James Newman (singer)

Last updated

James Newman
Birth nameJames Richard Newman [1]
Born (1985-10-19) 19 October 1985 (age 38)
Settle, North Yorkshire, England
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
Years active2013–2021
Labels BMG

James Richard Newman (born 19 October 1985) was a English singer and songwriter. During the 2014 Brit Awards, he won the Brit Award for British Single of the Year as a co-writer of "Waiting All Night", a song by English band Rudimental. [2] Newman was selected to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song, "My Last Breath" before its cancellation. He instead represented the country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Embers”, which came in last place with nul points. [3]

Contents

Career

2013–2019: Career beginnings with songwriting

As a child, Newman became interested in music, and he wrote and produced songs with his younger brother John Newman. In his 20s, he established himself as a songwriter in London, and in 2013 he co-wrote Rudimental and Ella Eyre's hit "Waiting All Night". [2] The song topped the UK Singles Chart. Newman won the "Brit Award for British Single of the Year" during the 2014 Brit Awards for co-writing "Waiting All Night" with Jonny Harris. [2]

Later, James co-wrote with his brother John Newman and with Calvin Harris the latter's song "Blame", featuring vocals by John. The song, an international hit, topped the UK singles chart, in addition to peaking in Scotland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Mexico. It reached number 19 on Billboard Hot 100 and topped the US Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. Newman was also a co-composer of a number of songs including "Let 'Em Talk" on Kesha's 2017 album Rainbow , and "Coping" for Toni Braxton on her 2018 album Sex & Cigarettes .

Newman was a featured vocalist on several songs including the 2018 hit "Therapy" by Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren. The song charted in the Netherlands, Belgium and on the US Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart. The same year he was featured on the song "Lights Go Down", a song by the Norwegian music producer and DJ Matoma in his album One in a Million . In 2019, he was featured on the Armin van Buuren song "High on Your Love".

2020–2021: Eurovision Song Contest and The Things We Do

On 27 February 2020, the BBC announced that Newman would represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He was set to participate with the song "My Last Breath", which Newman co-wrote with Adam Argyle, Ed Drewett and Iain James. [4] However, the 2020 event was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. On 17 July 2020, Newman released his debut EP called The Things We Do, which includes the singles "My Last Breath", "Enough" and "Better Man". [5]

On 19 February 2021, it was announced that Newman was reselected to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. As one of the Big Five countries in the competition, the UK directly qualified for the final on 22 May. In an interview on Newsbeat, Newman stated: "I feel like everyone wants a party and to have some fun so when I was writing, that's what I had in my head. I wanted something people can dance to, even if it's just in their kitchen". [6] The song "Embers" was released on 11 March 2021. [7] However, the song got "nul points" in the Eurovision final from both juries and televotes and came last. [8] [9]

Personal life

James Newman was born in Settle in the Yorkshire Dales. When Newman was eleven years old, his father left the family, leaving his mother Jackie to take care of James and his younger brother John all by herself, working as a receptionist. [10] John later became a well-known singer, songwriter, musician and record producer.

Discography

Extended plays

TitleDetails
The Things We Do
  • Released: 17 July 2020
  • Label: BMG
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
[11] 		NLD
[12] 		SCO
[13] 		SWE
[14]
"If You're Not Going to Love Me"
(vs DC Breaks)		2016————Non-album single
"My Last Breath"2020— [upper-alpha 1] 2323—The Things We Do
"Enough"————
"Better Man"————
"Alone"————
"Embers"20214780—97Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released.
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
BEL
(Wa)
Tip
[16] 		NLD
40
[17] 		NLD
100
[12] 		US
Dance
Air.
"Coming Home"
(Arno Cost featuring James Newman)		2015————Non-album singles
"Daylight to Midnight"
(Night Safari featuring James Newman)		————
"Head Up"
(Don Diablo featuring James Newman)		2018———— Future
"Therapy"
(Armin van Buuren featuring James Newman)		3742615 Balance
"Lights Go Down"
(Matoma featuring James Newman)		———— One in a Million
"High on Your Love"
(Armin van Buuren featuring James Newman)		2019———— Balance
"Slow Lane"
(Armin van Buuren featuring James Newman)		2020————Euthymia
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released.

Songwriting credits

  indicated a background vocals contribution.   indicates a featured artist contribution.

YearArtistAlbumSongCo-written with
2013 Rudimental Home "Waiting All Night"
(featuring Ella Eyre)		 Amir Izadkhah, Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden, Johnny Harris
2014 Calvin Harris Motion "Blame"
(featuring John Newman)		 Adam Wiles, John Newman
Gorgon City Sirens "Try Me Out"
(featuring Anne-Marie)		 Kye Gibbon, Matthew Robson-Scott, Jonny Coffer, Anne-Marie Nicholson
Union J You Got It All - The Album "Get It Right" George Shelley, Timothy Powell, Mary Leay
2015 Arno Cost Non-album single"Coming Home"
(featuring James Newman)		 Vadim Constantin, Katherine Syren-Russell, Johnny Harris
Jess Glynne I Cry When I Laugh "It Ain't Right" Jessica Glynne, Finlay Dow-Smith
"No Rights, No Wrongs" Jessica Glynne, Janee Bennett, Andrew Knox Brown, Jonny Coffer, Finlay Dow-Smith
Little Mix Get Weird "Love Me Like You" Camille Purcell, Steve McCutcheon, Iain Farquarson
Rudimental We the Generation "Lay It All on Me"
(featuring Ed Sheeran)		 Amir Izadkhah, Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden, Leon Rolle, Johnny Harris, Adam Eaglefield, Jacob Manson, Edward Sheeran, Gavin Slater, Lasse Peterson, Maxwell McElligott, James Luke Wood
"Too Cool"
(featuring Ella Eyre)		 Amir Izadkhah, Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden, Leon Rolle, Ella McMahon, Johnny Harris
"All That Love"
(featuring Anne-Marie)		 Amir Izadkhah, Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden, Leon Rolle, Johnny Harris, Wayne Hector, Julie Frost, Nicholas Gale
Foxes All I Need "Amazing" Louisa Rose Allen, Martin Brammer, Jonny Lattimer
2016 Diztortion Non-album single"I'll Be There" Raoul Chen, Eyelar Mirzazadeh
Netsky III "High Alert"
(featuring Sara Hartman)		 Boris Daenan, Johnny Harris, Daniel Watts
Matoma Hakuna Matoma /
One in a Million 		"False Alarm"
(with Becky Hill)		 Thomas Lagergren, Rebecca Hill, Kara DioGuardi, Daniel Heløy Davidsen, Peter Wallevik, Mich Hansen
Havana Brown Non-album single"Like Lightning"
(featuring Dawin)		 Angelique Meunier, Kesha Sebert, Stuart Crichton, Dawin Polanco
Kaiser Chiefs Stay Together "Why Do You Do It to Me?" Charles Wilson, Andrew White, Simon Rix, Nicholas Baines, Vijay Mistry, Brian Higgins, Toby Scott, Nicholas Coler
Olly Murs 24 Hrs "Read My Mind" Oliver Murs, Steve Robson, Edward Drewett
2017 Digital Farm Animals Non-album single"Digital Love"
(featuring Hailee Steinfeld)		 Nicholas Gale, Daniel Heløy Davidsen, Peter Wallevik, Mich Hansen, Daniel Stein, Willem van Hanegem, Ward van der Harst
Brendan Murray "Dying to Try" [18] Jörgen Elofsson
Kesha Rainbow "Let Em Talk" (featuring Eagles of Death Metal) Kesha Sebert, Stuart Crichton
Daya Non-album single"New" Grace Tandon, Brett McLaughlin, Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Hermansen, Nolan Lambroza
Jessie Ware Glasshouse "First Time" Jessica Ware, Finlay Dow-Smith
Guy Sebastian Conscious "Keep Me Coming Back" Guy Sebastian, Emma Walker, Lionel Towers
AlexandruNon-album single"Sellotape" Jack Walton, Fiona Bevan, Maegan Cottone
2018 Don Diablo Future "Head Up"
(featuring James Newman)		 Don Schipper, Richard Boardman, Pablo Bowman
John Newman Non-album single"Fire in Me" John Newman, Philip Plested, David "Dehiro" Mørup
Toni Braxton Sex & Cigarettes "Coping" Toni Braxton, David Gibson, Stuart Crichton
The Shires Accidentally on Purpose "Stay the Night" Edward Sheeran, Johnny McDaid, John Newman
Armin van Buuren Balance "Therapy"
(featuring James Newman)		 Armin van Buuren, Benno de Goeij, Michael Busbee
Dan Caplen Non-album single"Trouble"
(featuring Ms Banks)		 Daniel Caplen, Sophie Cooke, Frederik Eichen
Jess Glynne Always in Between "All I Am" Jessica Glynne, Janee Bennett, Sophie Cooke, Bastian Langebaek, Sandy Rivera, Jay "Sinister" Sealee
Matoma One in a Million "Lights Go Down"
(featuring James Newman)		 Thomas Lagergren, Matthew Simons, Tushar Apte, Hanni Ibrahim, Patrick Patrikios
Sigala Brighter Days "All for Love"
(featuring Kodaline)		 Bruce Fielder, Steven Garrigan, Moon Willis
Jess Glynne Always in Between "1, 2, 3" Jessica Glynne, Janee Bennett, Jordan Thomas, Jonathan Mensah
Olly Murs You Know I Know "Footsteps" Oliver Murs, Thomas Barnes, Peter Kelleher, Benjamin Kohn
Zayn Icarus Falls "Talk to Me" Zayn Malik, Alexander Oriet, David Phelan, Fredrick Wexler
2019 Lost Kings Paper Crowns EP"Don't Kill My High"
(featuring Wiz Khalifa and Social House)		 Nicholas Schanholz, Robert Abisi, John Ryan II, Ruth-Anne Cunningham, Ian Franzino, Andrew Haas, Sabrina Bernstein, Ilsey Juber, Alexander Izquerdio, Marcus Lomax, Cameron Thomaz, Michael Foster, Charles Anderson
Backstreet Boys DNA "Chateau"Cole Citrenbaum, Stephen Wrabel, Stuart Crichton, Michael Pollack
"OK" Stuart Crichton, Jason Dean, Joseph Kirland
Stephen Puth Non-album single"Half Gone"Stephen Puth, Ian Franzino, Andrew Haas
Louis Tomlinson Walls "Don't Let It Break Your Heart" Louis Tomlinson, Stuart Crichton, Cole Citrenbaum, Wrabel

Notes

  1. ↑ "My Last Breath" did not chart on the UK Singles Chart, but peaked at number 23 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart. [15]

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References

  1. ↑ "James Newman (4)". Discogs.
  2. 1 2 3 "LA trip for surprise Brit Award winner James Newman". Craven Herald. 27 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Italy wins Eurovision Song Contest, UK comes last". BBC News. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "James Newman to represent United Kingdom in Eurovision 2020". BBC News. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  5. ↑ Percy, Lucy (19 March 2021). "James Newman: 10 facts about the United Kingdom's Eurovision 2021 singer". wiwibloggs. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "Eurovision Song Contest 2021: James Newman reselected as UK's entry". BBC News. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Eurovision 2021: James Newman will return to represent the UK". Attitude.co.uk. 19 February 2021. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  8. ↑ Brown, Kat (23 May 2021). "Eurovision 2021 final: Italy wins as UK gets nul points – and 8 other big moments from the night". The Telegraph . Retrieved 23 May 2021.(subscription required)
  9. ↑ "Eurovision 2021: Italy wins contest as UK fails to score a single point". Sky News. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  10. ↑ "John Newman interview: 'There are too many celebrities and not enough artists'". The Guardian. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  11. ↑ "James Newman | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Discografie James Newman". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "Discography James Newman". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  15. ↑ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  16. ↑ "Discographie James Newman". ultratop.be/fr. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  17. ↑ "James Newman | Top 40-artiesten". top40.nl. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  18. ↑ "RTÉ hopes to hit right Eurovision note with 'Dying To Try'". The Irish Times.
Preceded by United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
2020 (cancelled)		Succeeded by
Himself with "Embers"
Preceded by
Himself with "My Last Breath"
 United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
2021 		Succeeded by
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