Cian Ducrot’s debut album ‘Victory’ has entered the Irish Album Chart at #1 this week. The album, released last Friday, has the biggest chart entry this year for a debut album. It has also been certified PLATINUM in Ireland.
The Irish singer-songwriter has enjoyed a succession of landmark moments leading up to his debut album release, including a Choice Music Prize for Irish Breakthrough Artist of the Year for 2022. Other highlights have included two Top 20 UK singles with ‘All For You’ and ‘I’ll Be Waiting’; huge shows as 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 on the wealth of 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. ‘Him’ takes on a different type of sorrow, this time with soaring gospel harmonies underpinning a story of being cheated on with 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, 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 Irish shows in Dublin's 3Olympia. He returns to Ireland next month for a performance at Electric Picnic Festival in Co. Laois.
