Sam Fender, People Watching | Song Review 🎵

English singer/songwriter Sam Fender makes a marvelous return with the authentic “People Watching,” the promo single from his third album, People Watching.

“Ipeople-watch on the way back home / Envious of the glimmer of hope / Gives me a break from feeling alone / Gives me a moment out of the ego.” Word, Sam Fender.  The talented English singer/songwriter returns with his single, “People Watching”. “People Watching” is the opener from his third studio album, People Watching (arrives February 21, 2025).  The album comes four years after his 2021 sophomore LP, Seventeen Going Under. “People Watching” is lengthy, running north of five minutes.  Fender wrote the track, producing alongside Adam Granduciel, Joe Atkinson, and Dean Thompson.

The excerpted lyrics from the first verse speak to the quality of the songwriting. Notably, Sam remembers his ‘surrogate mother,’ a person who passed away that meant a lot to him.  The second verse, with its descriptive, poetic lyrics, speaks to the experience of the end of her life.  “The poor nurse was around the clock / And the beauty of youth had left my breaking heart,” he sings, continuing, “But it wasn’t hard when you love someone / Oh, I stayed all night till you left this life ‘cause that’s just love.” Sam’s honesty and heart-on-sleeve approach to songwriting is admirable. Unsurprisingly, the chorus shines, even if it is the lyrics in the verses and bridge (“Kittywakes etched your initials in the sky”) that are most ear-catching.  The chorus is high-energy. Fender sings authentically and beautifully.  The driving pop/rock production perfectly suits this sincere remembrance track.  The backdrop reminds me of Bruce Springsteen, one of his influences. The saxophone playing by Johnny “Blue Hat” Davis is fire! “People Watching” serves as a marvelous preface to People Watching the album.

Sam Fender // People Watching // Sam Fender / Universal Music Operations Limited // 2.21.25

Sam Fender, People Watching [📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Sam Fender / Universal Music Operations Limited; OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]