Geordie icon Sam Fender did it again: breaking back into the music scene with his sophomore album, Seventeen Going Under.
If there is one thing Sam Fender knows how to do, it is how to produce an album. Following his hit debut album Hypersonic Missiles, there was a lot of pressure for Fender to outdo himself and produce an album that even came close to matching his first success – but that is exactly what he did. Heartfelt, emotional and personal are the three words to summarise this masterpiece. Fender writes about his own experience of growing up in North Shields and tackles topics such as adolescence, parental relationships, toxic masculinity, mental health, and growing up in a disadvantaged area of England. He does all this while also recognising his privilege in society as a white singer-songwriter with a growing fanbase.
In ‘Seventeen Going Under’, the title track and the first track off the album, Fender’s gaze shifts inward, surpassing the shallowness of trendy, performative, millennial introspection. Partnered with a catchy beat, the punchy lyrics are likely to resonate with those who share a lived experience with Sam. He sings “I see my mother / the DWP see a number / she cries on the floor encumbered / I’m Seventeen Going Under.” We see him conclude the song with an image of his mother, who suffers with fibromyalgia, crying on the floor after receiving a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions. He describes a feeling that many of us will understand: the isolation of growing up working class.
Not only does Fender perfectly capture the loneliness of the modern age in his title track, he also tackles other important societal topics such as mental health. In his song ‘Paradigms,’ he talks about the media and its effect on us: “Every image of perfection starts a goldmine / they gave you bulimia / those marketing masterminds.” He subtly captures an image of the current crisis young people are facing regarding their body image, highlighting the media's role in perpetuating this crisis. He continues by saying ‘no one should feel like this,’ a line which offers hope in the midst of a sombre song.
Fender concludes his album with the track ‘The Dying Light’ which follows on from his hit song ‘Dead Boys,’ featured on his debut album mentioned above. He sings “dead men at the bar / I’ve drank with them all / through misadventure and drag / but I’m alone here / even though I’m physically not.” This song showcases the heavy influences from singer-songwriters such as Bruce Springsteen in Fender’s work. The reflective ballad ‘Racing in the Street’ plays slowly in the background, as Fender sings his touching yet soul-crushing lyrics. He continues with “maybe I could use a hand / I must admit I’m out of bright ideas to keep the hell at bay / distractions only last a day.” This shatters the stereotype that men need to be ‘strong’ all of the time and breaks down toxic masculinity, one lyric at a time. Fender admits he needs help, while simultaneously prompting all men to take care of their mental health. The song is not all negative, though: he concludes the ballad by singing “I must repel the dying light / for Mam and Dad and all my pals / for all the ones who didn’t make the night.”
Fender also continues the politicised trend of his sophomore album with ‘Aye’, notably, in which he criticises the politics of various eras. He talks about Boudica falling to the Romans, Lennon getting shot in the head and, more recently, kids falling victim to Epstein. He proudly sings “I’m not a fucking patriot anymore” to express his disgust for the current political system. He continues to attack politics in ‘Long Way Off,’ where he denounces political parties for all being the same, with the lyrics “Heard a hundred million voices / sound the same both left and right.” He claims we are a long way off from equality and righteousness in the world.
Overall, Sam Fender’s album Seventeen Going Under is nothing short of lyrical and musical perfection.
Cover image taken by Eleonora.