One R&B-enthused single at a time, Nathan Sykes is leaving the boy band image behind. He worried fans with a last minute throat surgery in April 2013, and then again in 2013 when he and his bandmates of British boy band The Wanted announced they would be taking a hiatus as a group.
But, the singer’s hit single “Kiss Me Quick” has reassured fans that he is here to stay.
To celebrate being able to stream his follow up single “Over and Over Again,” here are 10 things you might not know about Nathan!
1. He doesn’t know how to flirt.
Nathan has previously said the inspiration between debut single “Kiss Me Quick” was actually his own inability to flirt. We have a feeling he does just fine, even with his reported lack of flirting skills — are we right, girls?!
2. He can fall asleep in any situation!
Apparently it’s common for Nathan to fall asleep with his glasses on. He recently tweeted back to a fan, “I often wake up in the middle of the night with a massive dent in my head haha.” Ouch!
3. Nathan is best friends with his snooze button.
He’s addicted to pressing snooze on his alarm as much as we are to “Over and Over Again.” He tweeted, “The intention to be on time and get out bed every morning is always there … It’s just the intention to hit snooze is so much stronger.” The struggle is real.
4. Just because he’s a star doesn’t mean he’s immune to road rage.
Nathan tweeted his frustration against certain drivers, saying, “The world would be a much better place if middle lane drivers didn’t exist.” When prompted by a fan to elaborate, he said “everything” is wrong with them. We know the feeling, Nathan, we know the feeling.
5. Nathan met Britney Spears back in 2003 as a contest winner.
Sure, Nathan was picked for a coveted spot in The Wanted in 2009, but he also won Britney Spears’ Karaoke Kriminals competition, meaning he got to meet her, in 2003, so — let’s be real — which was the bigger prize here?
6. Music has always been in Nathan’s life.
Before making it big, Nathan used to lend his vocals to a jazz orchestra back at home, where his mom works as a saxophone teacher. Aww, sign us up for a Sykes family concert!
7. Nathan is no stranger to Capital’s Summertime Ball.
Nathan has performed at the annual festival in London six times so far, every year since 2010! He joined the lineup four times with The Wanted, once as Jessie J’s surprise guest, and finally once most recently as a solo performer.
8. He loooooves being scared!
Haunted house? Sign Nathan up! He tweeted earlier this month, “Never been more upset at being randomly upgraded … Reason? I’m now in the part of the hotel that’s not haunted.”
9. One thing he didn’t like being scared of was the surgery on his vocal chords in 2013.
There was a chance that Nathan’s throat operation could have gone wrong, meaning he wouldn’t have been able to sing again. Thankfully, it all went well and he is able to continue to grace us with his incredible voice.
10. Nathan does a lot of his writing in… the shower!
Now a solo artist, he has admitted to recording voice notes on his phone while rinsing his hair. Hey, wherever inspiration strikes best!
Guess we’ll just have to keep “Over and Over Again” on repeat until we can hear more of that writing from his shower! Make sure to give Nathan’s latest single, available for download on Nov. 20, a listen here.
