On March 16, Seton Hall University’s Main Lounge was filled with music both old and new, with musicians Jesse McCartney and KYLE featured in this year’s Spring Concert.
Many students remembered McCartney from their younger days, singing along to his song ‘Beautiful Soul,’ which was a hit in 2004. McCartney, who opened the show, said that coming to SHU was important to him because many of his fans are in college.
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McCartney said he took interest in music at a young age.
“My earliest memory of music was Elvis Presley when I was four and a half years old,” McCartney said in an interview with The Setonian. “I reached into my parents album collection, which is very extensive, and pulled out a record of his.”
From those moments onward, McCartney took to the music industry, transitioning from his former boy-band, Dream Street, which disbanded in 2002, to being a solo artist. He went on to further establish himself in the industry, performing with artists such as Ludacris and T-Pain.
“T-Pain was a lot of fun,” he said. “I got to fly down to Florida and spend a few days with him and work on ‘Body Language’. I’ve worked with a lot of great artists.”
McCartney is set to release his new single, “Better With You,” on March 23.
Amanda Halpin, a freshman elementary and special education major, attended the concert with her friend Alexandra Regan. Both Halpin and Regan wanted to see the concert because of McCartney.
“Jesse McCartney and KYLE were both good performers,” Halpin said. “Jesse McCartney was more of a heart throb, as KYLE excited the crowd and brought energy to the stage.”
Once McCartney had gotten the crowd filled with energy, KYLE took the stage.
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The ‘iSpy’ singer is from Ventura, California, where he started his artistic career. KYLE credited California as having a large impact and influence on him.
“Where somebody is from influences them from top to bottom,” KYLE said in an interview. “From the way I dress, to the way I talk, to the things I believe all have a strong role of me being from California.”
KYLE performed ‘iSpy,’ which was released in 2016, at the concert.
“I’m not sick of performing iSpy yet, it takes awhile for you to be sick of performing a song that changes your life,” he said. “You have to show some type of respect towards it.”
Mikayla Mitchell, a junior psychology major said, “KYLE was amazing, he got everything absolutely jumping. I only knew ‘iSpy,’ but I still could get hyped to everything he was playing.”
KYLE explained how he jumped at the offer to come perform at Seton Hall.
“Kids at colleges, they just have a fun energy,” he said. “It’s an honest, genuine energy,” he said. “The appreciation you get when you come to perform at a University, its different than you get anywhere else. When you get an opportunity to come perform at a University like Seton Hall, it's like ‘duh.’”
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