Michael Sanzone's 'Going, Going, Gone' Is a Joyful Tribute

Michael Sanzone's 'Going, Going, Gone' Is a Joyful Tribute

By Paper Magazine
Jul 30, 2024

San Pedro, California native, singer-songwriter Michael Sanzone’s latest song, “Going, Going, Gone” is a slow-moving ode to loss and love. In it, Sanzone talks about a trip to Hawaii that never happened, losing his best friend and remembering the last words of a loved one.

During the chorus he sings, “You don’t know what you’ve got/ Until it’s going, going, gone,” over a climbing acoustic guitar. "I wrote this song about my grandmother's passing,” he tells PAPER exclusively. “I knew if I wrote a ballad I simply would breakdown attempting to perform it, so to carry her joyful spirit we wrote this song in an upbeat manner. I got in the room with two dudes and wrote it and then sang that shit. Grandma would be proud."

@sanzone

You think he likes it?

Sanzone first made his internet claim to fame via TikTok where he’s got a cool 3.6M followers. There, he shares his music, moments from his personal life and even moments with his “most judgmental friend,” James Charles. In a recent video, he plays “Going, Going, Gone” for the makeup artist in the car for his reaction. “That’s really beautiful, did somebody die?” Charles asks towards the videos end, beaming over how good the song is.

Speaking of TikTok stardom, Sanzone first decided to make the shift from influencer to music-maker when fellow musician JVKE, known for his viral hit “Golden Hour,” invited him to record. That moment sparked an interest in recording that will lead to a debut EP set for release later this year. With only a few tracks to his name, the singer has already amassed 155k monthly listeners (and counting) on Spotify.

"I'm really excited about getting my first project out,” he says of considering future releases. “I have spent a lot of time writing the last year and I'm ready for people to hear my story."

Photography: Alex Figs

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