John Newman releases new dance-focused single ‘Waiting For A Lifetime’

John Newman has released a new single titled ‘Waiting For A Lifetime’.

The track marks his first release since ending his working relationship with Islands Records in 2020 and signing to Warner.

It follows a period of soul searching from the Yorkshire-born artist, with greater influence from the dance music he grew up listening to, fused with soul and hip hop.

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Speaking about the new direction, John, who has previously collaborated with the likes of Calvin Harris, David Guetta and Sigala, who co-produced the new single, says: “To discover the next step in this amazing journey I’ve been on took some pretty challenging days. It is hard to change and adapt yourself when it’s only you that has curated your own barriers. For years I was leaning on a side of me that was influenced by Northern Soul and Motown. Although it will always inspire me, I felt I began to lose grip, lose focus and become disorientated. I had to stop making music and try to hold my creativity back as I was using it as a device to cover up my emotions and fears. When I achieved feeling positive and better, I felt was really missing something which was music, being creative and a project!

He’s also developed a new live show with a hybrid of live vocals, mixing and beat triggering, and will also play a number of DJ sets across this summer, too.

John has also recently launched a weekly mix series called Below The Decks which you can listen to on SoundCloud.

“It started with me creating a tiny little set up in a bedroom, like when I was kid, a time when music was simple with no pressure,” he added on his new direction. “I began to create these instrumental dance tracks, but I wanted to create a different name that I could hide behind again to lose the pressure from the past I’d put on myself. Once I started making these tracks as a songwriter and as a producer, I couldn’t stop creating melodies over the top until finally giving in and giving my vocals a shot at the tracks. It felt natural, like I’d created my own new style, the journey I’d wanted for so long had landed at my feet without me noticing through my own creation. On top of that, to answer the questions as to why my new live shows are now vocal DJ hybrid? Every childhood dream should be achieved.”

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Listen to ‘Waiting For A Lifetime’ below or on other streaming platforms here.