Most teenagers dream of stardom, or being “discovered,” but only a few lucky stars reach their goals. Seventeen-year-old Dylan Gardner has done the impossible. What started out as a vision and some rocking out in his room, transformed into something much greater. Like many other teenage pop stars, he became famous on YouTube with a cover of “Abbey Road” by The Beatles. The California native had been writing his own songs and teaching himself how to play guitar for the past ten years, but in 2013 his dreams became a reality. Gardner was signed to Big Deal Music Publishing and recorded his debut album, Adventures in Real Time. The album was co-produced with John Dragonetti, a member of a California based band called The Submarines.

Adventures in Real Time was released January 6, 2015 as a pop album. Gardner was greatly influenced by The Beatles, but the album is very similar to other well-known teen pop stars, such as Joe Brookes, Grayson Chance, and Shawn Mendes. The songs included in this album are:

1. Let’s Get Started
2. Heroes Tonight
3. I’m Nothing Without You
4. Too Afraid To Love You
5. I Think I’m Falling For Something
6. The Actor
7. Sing For the Stars
8. Feeling of Love
9. With a Kiss
10. Invincible

The album, overall, is very catchy and makes you want to get up and move, but the songs are similar to the familiar sounds of the overplayed tunes on the radio. Gardner has a lot of potential and talent for his age; however, the album lacks individuality and simply follows the status quo of American pop music. On a scale of 1-5, we would agree that the album would receive a 3. The music itself is not poorly written or performed, but his genre choice has a big impact on our decision.

The goal in the music industry is to stand out, to avoid cliché and familiarity. While we applaud Gardner for his efforts and ability to do something that many cannot, we hope to see improvement in his next album. Gardner should focus on finding originality in his work. Perhaps some ballads are in order as well, as the first album lacked a sweet slow song.

For a seventeen-year-old, this accomplishment alone is extraordinary. We encourage anyone who is a fan of pop-rock music and young artists to listen to his music. Gardner’s music is relatable for young adults, mainly high school students. As one of us, he is going through the exact same experiences as we are. Don’t hesitate to search him on YouTube or iTunes. Gardner will certainly become more famous in time and will definitely surprise us even more than he already has.

Dylan Gardner Official Website:

http://dylangardnermusic.com/

“Let’s Get Started” Music Video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-ZvVm2d5a8