Prepare to sing on the top of your lungs because Michael Bublé is back with a new soundtrack of our lives.
Following Bublé’s three-year hiatus in the music scene, the multi-Grammy Award-winning artist is returning with his 11th studio album, ‘Higher,’ which is set to release on March 25.
Bublé’s ‘Higher’ will feature new, fresh sounds and some classic songs, including a duet with Willie Nelson’s song ‘Crazy’, a new version of Paul McCartney’s song ‘My Valentine’, Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’, and Sam Cooke’s ‘Bring It On Home To Me’, plus three new original tracks penned by Bublé.
In a virtual press conference on February 18, the Canadian singer shared that ‘Higher’ will take the fans on an unexpected ride. “I think they’re gonna find that [unexpected ride] because I was so open to working with new people and trying different things,” Bublé began. “I think they’re gonna feel the joy and excitement.”
Bublé also recalled that before making ‘Higher,’ his musical director, Alan Chang, came up to him and suggested letting other musicians help him with his new album to give “a fresh sound [to] the audience.”
Bublé revealed, “Before I made the record, my musical director, Alan Chang, said to me, ‘Hey, Mike. You made records for 20 years [and] sold a lot of records. People like the records.’ I said, ‘Thanks, Allen.’ He said, ‘Wouldn’t it be interesting to not hold it so close and not to micromanage, and to let these people help you so that it’s a fresh sound for the audience?’
This suggestion, however, hurt the singer’s feelings a little bit. He admitted, “And it hurt my feelings a little bit because I felt, ‘Wow. You know, what are you saying? It’s my style.’”
Despite this, Bublé, later on, revealed that he took Chang’s suggestion and decided to “put it into the hands of some of the greatest musicians in the universe.”
It appears that the ‘Sway’ singer didn’t regret doing it because, according to him, it breathes a new, fresh life into his style of music. “Honestly, it was the best thing that I ever did because it didn’t just breathe new life and fresh life into the style of my music, [but] it has also made it fresh for me,” said Bublé.
In Bublé’s new record, one of the musicians he collaborated with was Nelson. When asked how he felt working with the ‘Stardust’ singer, Bublé has nothing but praises for Nelson.
“Well, Willie Nelson is one of my favorite singers,” Bublé began. “To be honest, he always reminded me more of Billie Armstrong because he had such a distinct and unique voice. You know, you wouldn’t think of seeing him on American Idol or some kind of pop singing show, yet he puts this story across emotionally—I think—better as well as anyone in this world, and it was an honor.”
Meanwhile, the Canadian musician shared that McCartney produced the song ‘My Valentine’ for him, explaining the song’s origin.
“My Valentine wasn’t just me covering a Paul McCartney song. Sir Paul McCartney produced it for me,” he explained. According to Bublé, the former The Beatles member told him that the song is special to him because he wrote it for his wife.
“He told me so many times that it was something so special to him. That was an honor and a privilege for him to take me under his wing, and for him to come with me and produce the song. That’s why My Valentine was so important for me,” Bublé said.
Apparently, it seems like McCartney isn’t the only one who has a knack for writing songs and dedicating it to their muses.
In 2009, Bublé released ‘Haven’t Met You Yet’ — a song dedicated to his then-girlfriend, Luisana Lopilato, who is now his wife and shares three children with. Fast forward to 2022, Bublé dropped the main single of ‘Higher,’ ‘I’ll Never Not Love You,’ on January 28. The song happens to be the 2009 hit track’s single with a new music video arriving on February 22.
The singer explained that ’I’ll Never Not Love You’ is about trusting your partner and taking a risk in the name of love. “I think it’s about promising someone that they trust you and they [show] you their vulnerability,” Bublé said.
He added: “It’s scary to fall in love. Love is expensive and it has a great cause, especially when you really love someone [because] you’re putting yourself at risk. And this song is saying, ‘Risk that for me and I’ll love you forever.’”
When asked what led him to release ‘I’ll Never Not Love You’ now, Bublé revealed that he didn’t choose to release the song during this time, but “it [the song] chose me” instead.
He then went on to share the challenges he faced in making music during the pandemic. He even admitted that he didn’t know he was ready to come back in the music scene considering what he and his family went through before.
“Honestly, we all went from a pandemic when [it] was very difficult to make music or even work it,” Bublé began. “And you know, before that, I’m just taking care of my family. The truth is, when I put my last record ‘Love’ out, I didn’t know if I was ready to come back. I was hurting.”
Bublé opened up before his son Noah was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2016. According to PEOPLE, the boy has since gone into remission in 2017.
The Canadian musician then said that currently, he felt good and satisfied. “Now, I feel so good. I’m so good in my heart and satisfied that I just felt so open and happy to make hopeful and beautiful music. And I felt like I needed it, and I feel like the world needed it in a way. So, that’s why it chose me.”
He also said that fatherhood and the global pandemic changed his perspective on music. “Perspective is everything,” he started. “Obviously, I have sort of spoken before about what we’ve been through as a family, and that gave a great perspective.”
He then went on to explain how the pandemic “put everyone in a level playing field,” where every person felt scared and anxious. “Our mental health became an issue and I just felt like—for the first time, maybe, ever—we each need to cling to each other for hope,” said Bublé. While there’s too much negativity and things that divide people apart, Bublé hopes that his music can be a medium to bring people together.
When asked about his thoughts on the current social media trends inspired by music, Bublé believed that this is the lightness that is needed during these times. He shared that his wife was the one who encouraged him to join TikTok, and now, he revealed he was getting addicted to it.
“It’s great, it’s so cool. I mean, I love TikTok because it’s so much fun to just have fun,” said Bublé. “We need some lightness, and I feel like I’m getting addicted because I can’t stop looking at it. And it’s so much to laugh at yourself and to just have fun,” he quipped.
He continued, “My wife actually is the one that said, ‘You should do TikTok.’ And I said, ‘Babe, I’m not gonna do that.’ And then I started doing it, and I said, ‘This is way too much fun.’ And now, my wife and I are in the battle to see who can get more followers. And I think she’s gonna kick my butt.”
Buble’s ‘Higher’ is produced by Greg Wells, Bob Rock, Alan Chang, Jason ‘Spicy G’ Goldman, and Sir Paul McCartney. You may listen to the first single, ‘I’ll Never Not Love You,’ below.
Other POP! stories you might like:
LUMINOUS drops second mini album ‘Between Darkness and Light’ (‘Self n Ego’)
Bonobo unveils highly-anticipated album ‘Fragments’