Tonight the Music Seems So Loud: The Meaning of George Michael

Novelist Sanghara (Empireworld) provides an expansive, thought-provoking reconsideration of British musician George Michael. Arguing that Michael has been denied the plaudits bestowed on contemporaries like Madonna or Prince, Sanghera embarks on a roving survey of his public and private life, covering his preternatural songwriting ability (he wrote “Careless Whisper” at 17); his controversial advocacy against the Iraq War, a stance he took “at significant personal cost”; and his refusal to be publicly shamed after being arrested in a Los Angeles bathroom in 1998 for a “lewd act” (a particularly courageous response given the “toxic” tabloid press environment of the 1980s and ’90s). While the account’s broad scope can make it feel overstuffed, Sanghera gives welcome due to the complexities of Michael’s life, from his “mixed and changing feelings about being an LGBTQ activist” to his overwhelming perfectionism and struggles with drug addiction. Along the way, Sanghera also shines a light on less well-known corners of Michael’s life, exploring how his upbringing as a child of a Cypriot immigrant father may have amplified his creative drive and openness to different types of music. It adds up to a worthy reassessment of an influential pop star. (June)