Don’t believe everything you see on TV: Olly Murs has been away. After recently signing to EMI Records, the chart-topping star is back and now returns with the release of Marry Me, his first new studio album in over four years, and the 7 th of his illustrious career, on December 2nd.

'Die Of A Broken Heart' opens the album, and arrives as the first single. From the opening notes, you can hear why – it’s an instant ear-worm, a one-listen-and-you’re-hooked pop-reggae outlier As Olly describes it: “It has that steel drum at the intro, which just gets in your head straight away. It has a very Gotye, ‘Somebody I Used to Know’ feel to it, with a touch of The Police – and just a coolness to it. That really excited me.”

He jumped in, committing to writing and recording the album solely with David Stewart and Jessica Agombar, who between them have had roaring success writing for BTS securing a Billboard number one – a number one in over 100 countries. One album, three writers and no features. “I've never done this

before. It felt weird writing with the same people constantly. But I loved the routine, and the consistency. We just kept writing good songs. They had a great vibe and an enthusiasm, and a hunger”

The singer, songwriter and solid-gold pop star has been all over our screens recently. He’s been front and centre as host of ITV’s Starstruck, then, he returned to the big swivelly chair on The Voice. But in the artist world – the world that forged him, Olly has been off the radar for over four years. Now, the musician who had four Number One singles and four Number One albums in a near-back-to-back run after bursting onto the scene with his double-platinum self-titled debut in 2010, is well and truly back.

The joy and energy of that creative process ripple and radiate out from Marry Me. Case in point: ‘Go Ghost’. The playfulness of the lyric is matched by the very Eighties bounce of the track, like peak A-Ha for the social media age. Murs met his partner in 2019, another big change. This life-changing jolt is reflected in another new song. ‘I Found Her’ is a big tune with big energy and a big, soaring synth line. Also bringing the good-time party vibes is ‘Dancing on Cars’, a tune with an exuberant ‘Pull Up To The Bumper’ feel. And if you’re gonna tap into anyone’s funky vibe, Grace Jones is the one, right? Then, after the dancing and the partying, the romance. Rounding out Marry Me is ‘Let Me Just Say’. The album’s closing track is the only ballad and offers not just a showcase for Olly’s effortlessly classy voice but also for his deepest emotions.

Olly’s previous six albums and subsequent sold- out tours have all been enormously successful. The stats speak for themselves: 6 multi-platinum albums, 4 #1 UK albums, 4 #1 UK singles, 6 million spotify monthly listeners, 800 million Youtube views & 1.8 million tour tickets sold. Olly is sure to have people dancing – if not proposing – in the aisles next year, when he gets back on tour. Last time round he sold 180,000 tickets for UK arenas in 2019. He’s determined to go bigger, better, louder this time and will return with twelve huge arena shows across the UK in April & May, including a special night at London’s O2 Arena on April 29th.

This is the Essex-machine at his happiest, too. How do we know? The clue is in the album title: Marry Me. The answer? Hint: she said yes…Anything else to declare – other, of course, than ‘I do’?………. “I'm buzzing! I've got my music. I know where I am now."