The Wanted's Nathan Sykes Has A Solo Album Coming... But Is It Any Good?
MTV UK had a listen to three tracks from the singer's debut solo LP and we can confirm, it's going to be a corker...
Nathan Sykes may be known as the baby-faced star of The Wanted, but we've heard solid evidence that the singer is making the right moves when it comes to being a star in his own right.
After getting a taste of Nathan’s solo credentials on ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande’s track Almost Is Never Enough, MTV UK we're lucky enough to hear three songs from Sykes' forthcoming solo album, and with much anticipation surrounding his new material on Twitter, we were keen to know... Does it live up to the hype?
The answer is - in a nutshell - yes. Nathan has clearly matured as a singer - even though he joked maybe not in person - and his material is a far cry from the days of Walk Like Rihanna and honestly, we're relieved.
Track Kiss Me Quick is reminiscent of Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience sound, infused with the sass of a Robin Thicke. It is a cheeky, soulful uptempo number that really sees Nathan show off those incredible vocals and silky smooth tones that even the likes of Usher would be proud of.
Describing the song himself as "fun, bouncy and brassy", Sykes spoke openly about his influences from Stevie Wonder to Jamie Cullum, with the tune a confident effort from - in his own words - the youngest member of The Wanted.
Money - which sees Sykes working with the team behind THAT Ariana duet - came next, with Nathan explaining how he came up with the chorus in the shower - revealing that some of his finest work starts with himself getting wet all over, as his mind is "blank".
I'd like to blame it all on life
Maybe we just weren't right, but that's a lie, that's a lie
And we can deny it as much as we want
But in time our feelings will show
'Cause sooner or later
We'll wonder why we gave up
The truth is everyone knows
Almost, almost is never enough
So close to being in love
If I would have known that you wanted me
The way I wanted you
Then maybe we wouldn't be two worlds apart
But right here in each other's arms
And we almost, we almost knew what love was
But almost is never enough
If I could change the world overnight
There'd be no such thing as goodbye
You'd be standing right where you were
And we'd get the chance we deserve
Try to deny it as much as you want
But in time our feelings will show
'Cause sooner or later
We'll wonder why we gave up
The truth is everyone knows
Almost, almost is never enough
We were so close to being in love
If I would have known that you wanted me, the way I wanted you
Then maybe we wouldn't be two worlds apart
But right here in each other's arms
And we almost, we almost knew what love was
But almost is never enough
Oh, oh baby, you know, you know, baby
Almost, baby, is never enough, baby
You know
And we can deny it as much as we want
But in time our feelings will show
'Cause sooner or later
We'll wonder why we gave up
The truth is everyone knows
Almost, almost is never enough (is never enough, babe)
We were so close to being in love (so close)
If I would have known that you wanted me the way I wanted you (babe)
Then maybe we wouldn't be two worlds apart
But right here in each other's arms
And we almost, we almost knew what love was (baby)
But almost is never enough
Oh, oh baby, you know, you know, baby
Almost is never enough baby
You know
After trying desperately NOT to picture him in the shower (come on, you were all thinking it!), Money is another bold and cheeky effort from Nathan. It has an obvious 'American' vibe, with Sykes explaining that the idea from the song came from the phrase "that's the money", which is popular across the pond.
This smoothly led on to final teaser track Famous, which is an emotional ballad and sees Sykes really showing off those vocals, with the man himself branding the track "vulnerable".
With lines such as, "I really believe in love that won't die", "Will you call me when I'm famous" and not forgetting, "What's a man gotta do to make you happy all about fortune and fame" - it really struck a chord with Sykes, who spoke openly about the inspiration behind the lyrics.
Explaining that the ballad was "something that needed to be said" and that he "can't be joyous all the time", Nathan explained how the song comes from a very personal place adding that it's "sometimes hard to listen to as it takes me back to that moment".
While many of you may be screaming at your screens is THIS the track inspired his break-up from Grande, Nathan was keen to add that people are "quick to assume what it is about".
However, he did promise more heart-wrenching ballads on the LP, so we're pretty sure Ariana may want to still grab herself a copy!
Keep it MTV UK for more updates on Nathan's solo album...
Kiss Me Quick
Written by Nathan Sykes, Ali Tennant, Greg Bonnick and Hayden Chapman. Produced by LDN Noise.
Money
Written by Nathan Sykes, Harmony Samuels, J.Hart and Carmen Reece. Produced by Harmony Samuels.
Famous
Written by Nathan Sykes, Harmony Samuels, Major and Carmen Reece. Produced by Harmony Samuels.
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