Though the 2025 Grammy Awards was famously all about the girls, one of the male artists who is currently having a moment in music is Sam Fender, the North Shields native with a Springsteen-like draw and an expansive list of accolades to match.

And yet, in a recent interview with The Times, Fender noted that he isn't feeling too good at the moment, as he sees an alarming trend in the world spurred on by the likes of Andrew Tate preying on young men who feel disenfranchised by the current climate.

"We are very good at talking about privileges – white, male, or straight privilege. We rarely talk about class, though. And that's a lot of the reason that all the young lads are seduced by demagogues and psychos like Andrew Tate," Fender told The Times. "They're being shamed all the time and made to feel like they're a problem. It's this narrative being told to white boys from nowhere towns. People preach to some kid in a pit town in Durham who's got fuck all and tell him he's privileged. Then Tate tells him he's worth something? It's seductive."

Fender also commented on how his meager origins impacted his own career in music, noting that it's hard for a kid like him to go on tour, let alone have a career in music while coming from working-class families.

"The music industry is 80%, 90% kids who are privately educated," Fender noted. "A kid from where I’m from can’t afford to tour, so there are probably thousands writing songs that are ten times better than mine, poignant lyrics about the country, but they will not be seen because it’s rigged."

Though British society is often seen as far more class-conscious than its American counterparts, Fender's words transcend nations to highlight a far more pressing issue that, frankly, is quite surprising to see a musician of such acclaim address. Considering Fender does tell stories about longing, growing up, and finding a place in the world, using his voice away from the microphone to point out how some of his fans are potentially being seduced by an ideology he disagrees with is an impressive use of his own privilege.