Cian Ducrot today completes his arrival as a major new artist and completes a lifelong ambition as he releases his eagerly anticipated debut album ‘Victory’. The Irish singer-songwriter has enjoyed a succession of landmark moments leading up to its release, the most recent of which came when ‘Heaven’ was playlisted on Radio 1. Other highlights have included two Top 20 UK singles with ‘All For You’ and ‘I’ll Be Waiting’; huge shows as a guest to Ed Sheeran and Dermot Kennedy, surpassing over half a billion streams across tracks; and a stream of engaging fan interactions – from one-to-one duets to attention-grabbing flash mobs – which have resulted in a huge following across social media.
Yet for all his instantly engaging charisma, Cian’s catalogue of classic melodies and highly relatable lyrics come from personal experiences and often immensely challenging emotions. As we’ve heard from his previous singles, Cian holds nothing back in his songwriting, whether he’s lamenting the loss of a late friend (‘Part of Me’), celebrating the relationship with his brother which has flourished in spite of a tough upbringing (‘Heaven’), or accepting that ghosts of past romances still linger when you’re with someone new (‘Everyone Who Falls In Love’).
Those qualities will continue to speak to fans about the wealth of previously unreleased material which features on the album. Its opening song and title track, ‘Victory’, is a particularly compelling introduction as Cian sings, “Am I just a boy who wasn’t loved by his father?” It goes on to ruminate upon the need for praise and the self-doubt that follows such neglect and acknowledges that such issues can be passed unwillingly down to the next generation. Later on, ‘Him’ takes on a different type of sorrow, this time with soaring gospel harmonies underpinning a story of being cheated on by the man she told you not to worry about. Collectively, ‘Victory’ more than lives up to its title. Backed by an army of support – from family and friends to a growing fanbase – Cian has risen above his life challenges to achieve something that few people ever experience.
Cian says, “This album represents that victory, the victory of self-belief, the victory of everyone around me who I love and who loved me back, the story of my brother, of my mother, of my grandparents, of my friends, and everyone who fought by our side every step of the way, the victory of love and the victory of never giving up. This album is for all of those people, my family and friends, you know who you are, we made it out alive and more. This is for us.”
In addition to its digital/streaming release, ‘Victory’ is now available on a range of physical formats, including numerous signed items, bundles and merch designs. Two CD formats go deeper into Cian’s artistry, with bonus tracks which focus upon choir and string arrangements of some of the album’s highlights.
Last night, Cian celebrated the release of ‘Victory’ with a special event for TikTok LIVE. He revisited the spot he used to busk in his hometown of Cork before he headed to a local pub to play a special livestream show. As well as performing new tracks and fan favourites, he shared some of the stories behind his songs and answered questions from fans.
In addition, Cian Ducrot has been announced as the latest act to become Spotify UK’s RADAR artist. The emerging artist programme was launched in 2020 and represents Spotify’s worldwide commitment to upcoming talent. Cian joins an exciting collection of UK artists to enjoy RADAR status in recent years, including the likes of Central Cee, Cat Burns, Wet Leg, PinkPantheress, Joy Crookes and Griff.
Cian is a prime example of an artist whose online following translates into a sizable IRL fanbase at live shows. He will support the release of ‘Victory’ with over 50 headline shows from now until the end of the year, including sold-out shows everywhere from New York to Birmingham and two homecoming nights in Dublin. Ticket sales are also strong for his biggest London gig to date at the Eventim Apollo. Please see his website for ticket details and a list of all his international shows.
‘Victory’ tracklist:
- ‘Victory’
- ‘I’ll Be Waiting’
- ‘Him
- ‘Heaven’
- ‘How Do You Know’
- ‘All For You’
- ‘(Step)Dad’
- ‘Mama’
- ‘Hurt When You Hurt Me’
- ‘Blame It On You’
- ‘Endless Nights’
- ‘Part Of Me’
- ‘Everyone Who Falls In Love (Has Someone Else They’re Thinking Of)’
- ‘Thank God You Stayed’