YouTube sensation opens up to MTV News about just-released Hold on 'Til the Night, guest-starring on Raising Hope. (:
Greyson Chance's debut album, Hold on 'Til the Night, is finally in stores. The singer's debut mixes his love for Brit pop (à la Coldplay), vintage pop-rock (like Journey) and confessional pop (in the style of Taylor Swift) — all music that has inspired the long-simmering record.
"I'm a little nervous, I'm a little anxious to just get it out, but I'm just so excited. I've been working on this for a year now," he told MTV News on the phone as he prepped for the album's release Tuesday (August 2). "And I'm just so excited for my fans to hear the finished, full versions of every song on the record, and I hope they enjoy it.
"When we first started recording, and what was so great about it and made it authentic and real, was that we had no limits," he added. "It was really cool to not have a set-in-stone genre and lyrical message. I'm very excited because it's a very real record."
Two singles into the album, fans will finally get the chance to hear all the songs just the way Chance always imagined they would sound. And he's most excited for fans to hear the album's final track.
"I'm very excited for the fans to hear 'Take a Look at Me Now,' and this song is just so important to me because it was basically when I was writing the song, I was basically thinking, 'I am screaming this out to all those people who doubted me,' " he said. "It's one of those types of inspirational songs that I get my inspiration from."
Chance's rise to fame has been quick. He went from an Ellen DeGeneres- and Lady Gaga-approved YouTube sensation to a legitimate pop singer almost overnight. And the transition hasn't been unnoticed by the 13-year-old.
"It's a total culture shock: I never expected that by putting [a performance of Gaga's] 'Paparazzi' on YouTube that it would lead to this," he explained. "It's so crazy, and I'm so lucky for the platform that I have and the amazing fans out there who kept on watching the video and wanted me as an artist."
August is also a big month for Chance because he will turn 14 and will also tape his small-screen acting debut. "It's a very exciting time to be me," he said, laughing. "I'm so excited for the record. For my birthday, I'm actually going to be filming 'Raising Hope.' I'm going to be guest-starring on that TV show, and I'm very excited for it."
Are you excited for Greyson Chance's debut album? Tell us in the comments!
