The Wanted have branded their song ‘Walks Like Rihanna’ “the worst song ever”.
Despite the hit single make the top five and being given the seal of approval of the singer who inspired the title, ‘We Found Love’ hitmaker Rihanna, Tom has confessed he can’t stand the 2013 song and believes it should be binned.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz at his ‘Inside My Head’ Stand Up to Cancer charity concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall earlier this week, which saw the boy band reunite on stage for the first time in seven years, Tom, 33, said: “That song just should not exist. Go in the bin forever. It’s the f****** worst song ever.”
Bandmate Siva Kaneswaran, 32, added: “It’s a good song if you’re 15!”
However, Nathan Sykes, 28, insisted: “Without being hateful, it is a fan favourite, it’s part of our history – and Rihanna liked it!”
And Jay McGuiness, 31, added: “She was very flattered, which is nice.”
As part of their comeback, the group – also including Max George, 33 – will release ‘Most Wanted – The Greatest Hits’ LP on November 12.
The collection includes mega-hits ‘All Time Low’ and ‘Glad You Came’, the 2010 Comic Relief single ‘Gold Forever’, ‘Chasing The Sun’, ‘I Found You’, ‘Warzone’, ‘Show Me Love’, plus a couple of new songs.
Tom hosted the charity concert for Stand Up to Cancer after being diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour last summer, and it’s one of the main reasons the group – who went on hiatus in 2014 – have reunited, as well as their 10th anniversary plans being scrapped owing to the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
Tom said at a recent press conference: “It feels amazing it is quite nice to be able to do something that is not related to treatment, it is like nothing has ever changed.”
Speaking about the new music, Nathan added: “It is really good, we are really excited.
“It was really nice doing it in the studio, Jay and Siva recorded in the US and us three recorded it over here. It is lovely being back together.”