On March 4, 2010, Boston’s own Sammy Adams released his first ever album entitled “Boston’s Boy.” Nobody really knew who he was or where he came from. But he has come a long way collaborating with Mike Posner and Pharrell Williams and will be performing here at the University on Sunday, May 4 at Springfest.
Adams had been accused of faking the numbers when the debut of “Boston’s Boy” topped the iTunes hip-hop charts in 2010. No one believed this underground college singer could be that successful so quickly. He did produce the figures to show he wasn’t lying and did not buy the records himself to get his album on the top of the charts. I think “haters” and critics are going to think twice about Adams now.
“Boston’s Boy” shows Adam’s skill as a pop-rapper. Any song on his album is good for driving around with the top down with your best friends in the summer time. His music and lyrics are very relatable to the younger generation as he sings about traveling, escaping the “haters,” girls, relationships, and just being young.
“Driving Me Crazy,” a single that Adams may be best known for, has a catchy dance beat and lyrics. You just want to sing along and have fun with your friends. While his songs are definitely hip-hop, they also can fit into the dance-pop category. I found myself listening to the feel-good “Coast to Coast,” and the party anthem “Swang Your Drank” multiple times.
Adams is very straightforward in his songs, allowing for many young adults to re¬late to his music. He says that he knows who is buying his al¬bums and recognizes his loyal college fan base. It’s said many college students prefer his sec¬ond big hit, “Tab Open,” about the college life.
Adams wants to be taken seriously as a rapper. He does come across as that geeky “white boy” but he raps harder than some of his competition. In 2010, Adams told popmatters. com, “College kids don’t want to hear about stuff they can’t relate to…they want the truth,” says Adams. “Chilling, hooking up with girls, getting hammered and waking up with a headache, these are things every college kid does every weekend.” He connects with his fans and I definitely could feel that as I was listening to his music.
Just because some of his songs have that dance feel to it, I think both guys and girls can and are fans of his. Guys can look at him as someone they can be friends with and relate to exactly what he’s singing about. Girls of course can relate as well but he is also pleasing to the eye.
Later in 2010, he created a deluxe version of his album with four extra tracks. These tracks include, “Still I Rise,” “See Me Now,” “Fly Jets Over Boston,” and “Just Sayin.” These songs fit right in with the others on his album.
Throughout 2011 and 2012, Adams released four promotional singles that were not on his album. These singles included “Blow Up,” “Summeritme,” “Only One,” and “All Night Longer.” “Only One” was his first single to receive attention on mainstream radio. This song definitely makes you want to dance and rap the lyrics out loud. Adams lyrics are catchy and I think this was a perfect fit for a radio single.
The first single off his EP “Homecoming,” (released November 15, 2013) titled “L.A. Story,” features singer Mike Posner and was produced by OneRepublic’s lead singer Ryan Tedder. This song became a hit and the video has over 2 million views on YouTube. The song is smooth, relaxed, and an easy listen.
His EP, “Homecoming” has six songs that debuted at number 45 on the Billboard 200. The EP was produced by RCA, a major record label, and allowed Adams to show he’s back and ready to take the world by storm. The songs are easy to lis¬ten to, catchy, and relatable.
This EP was the start of the next step in his career. This year he will be releasing another full-length album with collaborations including Pharrell. He will also be going on tour and of course stopping here at the Uni¬versity along the way. His laid back, pop-rap style is definitely a good listen. I think college students especially, should give Adams a chance and see what he has to offer. Adams is one to watch. Adams stays true to himself through his music and wants his fans to never forget that.
See Adams perform on Shadow Lawn on May 4.
