[youtube id=”1A-hqZf7xQs”]Seal’s first single as a solo artist was “Crazy”, a two-month process with co-writer Guy Sigsworth. Seal was compared to Terrence Trent D’Arby and Lenny Kravitz because of his tone and the blending of pop and soul with an unconventional image for a Black artist at the time. Seal has commented in the past and said that he was inspired by fall of the Berlin Wall and the Tiananmen Square massacre when he wrote “Crazy” with Sigsworth. Trevor Horn’s production encapsulated pop, funk and rock into waves of controlled thunder. Horn’s tumultuous style complemented Seal’s lyrics about a changing world. “Crazy” was an international hit and Seal’s first album also titled Crazy made him a star in his native England when it won Best British Album at the 1992 Brit Music Awards. “Crazy” the single, was an international hit and made the Top Ten in the United States. “Crazy” lived beyond 1991 and keeps reinserting itself into pop culture including a cover version by Alanis Morrisette for a Gap commercial and Spike Lee using it in his film Clockers. Seal’s career took off and he became a celebrated international pop star with 10 albums in 2019 and multiple awards including Grammys, and an MTV Video Music Award. Seal released his third album of cover songs, Standards, in 2017.Â
