Pope Francis has previously listed Bach, Mozart and Beethoven as among his favorite composers. However, rumors may soon begin to fly that the pontiff is partial to British pop band The Vamps as it turns out Francis is releasing an album on the same day, and with almost the same title, as the young heartthrobs.
Francis announced recently that Wake Up!—a Vatican-approved album of 11 tracks, which includes excerpts of the pope’s speeches set to music—will be released on November 27. Curiously, The Vamps’ second album, with the less dramatic title Wake Up, drops on the same day, AP reported.
The title track of the pope’s album, “Wake Up! Go! Go! Forward!,” was debuted by Rolling Stone last week. The album includes speeches by the pope in Italian, English, Spanish and Portuguese, with backing music ranging from the monastic Gregorian chant to modern synth pop. The tracks will touch on issues which have been at the heart of Francis’ papacy as a whole, including concern for the environment, world peace and helping the poor.
Benedict XVI and John Paul II, Francis’ two predecessors as head of the Catholic Church, also released albums during their respective stints at the Vatican.
British four-piece The Vamps sold 100,000 copies of their debut album Meet the Vamps in the U.K., achieving gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry. The group have also opened on tours for Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez.
Vamps guitarist James McVey told AP that the coincidence with the pope’s album was “ridiculously cool.” “We’re very excited and kind of honored to be releasing an album at the same time as the pope with a similar title. That’s awesome,” said McVey.
The Vamps will begin a world tour in late October. Sadly, no Vatican City date has been announced.
Source: RawStory
