James Bay is pleased don't recognise him on his new single.
James Bay
The 27-year-old singer is showcasing a new sound on comeback track 'Wild Love', which is taken from upcoming new LP 'Electric Light', and he's happy that his diverse influences have been such a big influence on his new direction, fans are shocked when they realise it's him singing.
He said of the track: "I like that people don't immediately realise it's me. And it's true I have been listening to a lot of Frank Ocean recently. But also Bowie, so much Bowie, and LCD Soundsystem, Blondie, Lorde, Prince, Chance the Rapper, Drake. I suppose I didn't pay too much attention to all this sort of music when I was the version of me that made the first album, but I do now."
The 'Hold Back the River' hitmaker insists it is important to be "reactionary" and keep moving forward and trying new things.
He told the i newspaper: "It's an evolution, this record.
"Because, you know, if you are an artist, you need to be reactionary, you need to move forward. If you are not moving forward, you are standing still, and that's boring.
"Look at Picasso. Picasso made some paintings, and everybody loved them. Then he did everything in blue, and people said, 'Where is the good stuff that we loved?' He said: 'I'm doing blue now!' But then he went and did everything cubist. People said to him: 'Where is the blue stuff?!'
"Same with Bowie. When he performed Ziggy Stardust for the last time, fans couldn't believe it, they didn't want to let Ziggy go."
And while he's conscious his fans might have wanted him to make more records that sound like his debut album, 'The Chaos and the Calm', he believes it's important he puts his own interests first.
He said: "I make music to please my fans, of course, but I also make music for myself. Every artist does, ultimately."
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