We were first introduced to Greyson Chance in April 2012 when his brother posted his performance of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” at a choir event held in his hometown of Edmund, Oklahoma. The clip, which has now reached over 40 million views, caught the eye of a producer of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” which led to Chance’s first guest appearance. Only a week later, Ellen announced that Greyson would be the first artist signed on her newly acquired label, eleveneleven, leading to the release of his first album, Hold on ‘Til the Night.
When listening to Greyson Chance’s new album, it’s difficult to fathom how this amazing voice comes out of a thirteen-year-old boy—a boy who isn’t even the top dog of middle school yet. In fact, it’s kind of funny knowing this music is the product of someone who is only just now able to watch PG-13 movies, especially considering most of the music on the album deals with relationship issues. Did I mention the kid is thirteen? My brother is thirteen, and he just recently had a girlfriend. It didn’t go very well. He ended up ignoring her, and she eventually left him alone and now refuses to talk to him. I guess it’s understandable that I would consider it interesting that Greyson is singing, “I really thought you were the one.” Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that Chance, here, wrote a great deal of the music. Hilarity aside, however, and you realize how incredibly and stupendously talented this kid is. He’s thirteen. I mentioned that, right?
Really the only thing that I could complain about is the flow of the album—well, the lack thereof. It’s more like a compilation of singles than a cohesive and well thought out LP. It’s a complaint I make fairly often, and unfortunately Greyson isn’t immune. The songs individually, however, are immensely good—even without considering his age. Many are saying he may be the next Justin Beiber, and I suppose that may be true. His songs are certainly poppy, but they are much different sound, as he utilizes orchestral accompaniment as well as his piano skills for much of his songs.
It seems in bad taste to comment on the immaturity of his voice. Though immaturity really isn’t the right word choice. In reality, Greyson sounds like a girl—a very talented girl, though. And if you can get past that, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised at the skillful falsettos and powerful vocals. He has quite the range, that’s for sure.
His range is most evident in his song, “Waiting Outside the Lines.” It’s the first song on the album and rightly so. His vocals seem more mature, which is appropriate considering the song is about conquering fears and properly enjoying life. Additionally, Greyson helped write it, which makes it seem more heartfelt than some of his other singles, such as “Unfriend You.” Furthermore, because the song isn’t about falling in love or getting over heartbreak, it seems to be more appropriate for his age. The fact that it’s about living for your dreams and taking advantage of every opportunity despite the difficulty is perfect considering how Chance got to where he is today.
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