Teddy Swims has had a very fortunate last few years going from viral YouTube singer to topping the US Billboard Hot 100 with his powerful single Lose Control.
Releasing his debut album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1) last summer, the rising star from Atlanta (real name Jaten Collin Dimsdale) is going from strength to strength.
Much like how Amy Winehouse brought a 1960s sound back to the 2000s, Swims embraces R&B and blue-eyed soul with a pop twist, after being influenced by the likes of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder as a kid.
Having first been blown away by his performance on The Graham Norton Show last year, Express.co.uk had to check out what he was like live.
Attending the 31-year-old’s gig at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire this week, our expectations were certainly met.
Swims and his band (half of who were playing on a raised platform) entered the stage of the packed-out venue and began with an energetic start in Goodbye’s Been Good To You.
It soon became clear that the singer, whose smokey vocals are somewhere between Chris Stapleton and Paolo Nutini, could pull off a live show just as well as laying down a record.
Heavily tattooed and wrapped up in what must have been a boiling thick white coat, he performed through tracks from his album including the new single Hammer To My Heart, much to the joy of the audience bopping along.
Occasionally, Swims stopped in-between songs to monologue to the audience about loving those around you and making sure to “call your Momma”, before he slowed down with some acoustic ballads like Simple Things and Amazing around the midway point.
Of course, he couldn’t not give us his Shania Twain cover of You’re Still the One that has over 164 million views on YouTube to date.
That was before the long-anticipated encore featuring fan favourites Lose Control and The Door concluded a thoroughly entertaining set.
Teddy Swims UK tour is on-going and tickets can be purchased here.
