Who’s your favourite swing singer? How about Conor Maynard? The R U Crazy star, who will make his UAE debut at RedFestDXB on Thursday, says that’s where his sophomore album is heading.
“We’re trying lots of weird stuff,” he told tabloid! over the phone. “At the moment, every No.1, every week, sounds completely different — there’s no sound that’s massive right now, it’s all about different things. We’re trying to think outside of the box, think a bit weird.”
But worry not; he’s got some of the hottest names in the industry backing the weirdness up. His second album, a follow-up to 2012’s Contrast, will see the 21-year-old Brighton native joining forces with Labyrinth, Travie McCoy, and the hit-making machine himself, Timbaland.
Maynard dished about distancing himself from Justin Bieber comparisons, bringing his girlfriend with him to Dubai for Valentine’s Day and acting aspirations:
What’s happening with your second album? The first single, R U Crazy, came out six months ago.
If I could release the album today, I would, but I feel like right now, I want to make sure it’s perfect. I don’t want to let the fans down. You want to make it as good as it can be, so until that happens, people are gonna have to keep waiting, I’m afraid.
You’re going to be here on February 13, a day before Valentine’s Day.
I’m actually going to be bringing my girlfriend over there to Dubai. I didn’t want to leave her behind, ‘cause that’s a bit cruel, so I’ll be bringing her for Valentine’s. It’s my first Valentine’s in a while where I’m actually in a relationship, so it should be nice.
Would you consider yourself a romantic?
At the right time, I can step up and be romantic. Maybe not when I’m just wearing my boxers, playing Xbox — that’s not really the most romantic I can be! But I think, when I need to be, I can turn it on.
What’s not romantic is R U Crazy...
If you’re thinking realistically, in terms of relationships, nine times out of 10, or 99 times out of 100, it will end badly; it very rarely ends with both people saying, “Oh, I don’t love you anymore,” “Oh, I don’t love you, either!” “Great, let’s just be friends.” For me, R U Crazy is that revenge song that, I suppose, is empowering for those who feel like they’ve been messed about, and it gives you the strength to walk away and be like, “No, are you crazy?”
Other than listening to that song on repeat, what’s the best way to get over a break-up?
If I’m honest, I don’t think there’s any thing that can help — it just hurts. That’s it. You kind of got to get over it. It’s just time … It might take longer for some people than others, depending on how they feel about the other person, how busy they are, or what they’re doing to keep their minds off it ... At least, there’s me to release songs to help you.
How do you stay grounded as a young artist?
When I go home to my family, my mum still makes me take out the recycling — it’s all about being surrounded by people who keep you grounded and keep your head screwed on tight. My friends treat me like the same idiot that I was back in school, and I think that definitely helps.
You hit some impressive high notes in your music. Have you had formal vocal training?
When I was younger, I went to this stage school on Saturdays. I did take singing lessons, but it was weird — when I was younger, I didn’t really take it seriously, it wasn’t really what I wanted to do. Acting was my main thing… it was more when I really started to enjoy music and started to enjoy singing, I’d be at home recording cover after cover, and that’s what really allowed me to mould the way that I sing.
You’ve said before that you’re not the UK’s answer to Justin Bieber. Who would you compare yourself to?
Right now, it’s about trying to pave my own name into this industry without, “Oh, he’s just another version of that artist.” Rather than the second Justin Bieber or the second Justin Timberlake, I’d rather be seen as the first Conor Maynard.
