Shayne Thomas Ward rose to prominence in the United Kingdom and Ireland after becoming the winner of the 2005 series of the talent show The X Factor. His first single That’s My Goal sold 313 000 copies on its first day of sales, and went on to sell over one million copies. Ward’s second album is entitled Breathless and Ward describes the album as a “funky, sexy and different” step for him.
He decided to move away completely from melancholy and please his listeners with sultry R&B and reggae songs leaving almost no room for sadness and dismay. As for the lyrics, most of the tracks on Breathless are addressed to Ward’s only love, and some compositions tell of an affair with an unhappy ending.
The first song on the album is No U Hang Up, a song written by Arnthor Birgisson, Rami Yacoub and Savan Kotecha. The song is sure to rake in more female fans for the 23 year old Manchester-born Shayne. The lyrics describe that typical euphoric feeling in the first stages of a relationship, lasting for what seems to be an eternity. The bass line is deep and warm, and is sure to get many young girls’ knees wobbly. Breathless targets a very specific market. But for me, the album has too many aspirations towards the work of Usher and, to a large extent, Justin Timberlake. Following, or trying to top Timberlake’s style will prove a futile endeavour – it baffles me why Ward would choose such a path, instead of trying to focus on the development of an individual style and sound – something that he undoubtedly has the potential for.
I also have to mention that it is blatantly clear why he had to undergo surgery to remove nodules from his vocal folds. If he continues with those high, straining wails on songs like Breathless and U got me So, I predict more surgery in two to three years. I would seriously advise this young man to start thinking about vocal health or he could be facing a career halt to the likes of Julie Andrews.
A male audience might not be left breathless by this album, but then again, men do fall outside his target market. It has to be said that as a performer, Shayne does continue growing and attracting more fans. His second album has proved to be an impressive step forward in his career. |
