Tonight the Music Seems So Loud

This is a beautiful, frequently extraordinary book. Part biography, part social commentary and part love letter, it somehow does full justice to the magnificent man it examines. For me, and for millions of others, that really is the highest praise possible -- James O'Brien
This is far more than a biography of a pop icon – it’s a sharp, insightful look at George Michael’s life and how he challenged society, from politics to identity, in ways that still resonate today -- Sadiq Khan
A revelatory portrait of a great artist, pop culture icon and complicated man . . . Sanghera’s analysis is sharp and smart, but the writer also brings his own light touch, comfortably veering between analysis and first-person narrative . . . There are more discoveries in Tonight the Music Seems So Loud than 1,000 shameless tabloid journalists could ever dream of showing -- Dean Van Nguyen * The Irish Times *
His lucid and accessible writing reaches out to those with closed minds * The i *
This affecting exploration of the troubled genius’s impact is packed with anecdote, sharp analysis and social context * The Guardian *
A compulsive new fan’s-eye life of the singer . . . A fabulous account of the various expressions of George’s precocious and polymathic talent, from writing "Careless Whisper" aged 17 on the top deck of the No 32 bus to the great soul-revival of Faith * The Observer *
No ordinary pop biography, this is a very personal exploration of a very unusual artist. Sathnam Sanghera digs deep into sexuality, ethnicity, politics, celebrity and, of course, the songs to change the way we think about this misunderstood megastar -- Dorian Lynskey
It’s this occasionally eccentric revelling in detail, this willingness to give proper time and thought to an artist still too often stuck in teen-idol aspic, that makes this book such a revelatory blast * Sunday Times *
What makes Tonight the Music Seems So Loud such a hugely enjoyable read is that it offers thought-provoking insights and analysis that goes far beyond the usual biography. It helps that Sanghera writes so compellingly about his own life and fandom . . . it works beautifully and captures the complexities and contrasts at the heart of Michael . . . the book is rarely less than a joy and is likely to bring admirers closer to the singer than the many biographies out there * Irish Independent *
The first serious reckoning with Michael’s life and music * New Statesman *
With the years the spent ‘in the trenches of the culture wars’ while writing and promoting his brilliant books on the British Empire having taken their toll, Sanghera resolved to embark on a project that would spark joy. The result is this elegiac, yet also poptastically enjoyable, exploration of the life, times and creativity of George Michael * The Bookseller *
An affectionate but thoughtful portrait of the artist’s music, contradictions and background * i news *
To understand the magic of his book you have to understand its author, and he gives us just enough of his own life to add a depth that others may have lacked . . . This book isn’t a eulogy, it’s a frank examination of the open wound of celebrity; an assessment of the man George Michael was and what he meant as a public, political and artistic figure. And, most importantly, what he meant to a fellow misfit who forged a life-long connection with him -- Alex Kadis, The Financial Times
A nerdy, passionate, extraordinary book -- Lynn Barber, The Spectator
Sathnam Sanghera has previously written about his British Sikh upbringing, as well as the impact of the British Empire on Britain and the rest of the world. Immigration is in his new book, a biography of George Michael, too; people sometimes forget Michael was the son of a Greek Cypriot, and born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou. Fame, sexuality, and the music of the 1980s obviously also feature in the life – a life filled with both glory and tragedy – of one of Britain’s greatest popstars * GQ *
Engrossing . . . on finishing the book I felt compelled to dig out those albums once again to spend time with one of the UK’s greatest singer/songwriters * The Crack *
An utterly compelling journey to go on . . . Sanghera delivers something far more insightful than a standard celebrity biography * Eastern Eye *
Sanghera’s forte is wry comedy tinged with pathos * The Sunday Times *
Hugely enjoyable . . . a plaintive love letter, the book frames George as a brilliant songwriter, producer . . . performer and general human being . . . A very good book -- Dylan Jones, The i Newspaper
Whether he’s writing autobiography or fiction, Sathnam Sanghera is busy carving out his own literary niche -- Jonathan Coe
A groundbreaking look at Michael’s personal life and extraordinary music career * Melodic Magazine *
Sathnam’s lifelong love for George’s work, his appreciation of the man’s genius songwriting and soulful voice shines through in this book, as does Michael’s own eloquence and humour * Service95 *
Joyful and tragic in roughly equal measure. This is the story of a man who couldn’t be defined and a nation which mirrored his shifting identity. As catchy and life-changing as a perfect pop song -- Ian Dunt
Fascinating and moving -- Ed Simons, The Chemical Brothers
He writes beautifully -- Maggie O'Farrell, author of Land
Sanghera is such an engaging and versatile writer * The Telegraph *
One of my favourite writers -- Greg James * BBC *
Packed with wit and insight, this is both a glorious paean to fandom and a heartfelt celebration of one of the most complex, misunderstood stars in pop’s firmament -- John O’Connell, author of Bowie’s Books
This is a book for fans of George Michael's music, but it is also a tour through the key cultural changes of the Eighties and Nineties. An easy - but meticulously researched - read * The Western Mail *