James Arthur has shared another taster of his forthcoming album, ‘Bitter Sweet Love’, in the form of its title track.
The song was one of the first to be written during the album’s creation with Steve Solomon, who co-wrote the 2016 mega-hit Say You Won’t Let Go with James
“I love that it mashes up so many styles,” says the hitmaker of his latest release. “It goes from an almost The 1975-like groove to a Kings of Leon-esque pre chorus, then back to funky groove.
“It’s been one of my favourites from the moment I wrote it. It’s about someone who has a hold on you, but whose presence in your life fucks you up. You’re maybe drawn to them for how they look, despite how they play with your head.”
The track follows previous hits including Sleepwalking, Just Us, Blindside and A Year Ago, and comes accompanied by a Tim Mattia-directed music video.
Listen to Bitter Sweet Love and watch the official music video below.
“The more albums you make and the more success you have, the more the pressure tends to be upon you,” James shared in a press release for the new album. “But I genuinely felt like a kid again, just making music I loved, not worried about trying to please everyone.”
Since winning ‘The X Factor’ in 2012 and topping the charts with his cover of Shontelle’s Impossible, James has scored four UK Top 10 albums, with 2016’s ‘Back From The Edge’ hitting No. 1 and going Top 40 Stateside.
He released his most-recent project, ‘It’ll All Make Sense In The End’, in 2021; a lockdown record, produced at home, that leant heavily on programmed beats.
‘Bitter Sweet Love’ is out January 26 and available to pre-order now.
In support of the LP, Arthur will hit the road early next year for a massive run of shows across the UK and Europe, launching in January in Hamburg and playing across the continent before arriving in Dublin on March 3 and continuing across the UK March 16, with a final stop at London’s Wembley Arena.
He’ll also play a huge show at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium on June 8.
“Can’t wait for you all to see the show,” said James in a post on X. “Thank you so much for your support, can’t wait to see you all out there.”
Tickets are on sale now. The full list of tour dates is below.
JANUARY 2024
26 – Sporthalle, Hamburg
27 – Palladium, Cologne
29 – Cirque Royal, Brussels
30 – Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt
FEBRUARY 2024
2 – Zenith, Munich
4 – Volkshaus, Zurich
5 – Fabrique, Milan
7 – Den Atelier, Luxembourg
8 – Le Trianon, Paris
11 – Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht
13 – Vega Main Hall, Copenhagen
15 – Filadelflia, Stockholm
16 – Sentrum Scene, Oslo
19 – Columbiahalle, Berlin
20 – Stodola, Warsaw
22 – Forum Karlin, Prague
24 – Gasometer, Vienna
25 – Barba Negra, Budapest
MARCH 2024
3 – 3Arena, Dublin
5 – International Centre, Bournemouth
6 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
8 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield
9 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle
10 – Connexin Live, Hull
13 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
15 – AO Arena, Manchester
16 – OVO Wembley Arena, London
JUNE 2024
8 – Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
