James Arthur has ditched plans for a dance album to focus on heartfelt ballads.
The former ‘X Factor’ winner’s upbeat single ‘You Deserve Better’ only hit the Number 53 spot in the charts in June, and he has admitted he tried to stray too far from what his fans enjoy about his music.
Speaking to The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column, he explained: "I made an album full of bangers. I put out You Deserve Better, which I thought was going to sit on the radio and everyone was going to love it.
"It’s a great song but I got too carried away from what people really like about me. So I went back to that and kind of evolved it and made it more interesting."
The 30-year-old singer made a big comeback in 2016 after a string of controversies and setbacks, and his second album ‘Back From The Edge’ topped the charts with the help of huge hit single ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’.
He added: "The last album took two years and it was an autobiographical, real self-indulgent album."
James has vowed his next record – set to be released next year – will be even better than his previous return to form.
He said: "It’s going really well. I think it’s going to be the best one yet."
The star bared his soul on his last LP, and he has previously spoken out about a need for the music industry to change its attitude towards anxiety and mental health.
He said: "In sport, they have sports psychologists to get these people ready for the big games and big crowds, and getting scrutinised by the newspapers. Whereas in the music business you don’t really have a lot people keeping your head right. They seem happy to see people suffering. It’s mad …
"I’ve been a tortured soul. I’ve been through a lot of heartache so I definitely put that in my music. It’s where I express it the best. That’s the thing I rely on the most."
James Arthur ditches dance album
