Looking back at 2018, we can certainly say that it was another incredible year for Ben Haenow. As well as releasing his phenomenal second album ‘Alive’, the platinum-selling artist played live shows to adoring crowds in numerous different countries!
In honour of everything Ben released and achieved, we’ve decided to recap his exceptional twelve months. Without further ado, let’s take it back to the very beginning of the year.
To kick off 2018, Ben treated his fans to two new covers. The gifted vocalist put his own remarkable spin on ‘Stay With You‘ by John Legend and ‘Give Me One Reason‘ by Tracy Chapman.
In terms of live shows, January saw Ben perform in front of contestants and a VIP crowd at Mecca Star in Birmingham. The former X Factor winner also completed his Rising Tour and you may remember that he even took us behind the scenes with a Snapchat takeover on the final night.
Moving forward to February, Ben shared a brilliant new rendition of ‘Jealous Guy‘ by John Lennon. He originally sang the timeless classic on The X Factor in 2014 and has further perfected it since.
The Croydon-born singer began March with a secret gig at Pioneer Manchester and a heartfelt cover of ‘Wild Love‘ by James Bay. Much to fans’ delight, Ben also revealed the song titles from his second album later in the month along with snippets of each track.
It was time for new music. On the 6th April, Ben Haenow released his fourth independent single ‘Falling Down‘. With symbolic references to the weather, the pensive track beautifully describes the rise and fall of Ben’s life after The X Factor.
April also saw Ben’s first independent single ‘Alive‘ surpass one million streams on Spotify and he played live shows in: Oswestry, Devon and Manchester. The latter was a special show with Twelve24 (now named Social Beingz) who supported Ben on his Rising Tour.
May was the biggest month of 2018 for Ben. On Friday 25th, the handsome singer released his eagerly anticipated second album ‘Alive‘ and we’re happy to say it definitely didn’t disappoint. He promoted the release with tons of interviews and you can hear our exclusive chat above.
With the exception of two covers, Ben co-wrote all of the songs on ‘Alive’ with his brother Alex Haenow. By reflecting on an array of emotions, the introspective record offers fans an insight into Ben’s experiences over the past few years. It really is a masterpiece.
Following the release of his sophomore album, Ben headed to Las Vegas with the Alpha Club at the beginning of June. While he was there, Ben explored the city and played his first ever Vegas show.
Later that month, the ‘Rising’ hitmaker uploaded a stunning acoustic version of ‘Give Me Your Love‘ before joining forces with Rex Pearson and Cassa Jackson for a sensational cover of Selena Gomez’s ‘Wolves‘. Ben ended June with a performance at Sand Le Mere in Hull.
Jump to July, Ben Haenow flew out to Malta for his second international gig of the the year. The charismatic musician gave a special performance at the country’s huge San Sebastjan’s Festa festival alongside a philharmonic orchestra.
Closer to home, Ben then took to the stage in Trecco Bay and Tadcaster. It wasn’t long before he got back on a plane though. The much-loved vocalist spent the end of July in Italy with his wife Jessica to celebrate their very first wedding anniversary.
We’re sure you won’t be surprised to hear that Ben had even more live shows lined up in August. Over the course of the month, he sang at several events including: Stranraer’s RNLI Parkfest and QTS Group’s Ladies Night at Ayr Racecourse.
August also saw Ben share a cover of ‘For No One‘ by The Beatles and after weeks of voting by readers, we announced that ‘Alive’ by Ben Haenow had won the CelebMix Award for ‘Album of the Summer’. What can we say? You guys have great taste in music!
There were more performances to come from Ben in September and October. He showcased his faultless vocals with live sets at: Yorkshire’s Toast of the Coast Awards and the Emerald Ball in Manchester. Ben also dueted with Mazz Murray at Alpha Club’s ‘Best of West End’ after-party.
On the 12th October, it was announced that Ben Haenow has signed to a new management company. The talented singer-songwriter is now working with the fantastic team at Kim Glover Entertainment and we’re excited to see what they have in store this year.
That wasn’t all for October. On the 22nd, the ‘Something I Need’ singer hit the road to play six UK shows over six consecutive nights.
As a former winner of The X Factor, Ben was also invited to be a judge at Mecca Star’s second singing competition in October. He gave hopefuls some great advice and was joined on the judging panel by: Duncan James, Susan Hill and Claire Sweeney.
November started with a bang! Taking to Peak FM’s stage, Ben performed to over 20,000 people at Chesterfield Borough Council’s Bonfire and Fireworks Display. Later in the month, he also sang at a charity ball and impressed crowds at Newmarket and Lancaster’s Xmas Lights Switch-On events.
A year wouldn’t be complete in the world of Ben Haenow without a tour announcement. On the 21st November, he revealed that he will be playing six acoustic shows in the UK this April. Tickets are currently on sale here via Ben’s official website so make sure you grab some before it’s too late.
If the announcement of a new tour wasn’t enough, Ben also treated his fans to more fantastic news in November. At the end of the month, he went back into the studio to write new music so we can expect more original material from him very soon.
During December, Ben performed at: Alpha Club’s Christmas Ball, a private event in Gibraltar and in Bolton with Andy Brown. In true Christmas spirit, he also recorded a festive medley of Xmas number ones for The Sun and it certainly put a great big smile on somebody’s face.
Since winning The X Factor, Ben Haenow hasn’t stopped working. From UK gigs to international festivals, the singer-songwriter is still very much in demand and his formidable talent has taken him all over the world. Ben has four headline tours to his name, two incredible albums, a loyal legion of fans and an indisputably bright future ahead.
With his acoustic tour set to take place in April and lots of exciting projects to be announced very soon, Ben is sure to keep on rising in 2019. We can’t wait to hear the magic he’s been making in the studio recently. Long live Ben Haenow’s success!
What were your Haenow highlights from 2018? Will you be attending Ben’s acoustic UK tour in April? Let us know over on Twitter @CelebMix!
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