “Waiting Outside The Lines”, and his second single is the Facebook-inspired break-up anthem “Unfriend You”. He has subsequently released a track called “Heart Like Stone” on his website as a free download.
ALBUM PRODUCERS: The Matrix (Avril Lavigne, Jason Mraz, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears) and Billy Steinberg (Nicole Scherzinger, Miranda Cosgrove, Katherine McPhee, and Enrique Iglesisas) have produced tracks, as well as lesser known knob-twiddlers like Da Internz and Fisticuffs.
TRACKLIST: The Lady Gaga-loving teen has 10 songs on his album, as well as a few bonus tracks (which vary by territory).
1. Waiting Outside The Lines
2. Unfriend You
3. Home Is In Your Eyes
4. Hold On ‘Til The Night
5. Heart Like Stone
6. Little London Girl
7. Cheyenne
8. Summertrain
9. Stranded
10. Take A Look At Me Now
TOURING PLANS: After touring the U.S. with Cody Simpson on the Waiting 4U tour, Greyson is out on the road this Summer supporting Miranda Cosgrove – though he boasts a few headlining dates as well.
OUR THOUGHTS: It’s not easy for someone as young as Greyson to make age-appropriate music that still resonates with a larger audience. Justin Bieber and, to a lesser extent, Cody Simpson have pulled it off by recording radio-ready urban-pop jams with the likes of Ludacris and Flo Rida to beef up their credibility, but the 13-year-old has taken a different route, concentrating on a more adult contemporary, piano-based sound. It’s a risky move, but also an admirable one. With Greyson’s gifts as both a singer and a pianist, this album could be the first sign of the next Harry Connick Jr. Not to mention, if Chance’s album turns out to be a success, it’s also a victory for Ellen DeGeneres’ music label.
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