Calum Scott catapulted to fame in 2015 when he appeared on “Britain’s Got Talent” and wowed viewers with his emotive rendition of the Robyn hit ‘Dancing On My Own’. Despite not winning the series, Scott signed a record deal with Capitol Records after the independent release of ‘Dancing On My Own’ went viral and picked up considerable traction. In 2018 Scott released his debut album ‘Only Human’, which peaked at number 4 in the UK charts and was certified Silver. The album had success across the globe with a Gold certification in the US and Australia.
Four years on from the release of ‘Only Human’ and Scott is ready to release his second album ‘Bridges’ (read our interview with Calum about the album). The album’s lead single ‘Biblical’, a soaring and emotional piano ballad, was released in 2021 and Scott has steadily been unveiling songs from the record since including ‘Rise’, ‘If You Ever Change Your Mind’, ‘Heaven’, the title track ‘Bridges’ and ‘Boys in the Street’, a cover of the Greg Holden song. Scott also found time to have a hit with Lost Frequencies, ‘Where Are You Now’, which reached number 3.
Listening to the songs released ahead of the arrival of ‘Bridges’, it’s clear that Scott has found his sound. From his debut album his two biggest hits were ballads – ‘Dancing On My Own’ and ‘You Are The Reason’ – so it makes sense for Scott to continue exploring that territory. That doesn’t mean that ‘Bridges’ is completely devoid of any uptempo moments but the record does serve up plenty of anthemic songs with inspiring lyrics and soaring melodies.
The album is front-loaded with ‘Biblical’ and ‘If You Ever Change Your Mind’, two songs that showcase just how much Scott has grown as a vocalist since his first record. He’s able to push his further higher at the top of his range now, and he sounds the best I’ve ever heard him. ‘Run With Me’ is the first new song and it opens with a piano melody that’s not dissimilar to ‘Dancing On My Own’ before finding its own lane. The song opens up into a hopeful burst of optimism with Scott’s voice powering through the chorus.
The heart-breaking ‘The Way You Loved Me’ drips with hurt as Scott sings about a lover falling out love with him and moving on. Scott’s delivery sells the song and you can’t fail to be moved by the emotion in his voice. The guitar-led ‘Last Tears’ is backed by a beat as Scott leans into a jazzier vocal delivery for one of album’s more uptempo moments while on ‘Cross Your Mind’, Scott ponders if a former lover still thinks about him as he does them. One of the album’s finest moments is the life-affirming “I’ll Be There”, a song that celebrates being there for someone unconditionally.
Scott’s version of ‘Boys in the Street’, which he released to coincide with Pride Month, is as raw and beautiful as anything Scott has recorded. He’s transformed Greg Holden’s song into a gut-wrenching four minutes that anyone who’s ever had difficulty coming out will be able to relate to. Scott’s take is so raw, and clearly so close to his heart, that his voice moves you in ways it never has before.
‘Bridges’ is the perfect follow-up to ‘Only Human’. Scott has not only grown as a vocalist but as a songwriter and an artist too. I can’t think of another male artist out there making music like this and Scott’s ability to turn raw emotion into something so beautiful is a true gift. ‘Bridges’ makes me appreciate Scott in a way I never have before and he deserves to be respected as one of our finest artists. That voice combined with these songs is pure magic.
Track listing: 1. Biblical 2. If You Ever Change Your Mind 3. Run With Me 4. The Way You Loved Me 5. Flaws 6. Heaven 7. Rise 8. Last Tears 9. Half a Man 10. Goodbye Again 11. I’ll Be There 12. Cross Your Mind 13. Boys in the Street 14. Bridges Record label: Capitol Records Release date: 17th June 2022 Buy ‘Bridges’ now
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