On my recent trip to the UK I bought precisely one album, Olly Murs Right Time Right Place. Why? His two song set at Jingle Ball, between 1D and Taylor Swift, was awesome -two sure fire songs, true but also personality to burn and completely at home on the huge stage. A pop magnet whose "Troublemaker" with no less than Flo Rida is bubbling on the charts.
Unfortunately, the last time I was so completely certain about an artist, he had also played a mini set that blew me away at Jingle Ball. That would be Robbie Williams. Still, Olly is truly awesome. Back in the UK, my family are not the inveterate concert goer I am but are still checking him out at the SEC in Glasgow on March 16th (I plan to get rock nyc youngest scribe, 11 year old Miriam El Djazairy, to review it). I don't blame em. He is a good looking good natured cheeky chappie, who auditioned three times before getting in front of the judges in 2009's X Factor season and coming in third. However, this being New York, we are getting him on Thursday Janaury 24th and the much much smaller Irving Plaza. It isn't sold out asI write… but I bet that won't be true a year from now.
Three top of the charts albums later, he is a huge star in the UK and Right Time Right Place is such a great album, mixing Brit pop dance and sometimes (check out "What A Buzz") English Dance Hall that for his first US release he won't have to cull a greatest hits the way Robbie did. The album should be dropping in mid-April and I will review it then.
With the success of 1d and 1Ted the question is, will this open the gates for a Brit Invasion? If it does, put Olly first.