Shayne Ward • Gotta Be Somebody

Shayne Ward won the UK's X-Factor a few years ago, and I am a fan of his music. I'm also a fan of his striking good looks, and what seems, at least from an ocean away, from his support of his LGBT fans. Well, he is releasing his latest single, Gotta Be Somebody, and started making the rounds, with a stop of this weekend's X-Factor, and being interviewed and the cover model for London's Gay Times magazine.



Soon he will be releasing his next album, Obsession. Truthfully, I've only heard the single, which I really like, so can't offer much by way of information or a review, and am not sure when I will. It is scheduled for release in Ireland and the UK, and I haven't found a date for a US release. But I am sure I'll find a way to get it somehow. Anyway, here is the video for the single, Gotta Be Somebody, with Shayne deliciously shirtless for much of it. The song is wonderful Pop, made even better by the wonderful voice of Mr. Ward.



For more about the hunky man of Irish descent, you can check out his official website here. You can also check him out on FaceBook here, and on Twitter here.

Str8 Boys Need Love Too - Shayne Ward

A young man from Manchester with Irish root, Shayne Ward took the second season of Simon Cowell's The X-Factor with strong performances. Handsome, sexy, and talented to boot, I discovered him on YouTube following the final when he sang Over The Rainbow, and his control and range just blew me away.



After the win, Shayne was placed under contract, and was managed by Louis Walsh, his mentor from the show. They soon released his debut, the eponymous Shayne Ward. The first single was the typical coronation song, That's My Goal. He sang it rather well, considering the lyrics are, well, inspiring... And it did what it was supposed to do, reach #1 on the UK chart. It was followed by No Promises, an R&B flavored ballad, much more in keeping with Shayne's voice.



In 2007, he released his second album, Breathless. I thought it was a much more complete album, more of a pop collection than an offering to appease fans of the show. The first single was If That's OK With You, and fun and jaunty little song, with this odd Ska feel. Not what I would have put out there first, but they didn't hire me, so I guess they could also do without my input. However, I like it well enough. So did the public, as it made it to #2 on the Pop chart. And I think Shayne looks really fantastic in the video.



The third single was the title song, Breathless, one of my favorite songs from the album. It's another R&B-styled ballad, and just a lovely one, too. Shayne uses his voice so well, moves up and down the range with such ease. And he has fantastic control, adding shade and nuance with the turn of a note. If more proof is needed at how little I know, this song only made it to #6 on the UK chart.



Plans are to release a third album soon, and I am looking forward to it, since I own and enjoy the first two so much. For more information about Shayne, check out his website here.

Weekend Twits

So, I just thought I would share a couple of Tweets that were placed over the weekend. All these are crossed my screen, most with links associated with them. So, this is a bit random, but enjoyable, I think.

Ricky Martin will often tweet a link to a video, and he offered the following on Sunday night.





Chris Daughtry took a moment to record his version of O Holy Night to fans Sunday night. Just a boy and his guitar, and the rocker sounds pretty darned good.





Daniel Cartier, whose music I love, tweeted a link to a new video for a song from his seasonal CD, This Christmas. The song is Carol of the Bells, and stylistically, it is very Daniel. I love it.





Josh Groban often just makes me laugh. He'll just toss out a little tweet hither and yon, and just make me laugh.



Apparently, Shayne Ward was asked to confirm it really was him on the Twitter account. Shayne, who won the second season of X-Factor in the UK in 2005, is in the studio working on a new release. And he looks damn good for a str8 boy. And reminds me I should post about him sometime.





MJ's Big Blog focuses on all things American Idol, and ran a link to one of my favorite AI contestants, Ace Young. The singer and his fiancee have joined Taylor Hicks on the Grease National Tour, but before that, he took part in the Hollywood Christmas Parade and sang Silent Night.