“If you’re expecting the same old soul singer, that’s not necessarily who I am,” the prodigy divulges as perhaps the most telling description of his work. “I call my sound ‘future throwback soul’ since it’s what people love about old soul music, that throwback sound… but I bring it into the future.” Growing up in Manchester, he put in his time studying the soul greats of yesterday and today, developing his sound as a teen through bedroom recordings and making his name performing on Britain’s underground urban stages. “It was tough fitting into the Manchester music scene which had always been really focused on guitar and dance music, the urban scene was almost non-existent… so, in making those recordings in my bedroom, I figured out how I wanted to sound…It was my training ground. Everything really began there for me. It was the first step in becoming the artist I am today.”
He first perked mainstream ears accompanying the Gorillaz on their 2010 chart hit, “Doncamatic,” after a mutual friend introduced the group to his music at one of his many London shows. He released the single, “Smoking Gun” in 2011 to impressive airplay, gaining ground as an independent artist on BBC Radio 1xtra and being listed as one of the station’s ‘Sound of 2011’ honorable mentions. He later fueled Wretch 32’s “Long Way Home,” for which he co-wrote.
His gradual ascent didn’t come easy, however. Pulling in favors after nearly being dropped by his label and investing his own money into promotion, Daley completed his EP, Those Who Wait, spawning his initial viral online success in 2012. “I made the EP a free download because after the Gorillaz track there really wasn’t much else out there for people to get ahold of from me and in doing so, it spread around the world and helped me gain the attention of more listeners,” he explains. “In being free, it took on a life of its own and became like an introduction for me as an artist… I knew I had to get it heard stateside and that was really the best way.”
His second EP, Alone Together (also released in 2012) continued his rise with his first stateside single, the subtly seductive “Alone Together” featuring Grammy nominee, Marsha Ambrosius, for which New York R&B radio station WBLS gave its first spins. Since his US debut, he’s garnered two Soul Train Award nominations and has racked up over 5 million YouTube/VEVO views with the video for his Jessie J-assisted duet, “Remember Me.” Supporting the likes of Miguel and Emeli Sande, along with megastar label mate, Jessie J, he’s performed to sold-out audiences around the world and counts icons, George Michael and Bobby Womack, among his fans. 2013 scored Daley his first MOBO nominations, for “Best Newcomer” and “Best R&B Artist,” along with a guest spot on Nelly’s latest single, “Heaven.”
Part of Daley’s international appeal comes from his ability to harmonize the sounds of yesterday and tomorrow with the technologies of today. His Twitter hash tag “#ASKDALEY” has trended globally, while he’s notably become one of BBC 1xtra Live’s most shared acts to date. He says of his digital following: “I can gage people’s reactions and I like to hear their feedback. It’s important to me to hear how people feel and relate to my music.”
All signs point to a massive full-length debut from the artist in 2014.
Entitled Days & Nights, the album balances the bright young star’s individual style and awe-worthy falsetto with illuminating vulnerability and substance. “Days & Nights is literally my life for the past couple of years. It’s trying to balance your career, your love life, your ‘everything’ and keeping them all in check… it all blurs into one like your day’s and night’s,” he describes.
Fusing R&B/Soul aesthetics he grew up on (from Prince’s funky fervor to D’Angelo’s neo-soul) with sparse electro-ambient stylings, he effectively captures this generation’s sonic amalgam. While his palette’s rooted in the classics, he pushes music forward with a sound beyond his years. “It’s soulful at its core and in terms of sound and production, the album reflects me and my influences – a combination of US and UK sounds,” he details.
On “Be,” he employs 80’s percussion with moody piano chords to achieve a Sade-like AC stunner. “Blame The World’s” boom-bap brass and orchestral backing show off his bombastic versatility, while the empowering “Broken” proves he can easily hold his own as a triumphant balladeer a la Adele. Pharrell’s co-production on “Look Up” even reminisces Marvin Gaye’s seminal “What’s Going On,” begging a comparison to the icon’s greatest moments.
Tackling the everyday has never sounded so sensuous.
Days & Nights welcomes Daley to the world stage without compromise.
Good News
Daley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seems like there's no relief whichever way I fall , no
And it's more than I can take
Can somebody show me
How I'm supposed to feel, yeah
Cause I'm looking for the light
But there's no silver line
In the headlines that I'm reading
So somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Tell me it's alright
Somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Say it again
There's something missing in this world of you and I
And we won't find it until we open our eyes
And we all want the same
Love without the pain
Truth without the blame
But we're stuck inside the storm
Dying to be reborn
When's it gonna change
So somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Tell me it's alright
Somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Say it again
I need a minute to think, need peace of mind
Will it ever be simple? Oh, no... Oh, no...
So somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Tell me it's alright
Ohh ohh
So somebody stop, somebody, somebody give me the good news
So somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Tell me it's alright
Somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Say it again
I need a minute to think, need peace of mind
Will it ever be simple? Oh, no... Oh, no...
So somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Tell me it's alright
The lyrics to Daley's song Good News are an expression of frustration with the current state of the world. The singer is feeling overwhelmed by the negative news that is constantly bombarding them, and they long for someone to give them some good news for a change. The first verse describes the feeling of being trapped and unable to find relief, no matter which way the singer turns. They are searching for a silver lining in the midst of all the darkness and chaos, but it seems elusive.
In the chorus, the singer implores someone to give them some good news and reassure them that everything will be alright. They are yearning for a sense of hope and positivity in a world that feels overwhelming and bleak. The second verse calls for a collective awakening, with the recognition that we are all seeking the same things - love, truth, and freedom from pain and blame. Despite this shared desire, we are all stuck in a storm and struggling to find a way out.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to take a leap of faith escape it all , but it Seems like there's no relief whichever way I fall , no And it's more than I can take Can somebody show me How I'm supposed to feel, yeah Cause I'm looking for the light But there's no silver line In the headlines that I'm reading
The singer is feeling overwhelmed and wants to escape from everything but finds no relief in any direction, causing him to seek guidance on how to feel better. He's looking for something positive to focus on, but finds nothing to help him in the news he's reading.
So somebody stop, stop Give me the good news Tell me it's alright Somebody stop, stop Give me the good news Say it again
The singer is pleading for someone to tell him something positive, to give him hope and make him feel like everything is going to be alright.
There's something missing in this world of you and I And we won't find it until we open our eyes And we all want the same Love without the pain Truth without the blame But we're stuck inside the storm Dying to be reborn When's it gonna change
The singer feels like there's something missing in the world, but that everyone wants the same things - love, truth, and freedom from pain and blame. However, they feel stuck in the midst of a difficult situation, waiting for things to change.
So somebody stop, stop Give me the good news Tell me it's alright Somebody stop, stop Give me the good news Say it again
The singer is still asking for someone to provide some good news to help them believe that everything is going to be okay.
I need a minute to think, need peace of mind Will it ever be simple? Oh, no... Oh, no...
The singer needs time to think and find some peace of mind. They wonder if life will ever be simple and easy, but they seem to doubt it.
So somebody stop, stop Give me the good news Tell me it's alright Ohh ohh So somebody stop, somebody, somebody give me the good news
The singer still pleads for someone to give them some good news and let them know that everything will be alright.
So somebody stop, stop Give me the good news Tell me it's alright Somebody stop, stop Give me the good news Say it again
The singer wants someone to keep giving them good news and tell them that everything will work out in the end.
I need a minute to think, need peace of mind Will it ever be simple? Oh, no... Oh, no...
The singer reiterates that they need some time to think and find peace of mind, and that they're doubtful that life will ever be simple and easy.
So somebody stop, stop Give me the good news Tell me it's alright
The singer finishes by again pleading for someone to provide some good news and help them feel better about everything that's going on.
Lyrics © CALDERWOOD, INC., BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JULIAN BUNETTA, GARRETH DALEY, JOHN RYAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@silasdelacroix9451
I want to take a leap of faith, escape it all, but it
Seems like there's no relief whichever way I fall, no
And it's more than I can take
Can somebody show me
How I'm supposed to feel, yeah
Cause I'm looking for the light
But there's no silver line
In the headlines that I'm reading
So somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Tell me it's alright
Somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Say it again
There's something missing in this world of you and I
And we won't find it until we open our eyes, open our eyes, our eyes
And we all want the same
Love without the pain
Truth without the blame, blame, blame
But we're stuck inside the storm
Dying to be reborn
Waiting for a change, oh
So somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Tell me it's alright
Somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Say it again
I need a minute to think, need peace of mind
Will it ever be simple? Oh, no... oh, no...
So somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Tell me it's alright
Stop, ohh, ohh
Somebody stop, somebody, somebody
Give me the good news, ooh
So somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Tell me it's alright
Somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Say it again
I need a minute to think, need peace of mind
Will it ever be simple? Oh, no... oh, no...
So somebody stop, stop
Give me the good news
Tell me it's alright, alright
@sikmann
How in the world does this jam just have 143k views?!?! No justice in the world...and true talent is hardly appreciated. Daley is bomb!
@storyinternships9636
My daily dose of Daley! Good medicine for the soul :)
@threespirit5042
This should be the national Corona virus anthem. More good news please and thank you 💙
@meantwintoo
Who can't help but love Daley? He sings his ass off!
@m.franklin9434
Saw him in Dallas with my sisters, I hadnt heard his music, but OMG I fall in love with him!!! And he is a must have in my music collection!
@issacking6277
Saw him last night in Atlanta. He was simply amazing. HE KILLED IT!!!!!!!
@cherylbarton244
Soooooo many are waiting for more of Daley's music and sadly there's no word yet of new CD. He is so talented and creative. And it is his soulful voice that brings it to life. He is such a rare and special talent.
@aaronburgin1442
A simple yet powerful commentary about our state of affairs by one of the most under appreciated artists of our era. Love this song!!!
@TamaraT1973
I hate that I am so late becoming a fan of his. I just heard of him this weekend. I am instantly in love.
@missa9313
Me too! ;)