RICK ASTLEY
As Rick Astley prepares to hit the road with his new album Beautiful Life, the 80s music icon tells Morgan Richards the secret to his new-found popularity after 30 years in the business.
The last two years have seen Rick Astley return to the top of the charts with his first new releases in over a decade, and the UK singer says that taking risks has helped him put a new connection back into his music.
“I obviously hadn’t made a record for all those years, and had a load of pent-up music build up in me,” he says, “and I feel I had a lot to say. But I really didn’t expect that 50 album [his 2016 comeback] to really take off the way it did. I wasn’t expecting anything from it, I did it just to mark myself turning 50.
“All the lyrics and all the emotions in those songs is from me,” Astley continues. “I made that record on my own, I played every instrument, I wrote every song and produced it. It’s definitely me saying the things I wanted to do in some of those songs – so it really came from my heart and when you do that you’ve got a stronger chance of connecting.”
With his initial Stock, Aitken, Waterman-powered stardom in the late 80s in mind, Astley goes on: “I’m not saying that if someone else writes your song for you, you can’t be as connected to it, because you can. I just think that sometimes in your life, you can make a certain record or a certain kind of music and it’s got something built into it that means that bit more. 50 definitely had that and I think I’ve found it on Beautiful Life.
“The current song that’s been released at the moment, Try, it’s all about just trying, it’s all about just having a go. If you don’t try in life, you don’t know what you’re going to lose out on; most of the time, the things that we’re really scared of failing at are the things that make us better people anyway. It might sound like something that belongs on the back of a self-help book but for me it’s blatantly true. That’s what those records are about for me, these last few years wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t gotten back into my garage and said ‘Yes! I am making a record again!’ You’ve just got to have a go sometimes.”
Despite finding a new lease of life in his music career, helped partly by the effervescent appeal of a certain YouTube meme a decade or so back, Astley still appreciates his roots and says it’s all about trying to find a balance of embracing his early hits with who he is today.
“I try to never forget that the only reason I’ve been able to make these records, get them heard and have a record company promoting it is because, all those years ago, I had those hits. I think that now gives me an opportunity to make new music and lets a 50-odd-year-old guy in the building. Most of the time, nobody lets a 50-year-old person do anything because time moves on – in music, especially, it’s a young person’s game. You only get given that second go-round once in a blue moon and I’ve been given it. I think it’s a balance: one suits the other and I’m always extremely proud of both.”
While reminiscing on his career, Astley reveals how Wales holds a special place in his heart and can’t wait get back to Cardiff. “Wales is known for singing and when you go there for a gig you expect everyone to join in. I’ve had some great gigs in Cardiff over the years and in terms of north Wales I used to spent a lot of time there as a kid for holidays and camping trips, so I have a lot of fond memories.”
Rick Astley, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Fri 2 Nov. Tickets: £27.50. Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk
