Music Corner
Sam Fender is about to take the musical world by storm. The UK-based artist’s new record “Seventeen Going Under” is a gut-wrenching love letter to North Shields, miles more intimate than his debut “Hypersonic Missiles.” It’s not lost on Fender that this album is a bittersweet reflection of himself more than it is of anyone else, describing the album in an Instagram post as “about growing up, the trials and tribulations that come with it, and the self esteem issues that we carry through to adulthood.” A poetic example of this introspection is “Spit of You,” which details Fender’s eternal similarities to his father, while “Mantra” is a hard-hitting reminder that beauty is sometimes only surface-level. Through these difficult themes, Fender keeps his head up. “Primarily, it’s about hope.” Having earned headlining slots at Motorpoint Arena, SSE Arena Wembley, and Castlefield Bowl, among others, it’s only a matter of time before that electricity hits US venues.
