It’s been on shelves for only a week, but already Greyson Chances’ HOLD ON TIL THE NIGHT has been making an impact on the young music scene.
Based on his singles, we predicted that all of the songs would stick within the “piano-love ballad” genre that made him famous, and for the most part, they kind of do. But, there are a few surprise tracks we didn’t see coming that make the album worthwhile. Take for example, the upbeat acoustic “Stranded”. If you take out the vocals, it sounds like something Bendouin Soundclash would attempt.
Then there’s “Little London Girl”, the shining gem of the album. Beyond the adorable, fun tone, we love it because it illustrates a believable 13-year-old crush. There are only so many hardcore, serious love songs that we can take from a youngn’ like Greyson, so this track relieves him from the rest of his irritatingly mature lyrics.
Apart from those few, the rest of the album is what you’d expect. “Waiting Outside the Lines” and “Hold On ‘Til The Night” deliver what the titles say, sticking within his emotional, romantic style accompanied by his piano. “Unfriend You” also has the same tone, just replace the piano with string instruments.
On the whole, we have a lot of respect for this little talented firecracker. He’s truly bursting with talent, and he’s shedding Justin Beiber comparisons day by day. HOLD ON TIL THE NIGHT is a huge step away from the Youtube star gimmick, and a huge step toward him being respected as a musician. Another huge plus: he doesn’t have some collaborative song with a rapper, like some other early teen stars have done (*cough Cody Simpson and Justin Bieber cough*). – 4/5