Way to go Joe McElderry! You exceeded my expectations with your new single “Ambitions.” Any doubt has since vanished. I am now left wanting more. “Ambitions” is actually a cover of an already brilliant song by a Norwegian band called Donkeyboy. Joe’s version is what it needed to be. It’s up-tempo and it’s the perfect vehicle to showcase McElderry’s vocal ability, specifically his upper register. The boy’s got a strong falsetto, kind of reminiscent of Jake Shears from the Scissor Sisters. Having not seen McElderry’s season of X-Factor I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Before hearing “Ambitions,” I was relying solely on Joe’s first single, “The Climb” (a Miley Cyrus cover for God’s sake) and various live clips. Not a lot to go on. I knew Joe had the chops. I knew all that was left was being paired up with the right team of songwriters, producers and publicity people. Working with producers like John Shanks and Dallas Austin, Joe McElderry’s album Wide Awake is looking to be a hot one this Fall. Wide Awake is due out October 25th, preceded by “Ambitions” on October 11th. Check out the fun and sappy video directed by Nigel Dick. Well done Joe. This song will surely go straight to #1, as it should.
