Wham!
Make It Big

Here is a beautiful album that leaves no room for prejudice or contradictions, just music, of the finest kind, regardless of its age, which it doesn't show (recorded in 1984). If "Fantastic", the first album by Wham! (the English duo from the New Romantic/New Wave/Pop scene comprised of George Michael and Andrew Ridgley), had the ambition to encapsulate carefreeness in a record, "Make it big" offers a much broader perspective, as the title suggests, "make it big".

Thus, thanks to this change, Wham! gives way to Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran for the teenage audience while simultaneously drawing in critics and a decidedly more adult audience as the ideal listeners. The achievements and memories of George Michael were formed precisely with this album, which boasts, in my opinion, fundamental pop tracks like "Everything she wants", "Freedom", and "Careless whisper". The eight tracks that compose it represent a continuous evolution of style, starting from the more commercial and carefree sound (already heard on the "Fantastic" album) of "Wake me up before you go-go", reaching the refined and sweet "Careless whisper" (the only one not written solely by George Michael). "Wake me up before you go-go", along with the single "Last Christmas", can be considered the most successful tracks by Wham!: it starts immediately, without introductions, and goes on for a long time, always maintaining catchiness and rhythm, which are fundamental constants in pop. Then we move on to track 2, my favorite of the entire album, the legendary "Everything she wants". "Everything she wants", from a strictly musical point of view, is a rare case of a song that manages to be one even though it has a sparse and essential arrangement. With only a programmed electronic drum in loop, a detached and synthetic bass line, and synth hints, Michael's voice (aided by a very present echo) sustains the melody while advancing the lyrics. It's the only track that shows more resemblance to Punk and New wave (and, indirectly, to Disco music) than to Pop and New Romantic in the strictest sense.

"Heartbeat" is the quintessential "normal" track of the album. Refined pop and well-accompanied, a normal product of the '80s. Be clear, normal does not mean bad. "Like a baby", located in the middle of the album, marks the end of the first act. For a moment, it relaxes, and the tempo of the song slows down considerably. This piece is another example of George Michael's perfect versatility as a composer, which invariably satisfies us. OK, we've closed the "Pop" act: now the "Black" act begins. "Black" stands for "Black music". It is evident with "Freedom", a legendary track by Michael, which features very distinctive lyrics and funkier music. It's undoubtedly also pop, but less so than "Wake me up..."." The funk peak is reached with "If you were there", a song written by the Isley Brothers, a popular funk group in the '70s. As usual, Michael puts his touch, but the song undeniably sounds less '80s. Perhaps it clashes a bit with the rest, but it's pleasant to listen to. The second-to-last song is the almost easy listening "Credit card baby", another reference to "Fantastic", but less youthful. Its aim is more or less that of "Freedom": to offer a bit more carefreeness and close the second act. The third act consists only of the sublime "Careless whisper", a song for sophisticated lovers. Finally, Andrew Ridgley’s shadowy figure emerges, who, besides playing the guitar, on this occasion composes alongside Michael. Perhaps it's this extra involvement that makes the track an extraordinary opportunity to demonstrate to critics and the public that genuine products also come from pop bands. What can I say, it's useless to describe "Careless whisper"... it must be listened to.

Wham!, a duo that did a lot for pop and, despite ridiculous purists, made a significant contribution to the history of Pop, always using electronic drums and many keyboards, are consecrated as unique Pop icons of their kind with "Make it big" (which will also be their last album, given that George Michael will start a solo career and Ridgley will retire from the scene), icons which have not been seen for many, too many years. Is pop, like rock, truly dead?