X Factor sensation, Olly Murs, is set to send hearts racing again as he prepares to release his fourth studio album next month and music writer Lucy Butler has all the information. With three multiplatinum albums, four #1 singles, ten million record sales and sell-out arena tours later, the 30-year-old Essex chap has aptly named his new album, ‘Never Been Better’.
Not only does the album feature Olly’s best vocals yet, but also collaborations with stars including Demi Lovato, Travie McCoy, who features on the title track, and even Paul Weller. The collaboration with Paul, one of Olly’s heroes, came about when Olly met him while performing at the Teenage Cancer Trust concerts earlier this year- Paul wanted to tell Olly how much he admired his cover of his song, Broken Stones.
Olly confessed: “I was starstruck- and blown away.”
Paul sent over his idea the following day and that’s where the song, ‘Let Me In’ began. The track is built on Paul’s plaintive verses over a classic-soul setting. When discussing the session him and Paul shared, Olly remembered: “He got his guitar out and went: ‘Where do you see the chorus going?” he said. “I mean, I was terrified, but it was the most incredible experience, too. I literally just went for it. I had to.” Paul himself has also admitted that he thinks the song he and Olly have produced is ‘brilliant’.
“To get that recognition from someone as iconic as he is was phenomenal” added Olly. Olly has also collaborated with Disney star, Demi Lovato on the track, ‘Up’, an catchy up-beat pop song. Moreover, deciding what to release as the title track was Olly’s ‘biggest headache’. The album title track could have been the obvious choice as it lyrically expresses where Olly is in his career right now which he says is- “me, having the best time of my life, living the dream.”
However, he decided to go with ‘Wrapped Up’. The song, featuring Travie McCoy, debuted on Radio 1 earlier this month. The funk-guitar swagger of the track is addictive and will definitely have the Troublemaker or Dance with Me Tonight effect when Olly performs it live. The songs, ‘Nothing Without You’, ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘Beautiful to Me’ will provide the lighters in the air moments on tour. ‘Beautiful To Me’ is a tender, heart-breaking song that Olly has written to reassure his girl that he will always be there for her. “I think this album is my ‘I mean it’ album. It’s time to come out of my shell and get a bit more serious. “I’m 30 now, and I was 26 when I did the first album. And it’s been two years since Right Place, Right Time – though it doesn’t feel like it.
So this is me, two years on, and I think the new record reflects that.” Never Been Better is set to smash it. Olly undertaken the challenge to produce his best album yet and it’s looking like it is mission accomplished. Olly Murs has literally Never Been Better. ‘Wrapped Up’ will be released on the Nov 16 and ‘Never Been Better’ is set for release on Nov 24.
words by: Lucy Butler
Image: Creative commons
