I don’t know where you were in the world and what was happening in your life when the year was 2003. I mean, that was 17 years ago, and if I can’t remember sometimes what I did or where I was even last year, then I guess 17 years ago will be a bit of a stretch. But let me refresh your memory about what was happening around that time in the history of…well, everything. Australia won the Cricket World Cup against India by more than 100 runs, while Steve Waugh stopped the news at 6pm on day 1 of the Sydney Test in early 2003 against England, the 5^th Test in the Ashes Series that was won 4-1, as he reached a personal milestone of scoring a century within a session. England defeated Australia in extra time in the Rugby World Cup final, while Andre Agassi, Rodger Federer and Andy Roddick won the Australian Open, Wimbeldon and the U.S. Open of 2003, respectively. Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as the Governor of California in November, movies like Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Matrix Reloaded (and Matrix Revolutions), Finding Nemo, Love Actually, Mystic River, Daredevil, Bend It Like Beckham, Anger Management, Freaky Friday, Mona Lisa Smile, School of Rock and Secondhand Lions, all were unveiled during the year of 2003, while the top honours of Best Movie of 2003 at the Oscars was handed to, rightly so, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Long-running teen drama TV show Dawson’s Creek ended in May 2003, while another teen drama was unveiled on TV in September, One Tree Hill. Switchfoot (The Beautiful Letdown), Newsboys (Adoration), Skillet (Collide), Steven Curtis Chapman (All About Love), Delirious? (World Service), Mandy Moore (Coverage), Train (My Private Nation), Kelly Clarkson (Thankful), Evanescence (Fallen), Delta Goodrem (Innocent Eyes) and Martina McBride (Martina), to name a few; were all actively releasing music in 2003, while we saw major events happen in that particular year as well, from the invasion of Iraq by the U.S. on March 19^th, to the release of the predecessor of Facebook, Facesmash, in October 2003. All in all, 2003 was a busy year indeed for a lot of people that have lived it, or can remember it at all. But one thing that I reckon that may have been overlooked by a lot of people who can remember 2003 and all the joys and sorrows that particular year brought to them, is this: Australian Idol debut. Yes the inaugural competition found its way to Australia, and based on the UK format of Pop Idol, this competition, in its many country forms, has swept the globe and has become the catalyst of many careers being kickstarted in music by this singing competition. And so what was the direct result of the first season of Australian Idol, to ever be considered as being a pivotal moment in not only Australian history but history for the entire world? Well, the crowning of singer-songwriter Guy Sebastian as the winner of Australian Idol, Season 1, of course!

Yep, we are going there. We are going to delve into the depths that hasn’t been discussed before in my blog series, up until now. Sure, I did discuss about American Idol and talk about artists that have arisen to stardom and influence from that particular chain of Idol franchise (Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, Carrie Underwood), but never have I really discussed about the influence that Australian Idol has had on not only Australian music and culture as a whole, but also music period, and how someone can (or maybe can’t) rise from Australian Idol (or any other Australian reality singing competition for that matter) and impact the world with their music. Australian Idol was practically the first singing competition to be in circulation in Australia, and in 2003, the first season of this Channel 10 show as unveiled. For me I was in high school, and I didn’t really watch that much reality shows in my teenage years, but what I do remember, is that there was a lot of controversy with this singing competition show- as I’m sure there always is in any reality show. At the end of the season, the final was down to Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll- the winner was in fact Guy, who has now turned out to become one of the country’s most popular pop-artists in recent music history, while runner-up Shannon Noll also went on to have a moderately successful career in the realms of Australian country music. And so now we are here in 2020, and Guy has become, if you will, an Australian icon in the Australian music industry. Maybe not for the rest of the world, but often, the more underrated artists and those who have something to say with their music are indeed the ones that not many people really know about on a global scale.

Guy Sebastian, having his musical roots in Planetshakers Church in Adelaide, South Australia, before coming onto the show, is an artist who’s been able to wear his heart on his sleeve in a lot of the songs he’s giving us. His candidness to create music with a heartfelt message and a universal appeal, no matter what the background of the person listening; is something that I am impressed about Guy’s music and his heart to see people connect and bring forth emotions people may not have felt in some time. With his music encompassing a myriad of genres, from pop, to acoustic, rock, AC/contemporary, gospel and soul; this Aussie whose generational heritage is from Malaysia; has struck a chord with a lot of Aussie’s in the more recent years- one cannot say that they are an Aussie without hearing a few Guy Sebastian songs in their life. Guy has become synonymous with Australian culture, and while maybe time will still tell if his music gains traction and interest in countries like the U.K. or the U.S.A. in the future; what remains the same is his humbleness as a person (when seeing a lot of his interviews online), and his impact on future Aussie musicians other up-and-coming artists within the last few years. As Guy continues to deliver album upon album of songs that people delve into and ponder, he’s also continued to make an impact outside of music- being a judge and a mentor in both the X Factor Australian and The Voice Australia- something that I’m sure will mean a lot to people who have been on the show previously and have had the opportunity to work alongside Guy during the duration of said shows in the past.

2003 was the first year that Australian Idol was in production, and to tell you the truth, I didn’t watch Australian Idol that year- in fact, the only seasons that I saw from start to finish (almost every episode) was in Season 2 when Casey Donovan was crowned the winner, and the last season in 2009 when Stan Walker finished on top. So for me I didn’t really have that affiliation with either Guy or anyone else on the show that I’m sure other people may have had, when they were watching week in, week out. And so for Guy to be crowned the winner of the first season, I thought back then, ‘well, yeah…that’s other artist that may or may not have an impact on society’. I shrugged my shoulders, didn’t think much of it, and thought back then that someone like Guy wouldn’t have had as much of an impact on Australian music as he now currently has. Because frankly, when someone wins any singing competition that isn’t necessarily Anglo-Saxan (i.e.: white), you start to wonder. Because frankly, as much of a multicultural country that we are in Australia, the still majority of the country is in fact white, and if someone else who is not white wins a coveted competition…well, you get the picture- as much as we as a nation, and as the world, say that there’s no racism, there is, and way back in 2003, I was thinking from the viewpoint of someone in Australia, who loved their ‘whiteness’ and then saw someone who’s not white win, and think to themselves, ‘gee, what’s the world coming to’. But enough of that. As we fast-forward to 2020, Guy has been nothing but successful, creating music that a lot of Australians get behind, no matter the nationality. From releasing his debut album in 2003, to now in 2020 getting ready to release another studio album this year (and all the albums in between), this little immigrant from Malaysia, has created a career for himself- one of hopefulness and encouragement. Guy, in fact, is probably one of the very few artists who have come from talent shows in Australia that have really made an impression on Australian society- alongside others like Jessica Mauboy, Damien Leith, Shannon Noll, Stan Walker, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Casey Donovan and Anthony Callea, to name a few.

To tell you the truth, I haven’t really been listening to as much Guy Sebastian music as I probably should’ve in preparation for this blog, and so I am a little bit underprepared. But maybe that’s ok- because often in previous blog posts, I’ve had too much information in my brain about a certain artist, and then it becomes too daunting in the fact that I have no clue how to start paragraphs because there’s too much thoughts swirling around in my head that I can’t even put ‘pen to paper’. Here, when I write as I go, I’m often feeling a little less pressure to perform, I’m enjoying the ride and listening to Guy’s music as I go along, enjoying the songs all the more as I come to appreciate one of the country’s most important and poignant musicians of today. And so in the aftermath of Guy’s Australian Idol win way back in 2003; Guy released his album Just As I Am, featuring songs like ‘Angels Brought Me Here’, ‘All I Need is You’, alongside covers of chart-topping songs of years ago, from Louie Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’, to Prince’s ‘When Doves Cry’ and New Edition’s ‘Can You Stand the Rain’. ‘Angels Brought Me Here’ was the winner’s song for both Guy and Shannon on the show- both recorded studio version of the song and both filmed a music video for it in case either won- Guy won ultimately, and while someone has placed a version of Shannon singing ‘Angels Brought Me Here’ on youtube and it doesn’t sound that bad; Guy’s rendition of said song is as flawless as can be- and a song that fits more so with Guy and his music, considering his background in the church and his musical style akin and fitting to the song in general, as opposed to Shannon’s more ‘country’ nature. Nevertheless, what resulted from ‘Angels Brought Me Here’ onward were songs that showcased not only his natural ability when it comes to covering other people’s songs, but also his songwriting skills- cowriting 3 songs in ‘All I Need is You’, ‘I 4 U’ and ‘Something Don’t Feel Right’ from his debut album.

What Guy gave to us from his debut collection of songs is the reminder that you can record your own material from the bat after you win a competition- many other talent and singing shows, X Factor for that matter, release an album mere weeks after someone wins on the show- and that album only consists of the winning song that they sing on the night, plus all the studio recordings of covers they’ve sung throughout the competition. Which is what makes Guy’s first album Just As I Am so special, different and unique. There’re cover songs, and original material, and so we could see and glimpse into the window which is Guy Sebastian and see his talent and ability from the get-go. Soulful and heartfelt, Just As I Am the album is raw and unfiltered, and that’s a perfect way a debut studio album should be. ‘Angels Brought Me Here’ speaks of the spiritual aspect of Guy’s past, and reminds us all of the fact that for someone like Guy to win a competition that was highly stacked against him and for Shannon, it was other-worldly; while ‘All I Need is You’ speaks to either a lover of Guy’s (or even speaking to God Himself) about his devotion to this love that completes him and gives him the comfort that ‘…all I need is you in my life forever, all I need is you everyday by my side, got to let you know you’re the one that I treasure, I can search the world but never find a better love that is between you and I…’ ‘Something Don’t Feel Right’, a song that Guy himself penned for his debut, speaks of a relationship that may have hit a snag because ‘something don’t feel right’- call it intuition, or even a sixth sense, or even the Holy Spirit prompting someone of a ‘gut feel’ that may be very hard to ignore; when we have second thoughts have a relationship, for whatever reason, we speak out, and seek counsel, wisdom and advice from the people around us. ‘I 4 U’, also written by Guy, speaks of a love so new and fresh, in its baby steps and stages, but also in stage where the persona falls head over heels so fast that they feel like they’re ‘hypnotised’- and that can either be very good or very bad, depending on the track record of the other person, or you yourself as well; while cover songs like ‘Can You Stand the Rain’ (New Edition) and ‘What a Wonderful World’ (Louie Armstrong) are given the Guy Sebastian treatment- the former originally by a boy-band-ish group full of all men of colour, while the latter is…well, you know ‘What a Wonderful World’, right? Everyone who loves music period, should know it- and Guy’s upbeat version of the song (with a little Indian music flair added in for good measure) is a far cry from the original song as I remember it- and that in and of itself is a good thing, that Guy can create his own version of a song that is unique and fresh, something that can draw people in when they’re intrigued by the covers, but hopefully stay the course for the originally written songs as well.

‘…there is a song called “Get along” which is very much about the intolerance between different religions and cultures, and it’s quite a political song in the sense that it analyses a lot of people’s desires. Like in the first verse it says “Some only want some shelter,” as in homeless people, and “Some want a mansion in the sky,” and “Some want a thousand virgins,” and “Some move matter with their minds.” Then it also addresses when these worlds collide, all they know is to divide. I think my favourite lyric of the whole album is, “It’s easy if they’re faceless to hate the other side.” For me the only way you cannot be a judgmental person is to love people who are completely different to you, because only through love comes understanding. And whether it’s about sexuality, or someone’s religion, or someone’s different way of living, when you can see that it is not out of a malicious place . . . It’s just like a Catholic and a Muslim person, they feel equally as passionate about each other’s things, so for one to try and tell the other that they’re wrong of course it’s not going to work, because they’re taught that you’re wrong and you’re taught that they’re wrong and whatever…that song is just about wishing for that Utopian world where everyone can just get along…’

I guess if you would have to pick one song of Guy’s that probably means the most to him on a personal level, it’d have to be ‘Get Along’. A song that I reckon is as much needed in society, because of it being a reminder that in most, if not all, cases, unity is far better than division, distrust and brokenness; Guy shows us that coming together despite our differences, is a much better option than pointing the finger and declaring that the other person is wrong, even without hearing from the other’s POV. Sometimes it’s hard to come together regardless of what we believe or our differences in race, religion, culture, sexual orientation; primarily because of what we’ve been taught, and how in many of our own cultures and cliques, its almost second nature to assume judgement upon someone else who is different than yourself. ‘Get Along’ encourages the dialogue with the other person, and pleads and asks the heavens in the form of the lyric ‘…dear God, dear soul, dear Mary, Mohammed, can we just get along…’ While I know for certain that Christ Jesus is the Son of God and that Christianity, as bold as its claims are, is telling the truth; many people may not know that, or even believe, or would find difficulty in even accepting truth in any religion because of the hurt they see religion cause out there. And so this lyric line, though written by Guy who’s background is in Christianity and the church, can be seen as a ‘blanket prayer’- a plead to anyone and everyone out there who may be listening- longing for some sort of sense in a divided world. Getting along requires being humble and understanding that we don’t know it all, and that’s ok. To listen to someone who has a different POV requires us to set aside our own preconceptions of what we believe the other person to be, and to realise that they are just as human as we are- with similar struggles and difficulties, and similar joys and triumphs, as we experience. Getting along doesn’t mean that we have to accept and believe the things that other people do, but what is required that I can take from this song is this notion of love- to love our fellow man is to love without any conditions. ‘Get Along’ is nevertheless a reminder to spend some time with someone else who is of a different viewpoint than yourself, and to understand the other side of the coin, before harsh words and rash assumptions are made, not only about the other person, but also about yourself as well. A song that I’m sure God Himself will use to bring people to a sense of realisation that the only one who can judge another person is God Himself, Guy’s musical catalogue is one full of jovialness and fun, but also one full of encouragement and sober introspection, of which ‘Get Along’ is one of them.

Just because there are songs within the musical repertoire of Guy that require attention and focus, that doesn’t mean that his whole discography speaks of heavy topics a la ‘Get Along’. There’re a lot of songs both pre and post-‘Get Along’ that are fun-filled, happy, light-hearted and joyful. ‘Like It Like That’, released in 2009 on the album Like It Like That; was one of the first Guy hits to cross over into the U.S. market, as this keyboard-prominent melody features a lot of programming- the song and message itself is one of showing true feelings to someone even if it means it creates awkwardness- better speaking the truth and working through issues with the other person, rather than keeping quiet inside and living with things to work through. In the context of the song, the persona acknowledges that the person who he’s attracted to is with someone else who’s not treating her right- and the song shows that ‘…I’m the only one who can love you like that…’; while ‘Who’s That Girl?’, a song written specifically for his retrospective Twenty Ten album, features rapper EVE in a collaboration that speaks of love (or infatuation) at first sight, and in the context of the song- it happening in a club of all places. Fusing together pop and rap quite well, this is a song that is to be an encouragement to people who are on the shier side (like myself) to get out of their comfort zone and their shell, and talk to people they may not converse with initially. ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’ is one of the many singles on Armageddon; and speaks of the notion and message of not worrying about our lives, be it because of stress, or wishing we had this or that. To be happy in the midst of worry, or even happy in spite of it, is an art and gift to juggle and handle, and Guy’s song is a reminder that ‘…if you only think of things that you haven’t got, you could have it all and still never have enough, so don’t worry, be happy…’; while the song ‘Elevator Love’ from his earlier years, speaks of a love that is spontaneous, fun, and wanting to pursue a ‘love’ and ‘commitment’ that is more focused on the earlier ‘spark’ phase of a relationship and less upon the longer-term marriage aspect of it…or that’s how I interpreted the song to be. Nevertheless, ‘Elevator Love’, as catchy as it is, can give us advice and guidance, and remind us that the ‘elevator love’ moments need to be backed up by love declarations that will ultimately last for years upon years, otherwise all it really is, is superficial.

‘Cover on My Heart’ speaks of a lament that can happen if someone waits and waits for the right moment to express a love to another, only to find that someone else got to express the love first. The song itself is a reminder to never wait and to act, that there’s never a right moment for these things and that maybe in the fumbling and the undertaking-though-being-very-scared, that we find the most rewarding and fulfilling things happen in our very lives; while ‘All to Myself’, as well-intended as the song is- on face value it is a guy saying that he loves a girl so much that he wants her all to himself, so that he can shower on her the kindness, love and affection that she deserves; is sadly a song about obsession and stalking, when looking at it a little deeper. Wanting someone all to themselves plays a little like someone who wants a possession, even if the song was intending that meaning to be portrayed. Nevertheless, Guy continues to impact and influence, with more touching and heartfelt songs of issues that we all as a society need to discuss. ‘Taller Stronger Better’ alludes to the fact that everything that happens in life will refine us and make us better people, taller and stronger as we face adversities, knowing full well that our families are there with us when things get tough- or the song could be seen as one being sung to Jesus, declaring Him to be the source of our strength as He alone can make us taller, stronger and better than we ourselves ever can; while ‘Kryptonite’ makes a metaphor and compares the love that someone has for another to that of kryptonite- Superman’s weakness. While kryptonite itself will harm and ultimately kill him, ‘kryptonite’ in the song is considered a good thing, as we know that once you know and fall in love with someone, then you know- the person will make you weak at the knees, and will cause you to carry out things you may not have considered doing, all in the name of love. ‘Gold’, a Motown/swing/soul song akin to that of the 1960s/70s, is Guy travelling into a territory that hasn’t been delved into in his music…until ‘Gold’. The song itself- a fun song that highlights the value and worth of the person that Guy himself is singing to, expounding upon the saying ‘that’s gold’ and placing it into song; while title track ‘Armageddon’ speaks of loving someone with everything they are, like the world depended on it, and like it was really Armageddon- the last day on earth. Using all these metaphors to describe how much someone who is the closest to you ought to be loved, is a great talent and art for Guy to divulge into- making the song a great standout not only on Armageddon but also a standout for Guy throughout his career as well.

Madness and Conscious both dropped in 2014 and 2017 respectively, and while both of them didn’t really have that many standout songs for me personally (mind you I didn’t really listen to that much of the 2 albums, primarily because Spotify didn’t shuffle to many of these songs when I listened to Guy on shuffle on Spotify over the last few days), what I do remember and enjoy, are songs like ‘Like a Drum’, ‘Bloodstone’ and ‘Set in Stone’- ‘Like a Drum’ speaks of the hope that someone has of feeling things again in the future, but not right now because of certain things in their life they need to work through and sort out, but nevertheless having a hope that relationships can repair once work is done on themselves first; while ‘Bloodstone’ speaks of sticking through and fighting through the difficult times in relationships, knowing that the end result, though it may require work, will look and be more beautiful and worthwhile than ever before; and ‘Set in Stone’, inspired by Guy’s time in Bali and the harrowing and heartfelt experience of himself witnessing a scooter accident that resulted in a boy’s death, is a reminder to hold onto the things that matter most in life. According to Guy himself, ‘…there are a lot of things in life that are fleeting, there are a lot of things that come and go, people that come and go and experiences that come and go, but then there’s those things that are there forever. The people that are there forever that support you and love you. This song is all about holding onto those things…’

Sometimes an artist just releases a song that connects on a soul level. Sometimes we don’t always know why or how a song connects on such a level so deep for ourselves, but it does, often with no explanation. Songs like ‘Perfect’ (Ed Sheeran), ‘Priceless’ (for KING AND COUNTRY), ‘My Wish’ (Rascal Flatts), ‘Hard Love’ (needtobreathe), ‘The Last Night’ (Skillet), ‘Worn’ (Tenth Avenue North) and ‘Praise You in the Storm’ (Casting Crowns) have all connected with myself in blog posts gone past, and Guy Sebastian and a few of his songs are no different- songs like ‘Art of Love’, ‘Battle Scars’, even newer songs ‘Before I Go’ (2018) and ‘Choir’ (2019) have all struck a chord with myself as I’ve heard Guy’s music over the last week or so. ‘Art of Love’, a duet with American Idol finalist and megastar Jordin Sparks, is by far one of Guy Sebastian’s most popular songs, and a song that really gets to the heart of what love, and I mean true love, really is. Love is an art, and we as a human race don’t always get it right. We are innately selfish (even though we shouldn’t be), and such a song as this is a reminder that it often takes a while to find love and learn that there is in fact an art to it. To love means to give yourself without reservation, to learn and to grow, to love without inhibition or condemnation, to sacrifice your own needs in place of the other person’s. ‘Art of Love’ shows us that loving someone is hard, it takes guts, and when we find and fight for the person who is for us always, we can rest assured that the sacrifices we’ve made along the way to love this person won’t go in vain. ‘Battle Scars’, a duet featuring American rapper Lupe Fiasco, is the first foray and dabble into the rap/R&B world for Guy, and though many, many duets between pop and rap artists seem disjointed in the past- as if the rap parts of the song were pasted on post-production, this track feels very organic and heartfelt, passionate, raw, compelling and poignant, as both Guy and Lupe deliver the track in a way that it could’ve been pitched by an American like Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, and it would’ve still sounded the same. The song itself? Overcoming battle scars that manifest and showcase themselves in a myriad of ways- through past hurts and regrets about relationships, or even through moments of realisation that some people, as good as we think they may be at a certain point in time, need to be let go of, because a thought of them can be holding you back from potential and where you may believe the Lord is wanting you to go to. ‘Battle Scars’ allows us all to look at our own scars and demons inside, as we come face-to-face with the things in our lives that we may not want to see, and maybe that’s ok- to confront these things we’ve buried deep down inside. And if ‘Battle Scars’ gives us the courage to face these things head-on, then the song has served its purpose. In ‘Before I Go’, littered with many metaphors about boxing, the persona (maybe Guy himself) speaks of going ‘one last round’ before he goes off to…dunno where, but the song itself is a reminder that we all may still have things left in the ‘tank’ than we think we do. Just because we have experienced the things we have, and the spotlight is not on us but on someone younger and much more ‘talented’, doesn’t mean we don’t have anything left to give. A reminder that we all have things left on the table to contribute, even if people write us off for whatever reason, Guy himself alludes to the personal nature of the song for him, stating that ‘…I wrote this song during quite a tough time in my life. I needed a song that reminded me to not listen to the voices that are trying to tear me apart and make me feel worthless. “Before I Go” is kind of my anthem which reminds me that I am on this earth to make music which moves people and brings light…’

Which brings me to ‘Choir’, a song that I believe is the most heartfelt and emotive that he’s ever done…period. Yes, this song, a little under 3 minutes, is indeed a song that speaks of a topic, we humans love to hide under the rug- mental health. As Guy himself divulges, ‘…I wrote this song as a celebration of someone’s life. When we lose people we love, there are thousands of slow, sad-sounding songs we can listen to which make us even sadder. I wanted to write something which was a joyful celebration of someone’s life which also serves as a reminder to not take one another for granted… He [Luke Liang] was hilarious. Such a funny lad who was always up for anything. He was kind to absolutely everyone and an incredibly talented musician. He played so many instruments and was a technical genius. He was such a captivating performer but was always humble, constantly pointing his energy towards the artist he was supporting…’ It is in this quote that I find there’s a soul and meaning behind ‘Choir’- its not just a pop ballad for three minutes. There’s a real story behind it, and that is why I reckon a lot of Guy’s songs connect with fans- the personal nature of them. ‘Choir’ is no different- the song is a tribute to his friend who committed suicide because of his mental health condition, a reminder to always check up on each other and to ask our friends if they’re doing ok. ‘Choir’ is a happy song in celebrating someone’s life, but it’s also a moment where we take stock of our lives and to re-evaluate what’s important: our family and friends rather than the job or the house or the promotion. ‘Choir’ ministers to myself on soul level, and for that I am grateful and thankful. As Guy continues about the success of the song, we’re reminded that ‘…we should love each other fiercely. When we lose someone we love, the pain is really hard to process and cope with. There’s always room for songs which help us deal with loss. I’m glad I wrote one which is joyous but still has a heartbeat…’

So that’s it- Guy Sebastian. Family man. Husband to Jules and father to two kids. A judge on both The Voice and the X Factor at different times of his life. A singer-songwriter who has had plenty of success over the years. Winner of Australian Idol Season 1. But above all that, he’s just a guy who’s given to us songs of hope and encouragement, and songs of laughter and joyous fun. Yes, he’s livened up the judging panel of both the X Factor (when he was around being a judge) and The Voice (where he is currently) with his frank honesty and his calm sense-of-self, as he brings out contestants from their shells on the show, but when it comes down to it, Guy’s passion to see other people do well in their own careers, all the while furthering his own by creating songs that speak more on a heart-to-heart level. This is what will continue to make Guy more and more influential. Will he be big in America in the future? Probably not. And maybe that’s ok. Because influential and famous aren’t the same, and Guy, though not that famous on a global scale, is nevertheless influential where he is. An artist that’ll continue to make his mark on music wherever he goes, the only way is up for Guy if his new album (which consists of both ‘Choir’ and ‘Before I Go’) is just like these two singles in terms of its message and style.

Does Guy Sebastian make the list for you all when you write your own ‘Best Influential Artists of All Time’ list? Is there any song (aside from ‘Art of Love’ and ‘Battle Scars’) that has impacted you on your journey through life thus far? Let us know in the comments. Till next time!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX9uggnL3tmZi