Song Stories: James Bay on his bold reinvention with comeback single ‘Wild Love’

"My songs are filled with angst and uncertainty"

We hope you’re sitting down for this, readers, but James Bay does not wear a hat any more. And that’s not the only bold reinvention that he’s undergone. Comeback single ‘Wild Love’ – taken from today’s new album ‘Electric Light’ – draws on influences that include Frank Ocean, Prince and Drake, as well as Bowie, Lorde and Blondie. He’s not messing about for album number two.

Of ‘Electric Light’, he tells NME: “The second record is all about evolution for me as an artist. To go to those places as a write has been the point. ‘Wild Love’ is a great example of where I’ve gone to as an artist. The song is essentially about falling for someone and that explosive, euphoric feeling.”

James reveals that an increased confidence made its way into the lyrics: “I just wasn’t the kind of artist [on debut album ‘Chaos and the Calm’] that would feel something like the kinds of emotions on ‘Wild Love’ – and just say them. The chorus in ‘Wild Love’: “I wanna give you wild love / The kind that never slows down.”

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Later, he talk about shooting the ‘Wild Love’ video with Natalie Dyer from Stranger Things. “She said: ‘I really love this song’,” he tells us. “It was really wonderful and simple and to hang with her that whole day and work with her, making that video, was awesome.” Hats off, James Bay, the track’s a beaut and so is the video.

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