Artist Playlists
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After establishing himself as a pop force with teen-dream duo Wham!, George Michael struck out on his own in 1987, writing and producing his smouldering, R&B-inspired debut, Faith. That album's refutation of his past was both implicit and explicit on songs like the pleading “One More Try” and its electrifying title track, and it launched him to megastardom. His towering voice and unabashed love of music with soul—whether seductive R&B or arena-rousing rock—turned both his anthems of liberation and his tender love songs into unforgettable gems. - As a pop star, George Michael was a gleeful contradiction. Colourful pastels are all over Wham!'s playful “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, but the all-white tones of “A Different Corner” almost seem to be a statement of purity. Of course, any suggestions of innocence are abandoned with the supermodel sensuality of “Freedom! '90” and the glitterball urinals and cop cosplay of “Outside”.
- George Michael's vocal range was unique, flexible enough for both sumptuous torch songs like “Roxanne” and explicitly political electro-pop such as “Shoot the Dog”. He ably took on house, disco and even early hip-hop, as on “Wham! Rap”, carving a worldwide pop career first with Wham!'s ‘80s update of Motown optimism, then with his thoughtful and provocative solo years as a modern soul man.
- While many of George Michael's musical heroes came out of American soul, he was also an early devotee of the ‘70s British pop charts. The unfettered imagination of Queen and David Bowie's glam rock, the suave raunch of Robert Palmer and the strut of the Bee Gees informed his musical mindset every bit as much as the pleading voices of The Supremes and Aretha Franklin.
- George Michael's onstage charisma and behind-the-boards dexterity paved the way for many artists who wanted the freedom to pursue their pop dreams, whatever shape they might take. While auteurs like Terence Trent D'Arby and Miguel channelled Michael's soulful spirit in their songwriting and production, the Spice Girls transformed the go-go of Michael's former duo, Wham!, into their own zig-a-zig-ahh.