Lemar was inspired by eighties funk while working on tracks for his forthcoming seventh album ‘Page In My Heart’.
Preceded by the lead single Future Love, the LP is the follow-up to his 2015 covers collection ‘The Letter’ and his first original LP since 2012’s ‘Invincible’.
The release coincides with the 20th anniversary of his ‘Fame Academy’ appearance and his debut single Dance (With U) – a track Lemar revisited while in the studio.
He tells RETROPOP’s April 2023 issue: “I didn’t want to go so modern that people think, ‘Oh, you’re just trying to keep up with whatever the new sound is.’ Because this year is 20 years of ‘Dedicated’, I wanted to embrace the vibe of Dance (With U), which is kind of soulful and Michael Jackson-esque, throw in a bit of the Chaka Khan bassline in there, but keep it light hearted.”
Future Love is a strong indication of the sound of the record, which amid an eighties revival in the pop charts references genres and styles that are too-often overlooked in favour of new wave and synth pop. “It was a massive sub genre of that pop/soul/disco era,” he muses. “The album’s not too involved lyrically – it’s very playful, in fact – but it’s got the elements of that which I hope will be translated well when it comes to the live setting.”
A handful of the new tracks feature female guest vocals, with singer-songwriter extraordinaire Jessica Agombar – a former member of girl group Parade who has gone on to pen tracks for some of the biggest names in pop, like Shania Twain’s recent hits Waking Up Dreaming and Giddy Up! – appearing on early highlight Glorious.
“When I wrote the song, I did the female part as well, but I needed a vocalist and I didn’t know whose voice I could call on that would be right for the track,” Lemar recalls. “Jessica came round to do some recording, I played her the song and asked if she’d mind replacing what I’d done.”
He didn’t plan on keeping her part on the record, but after hearing the finished version he admits: “She’s got so much attitude in her voice and once she was on there, that was it. And about a week after, she wrote Dynamite for BTS, which became one of the fastest and most viewed videos on YouTube, and her career went off into a whole other stratosphere.”
‘Page In My Heart’ is out March 24 on AMP. Lemar’s 20th anniversary gigs take place april 27 and 28 in Manchester and London, tickets are on sale now.
Read the full interview in the April 2023 edition of RETROPOP, out now. Order yours or subscribe via our Online Store, use our Store Finder to locate your nearest stockist, or get Digital Copies delivered direct to your devices.
