Pop Potential: Nik Miles...

I love a promising new pop act, I do. I tend to love them even more if they are an up & coming male popstar possibly because I long for the UK to be like Sweden where male pop acts dominate the charts (Eric Saade, Darin, Danny Saucedo, Ola, Mans Zelmerlow et al). Here faceless dance acts tend to have dominance with the odd One Direction & Olly Murs hit slipping in almost by mistake. But vibrant, male pop is simmering on a massive comeback & it's time to add Nik Miles to my list of current obsessions.

Let me tell you why Nik Miles caught my eye:

1. He has excellent taste in pop music - check out his youtube page for some sparkling covers of recent pop smashes. My favourite? Has to be his impassioned version of Maroon 5's Payphone. He makes bitter love recriminations sound devastatingly heartfelt...
2. It's not just about the music - of course it IS about the music (and I'll get to that in a minute), but the music is part of an overall visual and theatrical experience. Nik wears innovative clothing designs, ensures there are arresting dance routines & provides backdrops that are designed to stimulate the senses. It's all done in a thematic way so as to ensure maximum positive impact for the audience.
3. I bet that he looks good on the dancefloor - not too sound too shallow but it can't have escaped your notice that Nik is one fine looking fella. And he looks jolly decent all suited and booted (above). Add to that great popstar hair & cheekbones to die for and you've got the whole aesthetically pleasing package...

Luckily, the music Nik is producing is saturated with charm, memorable hooks and effortless, breezy likeability. His upcoming single, Beautiful People (see clip above), takes all the classic elements of what makes pop music great - strong vocal performance, intricate but accessible melodies & the aura of a real emotive pull to the song - and sets it over a modern day, pulsating dance beat which propels the song forward, lifting it to frenzied proportions. Admidst the swirling synths and throbbing bass, Nik's vocal keeps the uplifting lyrics & singalong melody central to the thrust of the song - and that's important to it being an instantly ready radio smash. Similarly, the lovely Speed of Life teaser demonstrates that he can put his love of pop music into creating the type of song he so clearly enjoys and respects. Can't wait for his debut EP to show what this young fella is capable of...