James Bay: Debut Album Kicks Kendrick Lamar Off The UK No. 1 Spot
Make absolutely no mistake about this, you are going to be hearing a lot more about James Bay over the next few years. James recently won the prestigious Critics’ Choice Award in the 2015 Brit Awards and his hugely anticipated debut album Chaos And The Calm was released on March 23.
It was no surprise when James Bay was shortlisted for the prestigious Critics’ Choice Award in the 2015 Brit Awards. James scooped that award on Wednesday February 25, following in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Sam Smith. Previous winners of this award have included the likes of Adele, Florence And The Machine, and Emile Sande all of whom have gone on to become hugely successful artists. There is every reason to expect James Bay to be every bit as successful as his predecessors.
RTE has already reported that James Bay has already topped both the singles and album charts in Ireland this week. Bay’s album “Chaos And The Calm” debuted at No. 1, while his single “Hold Back The River“ moves up five places to claim the top spot. By claiming the No. 1 spot on both Irish charts, James Bay joins a select band of artists who managed the same feat. Bay joins the likes of Adele, Bruno Mars, and Eminem in topping both charts.
James Bay’s album is produced by Jacquire King and by hitting No. 1 in it’s first week of release, Bay knocks Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly off the top spot after just one week. To give an indication of how popular James Bay’s album has been, Digital Spy reported Wednesday that after just two days, James Bay had outsold the top five albums‘ combined sales by over 10,000 copies.
Hailing from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, 24-year-old James Bay was discovered by Republic Records after a fan uploaded a video of him performing in a Kentish Town pub to YouTube. Since then, James has been gaining an enviable reputation as a live artist and has supported the likes of John Newman, Kodaline, Tom Odell, and The Rolling Stones, as well as completing his own sell out tour.
James’ graveled voice, personal emotive lyricism and infectious melodies led to him becoming one of the most talked about new talents of 2014, as his music received airplay on BBC Radio 1 and he is fast becoming a favorite on the UK festival circuit.
When James Bay appeared on Radio 1 Live Lounge, he blew everyone away with an unforgettable performance of “Let It Go” and led to him trending No.1 on Twitter in the UK. His EP of the same name hit No. 7 in the iTunes album chart, and he has just returned from supporting Hozier on tour across the U.S.
[Images via Alan Ewart]
