People Watchingis the thirdSam Fenderalbum, released June 03, 2025 through Polydor Records. A follow-up to 2021’s award-winningSeventeen Going Under, the album sees the English artist grappling with fame. At just 30 years old, Fender has risen to be an unlikely force in the British alternative scene, despite his inauspicious beginnings living in poverty in North Shields. His debutHypersonic Missilesgarnered widespread praise for its authentic portrayal of today’s working-class struggles while touching on sensitive subjects like white privilege and suicide. The sophomore release continued with the momentum, offering a more refined taste of his neoliberal views.
InPeople Watching, Fender continues to write from his life experiences. Listeners will hear more observations drawn from his Geordie roots, but will note a distinctly lonely undercurrent throughout. Throughout the 11 tracks, Fender grapples with the fame and fortune that have isolated him from former peers—commenting on his newfound lifestyle with lines like “I don’t wear the shoes I used to walk in,” in “Crumbling Empire” and “They frenzy to befriend me / But I know ye, you’ll sell me / You’ll sell me, you’ll kill me” in “TV Dinner.”
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Seventeen Going Underset a new bar for Fender. He earned his first Mercury Prize nom and won the 2022 Brit Award for British Rock/Alternative Act. It remains to be seen howPeople Watchingwill be received by the greater public—regardless, the album is a worthy successor that shows the artist at his most experimental.
11Little Bit Closer
Track 7 – 3:54
At first listen, “Little Bit Closer” could easily be mistaken for a generic worship song—listen more carefully, and you realize the lyrics are quite the opposite.A condemnation of Christian bigotry, “Little Bit Closer” takes aim at gay conversion camps and self-righteousness, while calling for a vague notion of acceptance (“But, in love, there’s something to hold / And I get a little bit closer to it”).While there could be a genuinely thought-provoking discussion here, the lyrics are frustratingly basic, and clash with the feel-good choral energy of the song. It’s unfortunately not very memorable, and fades into the background ofPeople Watching.
10Crumbling Empire
“Crumbling Empire” is a pretty, mid-tempo retrospective. Despite the somewhat upbeat instrumentation, the message is steeped in frustration. Fender laments the state of his hometown and the thankless plight of the working class:
My mother delivered most the kids in this town
My step-dad drove in a tank for the crown
They left them homeless, down and out
In their crumbling empire
It’s a solid and inoffensive track that fails to go beyond the basics. There’s a story here, and Fender’s vocals are strong and soulful, but the assortment of literal observations doesn’t quite come together to deliver a poignant message. Putting aside the story, the song is enjoyable enough—but the arrangement here plays too safe, too conventional.
9People Watching
Track 1 – 5:04
It may seem strange for the main single fromPeople Watchingto appear so low on the list. Perhaps that’s a testament to how bold the rest of the album is—or it could be a testament to the kind of songs that get picked for lead singles. Either way,“People Watching” is a safe bet. It’s got that classic alt-pop energy and finds Fender at his most Springsteen-esque. Thoroughly listenable but woefully conventional, the song is a pleasant five-minute bop.
The lyrics continue this album’s unfortunate trend of detached observations. There are glimmers of Fender’s capacity to write cutting lines (“The place was fallin' to bits / Understaffed and overruled by callous hands”) but overall, this is well-worn territory and the charm is starting to fade.
8Wild Long Lie
Track 4 – 6:04
One of thedarkest songs onPeople Watchingis “Wild Long Lie,“a sweeping, mid-tempo chronicle of addiction. Opening with attention-grabbing fingerpicking, a funky bass and just a hint of synth, the song has one of the strongest openings on the album. The lyrics are less literal here, which offers an appreciated change of pace:
Back to the bathroom
I’ll line up
For another wild, long lie
Back to the kitchen
Sprawled on the floor
Unfortunately, when the chorus kicks in, “Wild Long Lie” falls back on over-stuffed production. It’s too much; rather than add depth, the additional noise creates auditory clutter. And at just over six minutes long, the song drags. One can’t help but wonder how much better the song would sound with a stripped-down acoustic treatment.
7Remember My Name
Track 11 – 3:02
Fender wrote “Remember My Name” for his late grandparents. The song was described byPitchforkas a “big swing.” This is certainly true: Opening with horns,“Remember My Name” is a stark departure for Fender. He bellows with his full chest here, showing off a bolder, more soulful side. It’s a welcome change, and in terms of writing, is easily one of the album’s strongest tracks.
Unfortunately, “Remember My Name” suffers from a poor mix. What should be a soothing, if sorrowful, ballad is undermined by bafflingly loud brass. Fenders vocals are so buried in the mix, I had to switch headphones just to make out the lyrics. Like much ofPeople Watching, this song would be improved with some restraint.
6Rein Me In
Track 8 – 5:39
“Rein Me In” benefits from an interesting riff and a relatable story. So much ofPeople Watchingis Fender wrestling with his celebrity identity by observing those still living the life he left behind—it’s refreshing to hear a simple, personal story of heartbreak. Like with “Wild Long Lie,” the song instantly pulls you in. Fender’s mumblecore tenor works particularly well against bright guitar and solid bass groove. It’s catchy, it’s earnest, and it’s one I’m going to return to again and again.
5Something Heavy
Track 10 – 3:35
A strong indie bop that would be a welcome inclusion on any road trip mixtape, “Something Heavy” just begs to be played loud and sung along to. The charming mix pairs a toe-tapping beat with fun vocal harmonies, creating an uplifting vibe that contrasts nicely with its gloomy lyrics:
Carrying each other up the avenue
The city’s never felt so tired
Half the joints bombed after COVID
My friends reached for the rope and tied
Oh, God, how can we keep missing signals?
The song pairsFender’s Britpop sensibilities with folk stylings, making best use of acoustic instruments to enhance the track without drifting too far from the artist’s core sound. (The mandolin is a nice touch.) The song has a timeless feel that stands apart from the other entries onPeople Watching, and makes it a strong contender for radio airplay—or at the very least, a montage in some indie film.
4Arm’s Length
Track 5 – 3:59
“Arm’s Length” is another highly listenable track. It’s very pop, with an almost staccato rhythm driving the song (aided by a tasty guitar lick used throughout). Fender shows a willingness to experiment on his sonic playground, picking up and dropping different instruments seemingly at a whim. While on other tracks, the abundance of sound is too much, the team found the right mix here.
Arguably the most mainstream song onPeople Watching, “Arm’s Length” represents the best Fender has to offer: catchy tunes, personal lyrics and creative arrangement.
3Chin Up
Track 3 – 3:23
Sam Fender often draws comparisons to Springsteen, but “Chin Up” is pure ’90s British alt rock. Borrowing in equal parts from The Verve, Oasis, and Radiohead, Fender crafts a throwback jam that transcends the trappings of pastiche. The soaring vocals hint at a darkness, as Fender sings about his own fortune contrasted against the misfortune of his former peers. The lyrics present the album’s most emotional and evocative inner turmoil:
I will try to keep my chin up
Oh, my head is bent on bringing me down
Under the floorboards of this broken home
This one-horse town
“Chin Up” is well-constructed, expressive, and unforgettable—and would kill as a single.
2TV Dinner
Track 9 – 4:30
The bestPeople Watchingtracks are the songs that go beyond the basic observations, allowing Fender the space to express his angst, sorrow and even frustration. “TV Dinner” shows Fender at his most brutal, with scathing lyrics that tear down the parasitic experience of celebrity.
Like Winehouse, she was just a bairn
They love her now but bled her then
They reared me as a class clown
Grass-fed little cash cow
I cashed out, headed hellbound
And now they point and laugh
It’s a fascinating: In an album full of laundry list “life experiences”—including blatant references to his mother in multiple songs—“TV Dinner” stands out as one of the most authentic. Perhaps it’s because he communicates the disconnection he feels from his community through a motif of detached, birds-eye observations; while this is honest, it’s not effective in creating an emotional response from the listener. In “TV Dinner,” Fender states his grievances powerfully with his full chest.
