Rag’n’Bone Man opens up on his latest solar album. image: az
The English singer has found his compass and even ventures onto the dance floor. His new songs on What Do You Believe In? breathe hope and optimism.
Stefan Künzli / ch media
More “Entertainment”
He is almost two meters high and weighs 120 kilos: Rag’n’Bone Man is a real mountain. And that’s exactly how the English singer sounded when he took the pop world by storm in 2017.
In his monumental hit Humanthe rumble of his voice and the intensity of the sound had the effect of an earthquake, an image that completely matched his giant physique. Big feelings, big sounds. Everything was very big.
Too big, as the singer admitted three years ago. He said in particular, to everyone’s surprise:
“Human was overproduced, the music overloaded. I wouldn’t do it the same way again.”
His next album, Life by Misadventuremoved away from the recipe for success and focused on a discreet sound, delicate and reduced. This fits his state of mind at the time – he was dealing with the breakdown of his marriage.
This is all very beautiful. But with this new introverted and melancholic sound, he could not confirm, even remotely, the success of his debut. After quintuple platinum status and more than 100,000 units sold in Switzerland, Rag’n’Bone Man has not even reached gold status with Life by Misadventure per 10,000 units sold.
In the United States too, the fall was significant, and he only managed to win gold in Great Britain, his country of origin.
We listen to a new Rag’n’Bone
In his second album, Rag’n’Bone Man sounded a little lost. He was a man in search of himself. For his third albumthe English singer cannot afford another fall, otherwise, its flight will soon come to an end. We could therefore impatiently await this new opus. Is he returning to his old recipe for successwhen he so resolutely distanced himself from it?
No way! Most of the time there is no crowding, but it also seems having left behind his introverted and melancholy phase. Instead, we hear a new Rag’n’Bone Man. The artist explains to us that it is the song The Right Waywith its soulful groove, which set the stylistic direction of the album. It’s a soulful track full of hope and confidence.
New musical direction fits his current life situationhe said. In fact, four years ago, he found his current partner. “I have one son, she has three. I really enjoy family life,” he says.
This is how the new stylistic direction imposed itself. He explains in particular:
“It’s hard to write sad songs when you’re not sad. My life is wonderful and harmonious. I am happy”
Now, as a result, his songs sound optimistic. We hear light soul from the 70s (Pocket, Hideaway, The Right Way), hopeful gospel borrowings (Iron, Chokehold) and the essential piano ballad (Hope You Felt Loved At The End).
“I’m not a dancer, but I try”
It is surprising that Rag’n’Bone Man immediately serves a bouquet of dance oriented songs.
“I love funk and disco music from the 1970s. The music of people like Rick James inspired me a lot”
And is he a dancer at heart? “No, I’m not a dancer,” he said with a laugh, “but I try a little.”
The title track What Do You Believe In? (“What do you believe in?”) is most reminiscent of his hit single Human. But the intense song has nothing to do with religion and belief in God. “I’m not religious, but I believe in the power of love,” he says. The impetus for the song was given by the death of his motherwhom he loved very much.
“We live in a crazy and violent world, where many are afraid of the future. This is why I find it appropriate to remind people what love is. The world needs love.”
Rag’n’Bone Man.
Rag’n’Bone Man seems to have found his compass. His new songs exude the confidence to stay on the path to success.
Rag’n’Bone Man – What Do You Believe In?
(Sony//aargauerzeitung.ch): Translated and adapted from German by Léa Krejci
