James Arthur thinks his ADHD is his songwriting “superpower”.
The 37-year-old singer – who recently released new album ‘Pisces’ – has opened up about his diagnosis and how he is being “unapologetically” himself on his latest record.
He told Fault magazine: “I see ADHD as a superpower when it comes to songwriting.
“It allows me to have hyper-focus when it comes to things I’m passionate about. And I care deeply about songwriting – so I can lock in for long periods.
“‘Pisces’ represents me being unapologetically myself. I’ve reached a place where I am woven into the fabric of everything about this album and I’m proud of it.”
The ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’ hitmaker described songwriting as a “form of therapy”, and he insisted he’s inspired by using his own experiences to help other people.
He added: “It’s always cathartic to write about difficult things. Making myself vulnerable takes courage and I know I’m helping others.”
On the new album, he penned the song ‘Friends’ about late actor Matthew Perry – who died aged 54 in October 2023 – and how the star’s struggles with addiction impacted James.
He explained: “I hope it’s the kind of song that stops people in their tracks and makes them think about reaching out to those they haven’t spoken to in a while – and just talk more openly about mental health.”
Meanwhile, the former ‘X Factor’ star confessed he isn’t “kind enough” to himself, and he urged people to think about how they treat themselves.
He said: “It’s important to have a healthy internal dialogue because if we said some of the things we say to ourselves out loud to someone else, we’d probably get a black eye!”
James previously revealed he was excited for people to hear a “more dreamy” sound on his new collection.
Last month, he told the Metro newspaper’s 60 Seconds column: “I am [excited]. It’s not all angsty, typical vocals you’d hear from me.
“It’s a bit more dreamy and that’s why the ‘Pisces’ name was a good marriage.
“Being a dreamer links well with the Pisces star sign. I’ve always resonated with my star sign.”