Spencer Sutherland, a rising urban-pop singer from Ohio, continues to exhibit ample potential on “Tell Me,” his second single of 2018.   

Spencer Sutherland is a 25-year old, rising urban-pop singer from Pickerington, Ohio.  A finalist on the UK version of X Factor, listening to his voice, it’s clear why he was so successful on the competition.  Thinking bigger picture, beyond X Factor, it’s clear why he can experience success in the biz.  Sutherland showed off his full range of abilities earlier in 2018 on his single, “Talk”. He follows up soundly, nearly two months later, with a new single, “Tell Me.”  

“Two wrongs don’t make a right / I know I f*cked up a couple times / But never like this, no, but never like this.” Hmm, what exactly is going on with Spencer on “Tell Me?” Clearly, he’s an emotional mess, pouring vocal expressiveness and nuance into lyrics of confusion regarding where his relationship stands.  From the start, there’s drama, which continues with more clarity on the first verse. “Call me crying, all by yourself / Saying that you kissed somebody else,” he sings, continuing, “But it didn’t mean nothing no / no it never means nothing.” It’s not a brand-new scenario, particularly in pop music, but a successful one – tried-and-true.  Naturally, Sutherland needs to know where they stand on the bridge, prompting the repetition of the chorus, “Tell me, tell me now.”

Final Thoughts

After “words hurt like hell” on the second verse, the listener gets more of the same – the perspective of a love-hurt man.  Sutherland plays it off quite successfully on this groovy, soulful joint.  The vocal harmonies are lovely on the chorus, which is short, but sweet.  The sound is reminiscent to R&B of the past, a huge selling point.  While “Tell Me” doesn’t come off as ‘the second coming’ or transcendent per se, Sutherland continues to build a superb case for himself.  Clearly, the dude’s got the full package to be a compelling pop star – voice (particularly falsetto and those runs), looks, respectable, relatable material.

Spencer Sutherland • Tell Me – Single • NEC • Release: 6.15.18

Photo Credit: NEC