Released: March 24
Returning with a fresh, eighties funk-inspired direction, Lemar delivers a slice of pop nostalgia as he celebrates 20 years in music with his long-awaited seventh album.
‘Page In My Heart’ is the former ‘Fame Academy’ star’s first LP in eight years and his first original body of work in over a decade, with the hitmaker revisiting his debut LP ‘Dedicated’ in search of inspiration for his latest offering.
“With this new album, I wanted to make something for anyone who ever bought ‘Dedicated’, as this year is 20 years since its release,” he shares. “I thought I’d like to make something for the people who got behind that album, something that they would appreciate and like.”
It’s a winning formula that’s clear from the opening beats of lead single Future Love; an upbeat pop number that’s both nostalgic and current in its sound, and an indication of the direction of the record as a whole.
There’s more in a similar vein, with Free Your Mind another riot of a track that leans into a funk groove and The Weekend a celebration of living it large like every day is Saturday, while the midtempo Dust combines electronic beats with heartbreak lyrics – one of a number of deeply personal moments on the record.
“This album is about me and my relationships, and my fans’ relationships, and hopefully what they’ve been going through as well in my dialogue with them,” says the musician of the collection, which opens with the rousing title track, placing his soulful vocal front and centre.
Along with Take Care and closing number Where Do We Get Off?, it’s one of the more poignant moments, highlighting Lemar’s versatility and the power in his vocals, which shine bright on Glorious! – the second on the record and a complete U-turn, which opens with a striking falsetto and features vocal contributions from singer and songwriter extraordinaire Jessica Agombar.
It’s an overall direction that succeeds in bringing his sound up to date while remaining authentic to who he is as an artist. As he explains: “It’s very, very personal. It doesn’t get more ‘me’ than this musically. The way this album was written and the way it came to fruition, I don’t think it could have been a purer process than this one.”
Twenty years since his debut and over a decade since he released his most recent original album, ‘Page In My Heart’ is a reminder of Lemar’s star power and, as an album, his best in a long time.
‘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 MORE: Lemar credits Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson as inspirations behind 20th anniversary album [Exclusive]
