Gabrielle wants to collaborate James Arthur.
The 54-year-old singer is a huge fan of the former ‘X Factor’ winner’s music and admits her dreams would come true if she could get in the studio with him.
Although Gabrielle thinks they could record a special song together she believes she’d run a mile if it was actually going to happen because she gets very nervous about working with other artists.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, she said: “I’d love to work with James Arthur. But if he ever approached me I’d probably run 10 million miles because I love him so much
“Insecurity does plague me sometimes, it’s like, ‘What if I don’t sound as good as him?’ It’s weird, there’s a little part of me that’s still like that.”
Gabrielle previously duetted with British boy band East 17 on the 1996 hit single ‘If You Ever’ – a cover of Shai’s ‘If I Ever Fall in Love’ – but her collaborations have been sparse.
The soul star regularly gets song offers from other artists which she usually declines due to a lack of confidence, but now she is older she wants to say yes to more projects.
She shared: “You know something I do get asked, people want to do a song for me. I’ve got to be honest it’s a very scary thing when I’m approached because if I really love them I think, ‘Am I going to be able to give my best? Am I going to be able to sound as good as they are?’ I’m a scaredy-cat for many reasons. I once turned down having a jam with Prince on stage!
“I don’t often work with other people, but who knows, now I’m a bit more braver, as I get more into my old age, maybe I’ll say yes to more projects.”
One collaboration the ‘Dreams’ hitmaker did agree to is with British R ‘n’ B musician Mahalia, as the pair duet on ‘Good Enough’ which features on Gabrielle’s eighth studio album ‘A Place in Your Heart’.
Gabrielle met Mahalia when they both supported Adele at her headline BST Hyde Park concert in July 2022 and Gabrielle contacted the 26-year-old artist to ask her to add her distinct vocals to the track.
Discussing the collaboration, Gabrielle said: “Mahalia is incredible. I first got to meet her at BST Hyde Park when we were opening up for Adele. Mahalia was just amazing. It was suggested to get her on ‘Good Enough’ because the vocals of Mahalia would be amazing on this song. Her being on it is a real bonus.
“My son was like, ‘Mum, that should be a single, that’s a summer jam, people are going to be rocking out to that.’
“When I met Mahalia she was lovely, she was warm. My daughter introduced me to her music a few years prior to that but to actually meet her in person was special. I look forward to meeting her again as she is incredible. As a singer/songwriter she’s just up there for me, vocally and everything, she is very special.
“Unfortunately we didn’t get to go into the studio together which I’m a bit gutted about, she just seems like so much fun. We sent her the track and she was able to do her thing separately from me. Damn modern technology that you don’t have to leave your house! You can just send things to someone else and collaborate that way.
“I was upset that I didn’t physically get to be in the same room because I can imagine we would have been jamming together and dancing in the studio because the song is such a vibe.”
Gabrielle’s new album ‘A Place In Your Heart’ is out now.