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No, you’rebeautiful

The suprisingly funny JamesBlunt on fame, happiness . . .and tackling his Twitter trolls

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24 | June 19, 2014 | cambridge-news.co.uk | Cambridge News

James Blunt:“I’m wearing women’s underwear”THE problem with James Blunt

is, one moment you’re warmingto him and the next he’s telling

you how BMW offered him a car for ayear to feature it in one of his videos(“I said s*** yeah I’ll do that!”).

It’s an issue, particularly when mymum has asked me very nicely togive him a chance (“He’s always therefor me when I need him!”).

Blunt’s always been a bit of an oddone though. Since his crooning 2004breakthrough single, You’re Beautiful,press coverage has swerved wildly– as has public opinion. Mums lovehim, for teenage girls he’s guiltypleasure fodder only, if at all, and foranyone else dumb enough to careabout what people think of theirmusic taste, he’s laughable.

It’s almost too easy to slate him:there’s the plummy accent, theyacht parties, the bikini clad girls,the saccharine ballads, the sillylyrics (immortalised by Rob Brydonin Gavin & Stacey – Google it), theIbiza villa complete with basementclub (“Blunty’s Nightclub WhereEverybody’s Beautiful” – seriously),the awkward TV appearances... Icould go on.

But he’s had an unexpectedturnaround in the last year. It startedwith the release of the dangerouslycatchy Bonfire Heart from hisfourth album, Moon Landing(don’t lie, you’ve definitelybellowed along to it whiledoing the washing up:“People like us we don’t/Need that much, justsome-/One that starts/Starts the spark in ourBONFIRE HEARTS”),and it took on a wholelife of its own onceBlunt got his mitts onTwitter.

He’s been trolling histrolls, and it’s absolutelybrilliant. (Family friendly)favourites include:

@JamesBlunt And nomortgage. RT @hettjones: JamesBlunt just has an annoying faceand a highly irritating voice.

@JamesBlunt Try singing it. RT@AltySi: I cannot put into wordshow much I hate James Blunt.

@JamesBlunt I’ve never stoppedloving you. Please take me back.RT @NatzD123: I used to loveJames Blunt.

The guy is certifiably funny –who’d have thought it? When we

speak – ostensibly about his returnto Newmarket Nights (his uncleonce ran the Jockey Club groundsas an estate manager) – he’s justlanded in Darwin, Australia onhis world tour and tends towardsbeing both sparing with words, anddiplomatically restrained in his

answers.“ I had one song

that wasseriouslyoverplayedand when a

song

gets overplayed it becomes annoying,and then people associate the artistwith that same word,” he explainspointedly when asked why hethinks he’s been the butt of so muchnegativity.

Is he still fond of the track inquestion, You’re Beautiful? There’sa weighty pause before he replieswith a protracted “Yeah”: “That’s thecornerstone of my career. It’d be amuch smaller world tour withoutit; it’d be a tour of North London.Haha.”

The man born James Hillier Blountin Wiltshire 40 years ago has soldmore than 17 million albums and 20million singles, and still can’t walkdown the street in Europe withoutbeing hounded by grabby fans but heseems strangely bemused by the fact

his music strikes such a chord witha certain chunk of listeners: “I

think I spend a lot of time tryingto get the songs

right whenI’m

writingthem so

they’re justgenuine and

honest and theymean something to meand hopefully perhapspeople connect withthem because of that.”

Not much of a thinkeryou might conclude butBlunt becomes far lessbrief when it comes tohis haters and trolls –and how he deals withthem.

“If someone calls mea one-hit wonder, it’sworth reminding themthat they’re a none-hitwonder,” he laughsshrilly. “I wouldn’t sayI’m hitting back, I’m just

laughing at the way we all take it soseriously. Twitter is just an opinion-based platform. To focus on any oneopinion and take it to heart is silly.

“Even the fact that Twitter makesthe news is mad really because it’ssome guy on his own in his bedroomprobably with his trousers round hisankles firing off nasty words.

“But I play a concert at Newmarketsay, where there’ll be 20,000 peoplewho will turn up, some of them willhave bought albums, they definitelybought those tickets, they mighthave booked hotels and trains toget there and some of them willhave queued up outside and yet wefocus not on the 20,000 but on theguy on his own at home whocouldn’t even be bothered to pullhis trousers up from round hisankles to say he didn’t likemy songs.”

His social media witticismsare also a way to engage publiclywithout being filtered by hacks,whom he is generally quite waryof (irony of writing this noted).“People’s characters are very onedimensional in the way that they’reprojected through the media: someare popular, some are unpopular,some are good looking and someare not. It’s very black or white allthe time and [Twitter] gives me theopportunity to say [I’m] not just aguy who sings a miserable song,” hesighs ruefully.

The media spin and the negativityon social media doesn’t stop himreading his reviews though. “You’vegot to, because some you learnfrom. I think it would be bad toread only good stuff about yourself,that’d make you go a bit mad as well.Life’s about balance really.”

See, sometimes he’s not onlysensible but immensely likeable andrelatable. He’s equally pragmatic onthe topic of fame: “I love what it’sbrought to me in that it allows me todo my hobby as a way of life. For that

Music

Love him or hate him it’s difficult to not havean opinion on James Blunt. ELLA WALKERstruggles to get her head around the You’reBeautiful singer before his NewmarketNights gig

� James Blunt, Newmarket Nights, Friday, June 27, gig begins 15 minutes after the final race of the day. Tickets £24 - £38 from 08445793010 /newmarketracecourses.co.uk

Editor: Paul Kirkley Writer: Ella WalkerEmail: ella.walker@cambridge-news.co.uk

For breaking entertainment news for thecity, visit cambridge-news.co.uk/whatson– plus follow @CamWhatsOn on Twitter

Cambridge News | cambridge-news.co.uk | June 19, 2014 | 25

it’s fantastic,” but he’s realistic aboutits trappings: “I love doing musicbut we tell our kids they should tryand be famous as though being richand famous is a measure of success.I think success should really bemeasured, not in fame andfortune, but instead byyour happiness andthe number ofgood friendsyou have.”

So is heblissfullyhappy?Bluntpausesbeforeslippingback intothe poolof generic“I’mlucky”isms: “I’mvery lucky todo a job thatI love, I tourwith an amazingband and crew…”etc, then he ruins it bymentioning his upcomingarena tour in the UK is “costingme an arm and aleg”.

Honest, yes, but he’s much moreinteresting, much less spiky and farless attractive to trolls when he’s

having a laugh.Take his latest video, Postcards

(yes, the one that got him the BMW,but bear with me), which seeshim playing an Alan Partridge rolewearing a lairy Hawaiian shirt (“it

was quite loud and proud. Thatwhole outfit was designed

to be seen in the videoand hopefully never

in real life”), takingthe mick out of

himself drivingaround hordesof pretty girlsand hilariouslysamplingYou’reBeautiful.

Ultimatelyhe’s a hardact to get agrip on: allsharp angles

mouldedround a need

to entertain anda lifestyle that

garners heaps ofbitter jealousy.

Finally, I ask him totell me something surprising

about himself.“I’m wearing women’s underwear.”Is that true?“Yes it is.”I told you he was a bit of an odd

one.

Quick fireroundWhat’s the bestmusic industry adviceyou’ve been given?Get a good manager

What do you do onyour days off?Interviews. Ha.Normally I’d do speedtourism and go outwith my band and runround a city and seewhat it’s all about

What are youlistening to at themoment?The last thing I boughton iTunes was thatsong from the Drivesoundtrack, Night Callby Kavinsky.

What song do youmost love to play live?Same Mistake

s and

ng…”ins it bys upcoming

to be seen iand hop

in realthe m

himaro

sm

roto e

a lifegarner

bitter jeaFinally, I a

tell me somethin

To win a pair of tickets tomeet and greet James Bluntat Newmarket Nights, just

email your name, address anddaytime phone number to

competitions@cambridge-news.co.uk by Wednesday, June 25.

Please put “Blunt competition”in the subject box. Usual

News rules apply.

WIN!