A nod to his new debut single title, Sam Ryder’s journey over the past year has been nothing short of a “Whirlwind.
Coming off the cusp of the international lockdown in March 2020, Sam uploaded the first of his now-famous covers. It didn’t take long for his covers to go viral and gain the attention of some famous fans including Justin Bieber, Sia, Alicia Keys, and Elton John. Compilations of his videos began popping up on shows like The Ellen Show and BBC’s Newsbeat. His socials now stand at over 10 million followers and his videos rake in hundreds of thousands of comments.
Fast forward seven months and Sam rounded-off his incredible year with TikTok crowning his account as the most popular UK artist account of 2020 – beating the likes of Dua Lipa, Lewis Capaldi and Liam Payne. A truly incredible feat, for an incredibly talented artist.
“Whirlwind” was written and produced in collaboration with Jamie Hartman (Ivor Novello Award, BMI Pop Award, Brits Award, other credits: Rag n Bone Man, Calvin Harris, Lewis Capaldi, Celeste, Louis Tomlinson) with additional production from Dan Grech-Marguerat (Grammy Award, Lana Del Rey, George Ezra, Tom Grennan) & Max Wolfgang.
Sam says of the track, “To be frustratingly ambiguous about the meaning (I’ll let you make up your own mind) when you’re spiralling, up or down, there are forces at work that are beyond your control. In essence, if you ever find yourself swept up in a whirlwind, it might (or might not) be of some comfort to know that where you end up may not be completely up to you.”
With a record deal with Parlophone Records/Elektra Records to his name, Sam has spent the last few months writing and recording original songs with some of the finest writers and producers from around the world and is set to continue his meteoric rise.
“Whirlwind” is available now at all streaming platforms via Parlophone Records/Elektra Records. The release is accompanied by an official lyric video, streaming now on the artist’s official YouTube channel.