Zak Abel has been inspired by Ed Sheeran’s album to experiment more.
The 22-year-old ‘Unmissable’ hitmaker is a massive fan of the 26-year-old flame-haired hunk’s record-breaking LP ‘Divide’ and particularly the track ‘Bibia Be Ye Ye’, which features Highlife sounds, a genre that originated in Ghana in the 20th century and it has made him want to test out new styles of music.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, he said: "I love his [Ed’s] album. I’ve listened to it twice the whole way through and I really liked it.
"My favourite song from the album is ‘Bibia Be Ye Ye’ and I basically fell in love with Highlife music about a year and a half ago and he has basically gone full Highlife on that tune, but he has done it in such an Ed Sheerany way, which I love.
"I think if anything this album is an inspiration to me to just try new things and experiment with different styles of music."
Zak hopes that when he is on album three he can emulate the success of the ‘Shape of You’ hitmaker, whose third offering had all 16 of songs are in the Top 40, with nine in the Top 10.
He added: "He has always kept the levels up in his music. If I can be on album three and make an album that is as good as that I would be very."
Meanwhile, the dark-haired hunk – who releases his debut LP ‘Only When We’re Naked’ on April 21 through Atlantic Records – wants to work with Wretch 32 again after the pair collaborated on the song ‘Rock Bottom’, which Zak has revealed was intended to go on the 32-year-old Grime superstar’s record, but ended up on his.
On working with the ‘6 Words’ hitmaker, Zak said: "We did a song together called ‘Rock Bottom’ and hopefully we will work together in the future again.
"The song was initially for his album and I just sung the hook on it and it didn’t get used for his album so I was like why don’t we make it a song for me, and I wrote two verses, because initially it was just a hook and I kept the original hook and then he re-wrote his bit based on the lyrics I had written. It was a song that was done remotely, but I feel like we really tapped into the same topic and emotion. It is a song that I am really proud of and I am happy it is on the album."
Zak Abel headlines The Big Top stage at Wychwood Festival on Saturday June 3rd 2017.
Wychwood is held between June 2nd and June 4th.
Ticket are available from £68.50 from www.wychwoodfestival.com
Zak Abel inspired by Ed Sheeran’s Divide
