Midway through his history-making set at Glastonbury, a farewell show peppered with surprise guests such as Rina Sawayama and The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, Elton John paused the gig to introduce a floppy-haired 20-year-old. Unlike other talent there to sing the Rocket Man’s classics, this special guest was here to perform one of his own, and felt like a total unknown in comparison to the lofty rumours swirling around Britney Spears ahead of the slot.
Stephen Sanchez has come a long way since he dropped out of high school and got signed to the major label Republic Records aged 17, after sharing a snippet of his song Lady By The Sea for his growing TikTok following. A swooning, paired-back love song, its old-timey sensibilities paved the way for the glossier vintage stylings of Sanchez’s big, breakthrough moment Until I Found You. The song – which Sanchez ended up performing alongside John on the Pyramid – has gone platinum, twice over, in the US. Now, the artist is turning his attention to his full length debut album Angel Face. Out in September, the concept-heavy record will explore a fictional Sixties love triangle.
