I mainly remember the boyband Blue for their cover songs. They are one of the few boybands that I never got into, probably because my boyband phase was coming to an end when they arrived. I do, however own a cd-single (yes, remember those) of one of the solo projects by former Blue member, Simon Webbe. It’s for the song “No Worries”. I loved that one, and actually play it still, every once in a while.
A few weeks ago, Simon released his new single, “Nothing Without You”, which marks his return as a solo artist after pretty much a decade of focusing on other projects. He’s been active on so many things in this period. Blue reunited, he started two entertainment companies (a music label and PR company) and he acted in movies and musicals, but now he’s back to music.
“Nothing Without You” is actually not much different in sound from “No Worries”. It’s got the same upbeat soul vibe and it is incredibly catching. It’s clear that Simon is picking up where he left off, because the love song is easy to get into and has a broad appeal to the masses. However, I think that the song is actually highly personal as he is engaged to be married. I can’t tell for sure, but perhaps he’s telling his own story.
Quickly after releasing the original version of the song – with a music video – Simon also released an audio of a remix version by 7th Heaven. The remix speeds things up slightly and breathes a new found energy to it. It’s a house remix that sort of goes back to the early beginnings of the genre.
The single is the lead single for a new album called “Smile”, which is already available for pre-order now, but will see its official release on October 13th 2017. His band Blue are still together too and are actually touring the UK this summer and fall. A book about the band, “All Rise”, will also be released in October. The band is currently already visiting book stores for launching sessions. So, Simon has many reasons to smile.
