Singer-songwriter George Ezra has released several songs topping the UK charts. It is not surprising to find that he has always been producing exceptional music.
Ezra’s debut song was titled Did You Hear The Rain?, and was released in November 2013. It was first released in Italy as a digital EP, but went on as a single in the United Kingdom in 2014. It peaked at number 72 in Austrian charts, though Ezra went on to forge his musical footprint through his later work less than a year later.
Learn more below about the origins of his nuanced sound.
The Story Behind The Sound
George Ezra had always been interested in making music. He started uploading videos of himself singing his original songs to YouTube, upon which he was noticed by Columbia Records at just 18 years old in 2012.
Ezra made his official debut in the music industry at just 20 years old, and much of this is reflected in his first songs.
In an interview with Australian publication FastLouder, Ezra spoke about his inspiration behind his first EP.
“The whole point of [“Did You Hear the Rain?”] was looking at characters – and I wrote that song actually when I was, I must have been 18…” he said. “I was looking into the fact that no matter who you meet, no matter how you meet them, they’re gonna have more than one side to their personality.”
The song, Did You Hear the Rain? has a raw, unique sound. Ezra mentioned creating a combination of arbitrary beats by including beat-boxing and the didgeridoo on the song, which is perhaps what gives the song its unique tone.
It is a folk rock song, which is the genre Ezra prefers to stick to, with elements of Blues. Despite not garnering great global attention, the song was well-received by critics.
The song has dark themes, with Ezra referencing Lucifer as an evil force within. Yet, his bluesy voice gives the song depth and meaning, marking his future as a successful musician.
His first EP, that was released in 2013 with the same name, had 4 songs: Did You Hear the Rain, Benjamin Twine, Angry Hill and Budapest.
Later Success
Shortly after releasing Did You Hear The Rain, Ezra put out the song Budapest, which rose to be a hit single, topping the charts in many countries.
Ezra also featured Budapest on Wanted on Voyage in 2014, which was his debut studio album. The album gradually became a chart topper in the UK charts 4 months after its release, maintaining the position for a month.
Budapest was Ezra’s first love song, and in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, he mentioned that he “used the first 3 guitar chords [he] ever learned” for simplicity in beauty.
Although Budapest was originally released for free on Ezra’s first EP, he mentioned that it received traction much later, and quickly became popular in Italy almost overnight.
In March 2018, Ezra released his second studio album titled Staying at Tamara’s. This once again reached number 1 on the UK charts, and the top 10 in several countries around the world.
Single Shotgun from the album topped UK, Ireland and Australia’s charts, and Paradise, the second single on the album, also reached second place.
Ezra’s deep, soulful voice is perhaps the key to his success. His rich vocal range impressed fans around the world, and the singer won a BRIT Award for British Male Solo Artist in 2019.
It is evident that the music artist quickly rose to fame after his first song Did You Hear the Rain?. Since then, he has taken his time to produce quality albums, and his maturing into an adult can be heard through his songs, from the youthful voice in his first EP to his later work.