Published by Mason Oldridge, 2 December 2022
Our Eurovision saviour concludes his breakout year with the release of his debut album.
From the dance-orientated Put a Light on Me and the energetic Tiny Riot to the slow-tempo All the Way Over and the Michael Buble-esque This Time, Ryder showcases his impressive vocals on them all.
However, the standout track is lead single Space Man. The TikTok star was chosen to represent the UK this year at the Eurovision Song Contest with the perfect pop song. In his sparkling jumpsuit, aided by epic lighting and staging, he gave the performance of a lifetime to uproarious applause. In a contest dominated by Ukraine, he broke the UK’s curse of last place and being the target of geopolitical hatred to top the jury vote and come 2nd place overall as well as bringing the world’s largest music competition to Liverpool next year. Characterised by catchy music and incredible falsetto on the chorus, Space Man is the best pop song of 2022.
Ryder deserves every ounce of his newfound fame and his future is looking bright. Although the rest don’t (as they frankly can’t) compare to Space Man, there is not one bad song on a debut album that is out of this world.
8/10