James Arthur Calls 'Say You Won't Let Go' Corny, Promises New Album

On Tuesday, May 16th, James Arthur appeared on the "Hits Breakfast with Fleur East, James and Matt" to discuss his forthcoming fifth album and why he DIDN'T like one of his most popular songs.

James has just released the song "A Year Ago" and told the team that he wanted to remind everyone who the Slow Banger King was.

He said intended to do sad songs again, but he took a break with the last song ("Work With My Love") and had some studio fun.

However, he acknowledged that he desired to return to producing his slow bangers, and it appears that his fifth album will be filled with them!

Despite not revealing a great deal about them, he did say he has returned to playing to his assets. He added that he simply desires to compose melancholy music once more, hence the inclusion of a few heartbreak-themed tracks.

It's a body of work about love and sorrow, he said about his new album. He added that he believes that this is what people want to hear from him.

Since winning "The X Factor" in 2012, James has had a series of successful singles, including "mpossible," "You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You," "Rewrite the Stars" with Anne-Marie, and "Say You Won't Let Go."

When asked if he knew "Say You Won't Let Go" was going to be a massive hit when he wrote it, James confessed he didn't like the song!

He explained that it was a tad corny! He was writing a lot of songs about redemption because he has lost his record deal and he was trying to make a comeback. He felt like he needed to come back with a big statement.

He then said it was an easy song to write, it took a couple of hours, it was a bit of storytelling, and he never gave it a second thought. He believed it might be album recording number seven. Everyone was raving about it, so he conceded that it should be the first single.

James Arthur New Music 2023

In "A Year Ago," James reunites with songwriter Steve Solomon, with whom he co-wrote 2016's most streamed song and recently RIAA Diamond-Certified single, the classic "Say You Won't Let Go."

Led by acoustic guitar, bolstered by swelling synths and crashing percussion, the intimate yet expansive slow-builder about missing an ex features a mesmerizing vocal that achieves the desired intensity. Its blueprint was more an emotion than a specific sound. It was composed in a single week at Steve's studio in Los Angeles.