Sam Ryder burst onto the music scene with a bang, taking second place in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with his smash hit ‘Space Man.’ The singer and songwriter, who barely caught his breath after all the adrenaline of the show, talked to Classic Rock about his favorite songwriter, Billy Joel, who has made him a better songwriter by being unapologetically himself with his lyrics.
The 33-year-old from Essex, who previously worked as a wedding singer, became a TikTok and a national star after holding his ground with his performance on the Eurovision Song Contest last year. Although his style on the show was largely pop-focused, he has a deep appreciation for rock and metal music, as evidenced by his top picks for favorite songwriters.
The singer shared his top picks, and for songwriter Ryder’s number one spot was reserved for none other than Billy Joel. The rising star even gave ‘The Entertainer’ as an example from Joel’s repertoire as the track showcasing his bravery and silliness that he doesn’t shy away from coming to the surface, influenced him to be a better songwriter.
Sam Ryder’s words about his pick of the best songwriter read:
“There are so many amazing songwriters, but right now, he is the guy that springs to mind. His way with words is incredible. He’s really funny, and he’s not worrying about being funny. The way that he explains things in ‘The Entertainer,’ such a great song, talking about the career path and this chaining to the industry that every person must feel at some point if they get the opportunity to be an artist.”
There is a list of great songwriters, but for Sam Ryder and countless other up-and-coming artists, Billy Joel holds down the fort as a top-tier writer that dares to tell their story without ever having a fear of being judged or being misunderstood, especially with the track ‘The Entertainer,’ where Joel describes the path of an artist in the music industry.
