When George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley exploded onto the scene with their debut album ‘Fantastic’, the pop world didn’t quite know what had hit it, and neither did the two handsome dudes think they were going to hit big time soon.

This was the first of three albums by the duo that was George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. This album is a classic and contains some great songs that were favorites then. Songs that stand out are A ray of sunshine, Love machine, Wham rap!, Club Tropicana and Come on. This album was the start of something special not only for pop music but also for rap. Wham made a song and made it easy to listen to melody lines in the middle with their rap verses.

With their clean-cut looks, catchy hooks and irresistible sense of fun, that watershed performance catapulted them into the homes and hearts of teenage girls nationwide. They moved from just being a duo to the darlings of Top of the Pops in England.

Michael took on the bulk of the songwriting duties as also seen in his fantastic solo career. While Ridgeley’s role in Wham! has been endlessly debated over the years, with many saying he was just a singer with Michael, if one really goes a bit deeper into the journey of the band, Ridgeley was integral to their success.

Inspired by the music they were hearing at clubs such as London’s Le Beat Route, the likes of music like Chic, the Bee Gees and Earth, Wind & Fire, the pair made it big in no time.

Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) was released as Wham!’s debut single in June 1982, incorporating heavy rap, something new in music that time, the song became a big club hit. With four UK Top 10 singles to their name, Club Tropicana having hit number four, Wham! were now a pop phenomenon and released the Fantastic album on 9^th July 1983.

The album was a commercial smash, going straight to number one in the UK and spending 113 weeks in the Top 100.

The album is still a gem, and though George Michael is no more, this album is a statement to the music he made. The album is also a great reminder of the era of music that sounded so good.

Label: Epic

Released on: 9^th July 1983

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira