Sam Sparro
When it comes to male pop stars, Australia’s pretty light on. Guy Sebastian – too straight. Gotye – popular, not really pop. Darren Hayes – too old. Reece Mastin – too young. Altiyan Childs – too creepy.
Indeed, if anyone flaunts that elusive X-factor, our money’s on Sydney-star-gone-global Sam Sparro. Sure, he’s only one album into the game, but tracks like ‘Black And Gold’ and ‘21st Century Life’ proved he possessed that sparkling mix of showmanship, style and smarts that’s essential to a popstar’s DNA.
Sparro’s sparkling 2008 debut earned him five nominations at the ARIA Awards and one at the Grammys and he’s already got the superstar hook-ups, collaborating with Basement Jaxx, Beni, Mark Ronson (in the group Chauffeur) and Adam Lambert.
2012 sees Sparro swooping back into our lives with his sophomore slice, Return To Paradise, due this autumn. Boasting a fresher live instrumentation and slinky disco vibes, first taster ‘The Shallow End’ bodes well for this pop prince taking his rightful place on the throne in 2012.