By GABRIELLA BOCK | Reporter
Taking time out of his busy schedule, Wes Stromberg of the American reggae pop band Emblem3 is scheduled to perform at this year’s Mr. and Miss Teen Palisades Contest.
The Washington-based band gained fame when they appeared as contestants on 2012’s “The X Factor USA” where they charmed both audiences and British music producer Simon Cowell.
The group finished in fourth place and were signed to Cowell’s record label Syco Records.
They also turned in some electrifying live shows: Self-described superfan Sharon Bhella, who attended a gig in Toronto, blogged that she was pumped at seeing them for the first time.
“I was super impressed. They played songs off their new LP ‘Wake Up’ as well as some of their older songs from their first album ‘Nothing to Lose.’ I’m sure everyone at the show last night can agree, we are so glad Drew re-joined the band last year,” the Canadian fan wrote. “My favorite part of the show was hearing ‘Chloe’ live, however, I loved every single song they sang. Wesley also did a mini-cover of The Weeknd’s ‘Often,’ which sounded so, so good.”
The Popcrush website said their album made the trio sound as if they had never had a bad day in their life: “Equal parts Hot Chelle Rae and One Direction, they’re cute and they make crazy, catchy anthems with golden melodies and saccharine harmonies. The album, as a whole, is the sonic equivalent of a large cup of Pinkberry frozen yogurt. It’s very LA and it sure feels good going down.”
In 2016, the trio temporary disbanded to pursue individual projects, but assured fans that they would reunite in the future.
Staying true to their word, Emblem3 released two new songs earlier this year titled “Home Run” and “New Day.”
Stromberg, who began his music career early in life, told the Palisadian-Post that he fell in love with music when he took his very first guitar lesson at age 6.
“Once I started learning how to sing, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life as a musician.”
Now living in Southern California, Stromberg gains inspiration from the world around him. When he’s not making music, the 23-year-old enjoys catching some waves on his surfboard.
“Surfing is my therapy,” Stromberg revealed. “It cleanses my soul and makes me feel alive. I try and capture that feeling in the music I make.”
Moving forward, Stromberg continues to collaborate with the rest of Emblem3 while working with indie producer Alex Fin on a five-track EP that Stromberg said is his “best work yet.”
“I’m really excited and proud of what we’ve done together,” Stromberg said of Fin. “He’s helped me to step outside of my comfort zone and write more meaningful lyrics.”
When asked if the popstar has any words of encouragement for the upcoming participants of April 26’s Mr. and Miss Teen Palisades Contest, Stromberg offered a friendly reminder that anything is possible when you put your mind to it.
“Keep dreaming and working hard! Everything I dreamed of came true as soon as I really started working towards it.”
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