Catchy hooks, good looks and funky moves - Sam Sparro is a popstar in every sense of the word. But just don’t make a big deal about his sexuality, OK? The Aussie expat cuts straight to the chase with AXN.

WORDS Adam Bub

He might be openly gay, but Sam Sparro is one straight talker. When asked what his opinion is on popular singers who keep their sexuality a secret, he retorts: “not much.” When asked if he’s tired of people focussing too much on his sexuality, he replies: “absolutely…so let’s move on.”

The man’s got spunk.

But move on we shall. Music prodigy Sam Sparro (real name Sam Falson) has conquered a tough industry at the ripe age of 25, from appearing in a McDonald’s ad as a child, to becoming a well-respected songwriter, performer and producer, with his smash hit ‘Black and Gold’ and self-titled debut album storming the international music scene.

Now based in Los Angeles, Sydney-born Sparro’s music is like a cross between the Scissor Sisters and James Brown – a soufflé of camp disco funk delivered with old-school vocal finesse.

“It’s been a lot of hard work and failure up until now and it seems like the time is right,” he tells AXN.

“Some of the music on the album was written a while ago…a lot of the vocals I recorded in my bedroom ended up on the final product.”

Sparro recorded the rest of the album in the US and the UK, with producers including Jesse Rogg and Richard X. He lists Beth Ditto from the Gossip, Pharrell Williams and Andre 3000 as people he’d like to work with down the track, but the debonair young man asserts: “Mostly I enjoy working with myself.”

Sparro has quickly gained a reputation for speaking his mind in both interviews and his music. His comments about Madonna being ‘vulgar’ splashed across the media in seconds – just after ‘Black and Gold’ debuted at #2 on the UK Singles Chart, bridesmaid to none other than Madge herself (with ‘4 Minutes’).

“I said some stupid things about Madonna that were taken out of context and I regret that. I found it quite funny how big a deal people made over it,” he muses.

When asked about his feelings on Kylie, he remains diplomatic: “I don’t listen to Kylie’s music but I think she dresses appropriately.”

Beneath the blur of all the publicity, there’s a talented young man with a reckless live energy (this writer had the fortune of experiencing one of his recent Sydney shows), moving comfortably between ecstatic falsettos and ‘woo-hoos’ in songs like next single 21st ‘Century Life’, and darker timbres in ‘Pocket’, where he sings ‘keep your friends close and your enemies in your pocket.’

The album is ultimately an escape from the everyday, insists Sparro. “Some stuff on the record is fairly deep and thoughtful but a lot of it is quite light-hearted as well,” he says.

“I think it’s important to have that balance in real life too.”

When it comes to the well-beaten track of the ‘gay question’, Sparro says it’s important to remove the stigma away from being gay. “The only way I can do that is by being proud and open about who I am,” he says.

“It’s also important not to make too big of a fuss about it though. Nobody fluffs around trying to get people to confirm their heterosexuality.”

Currently Sparro’s profile might be soaring, but he’s staying down to earth. On his recent Sydney visit, he spent most of his time with his locally-based family. Indeed, he still calls Sydney home.

“It’s such a beautiful city – I love our beaches. People really take care of the environment. It’s not like that in London or LA,” he says. “I miss playing pool at the Green Park Hotel and getting pissed on Oxford Street and having a bad kebab.”

So what’s next for Mr. Sparro? “I think the next album is still going to be very danceable and electronically produced but I’m imagining guitars and horns with a slight ‘classic rock’ edge,” he says.

“But I could completely change my mind in six months.”

One thing’s for sure, he has thousands of fans joining him for the ride.

Sam Sparro’s self-titled debut album is out now.