Olly Murs

Olly Murs is an adorable British singer and songwriter who rose to fame after becoming the runner up on “The X Factor” in 2009. He is about to release his new album “Never Been Better” on March 10, which he considers his “I mean it” album.

Best known in the U.S. for his song “Trouble Maker” featuring Flo Rida, Murs has had three prior successful albums, sold out huge arenas and worked with such celebrities as Robbie Williams, Chiddy Bang and Demi Lovato.

Your new release is amazing. Do you have a favorite track off the album?
My favorite song off the album is track #1, the first song. It’s called “Did You Miss Me.” It’s very cheeky, sort of fun, a song I wrote for my fans, “Did They Miss Me?” It’s kind of Justin Timberlake, sort of.

Do you plan on supporting the release with a tour?
Yeah, definitely. I think that whenever you do a new album you can’t wait to go on tour. With me, I’m definitely doing a U.K., European tour, and we want to extend it to America, the American market – we’ve done that before. We did an American tour two, three years ago, which was great. So I’m hoping to come back again, and we’ll see what happens.

Well, we’re hoping to come back again.
I’d love to.

So you got your start on the “X Factor”—what was it like for you when Simon said that he “really, really liked you” and that you were “the easiest yes” he’d ever given?
It was amazing for me. I’ve been watching Simon on TV for so many years. Everyone respects his decisions. It was amazing. You have to think of singers and the artists that he’s cut in the past before I did the show. I was very proud.
And you should be. Do you have a favorite artist?
Oh, yes. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake. Their music, their style, singing, everything.

How old were you when you began singing?
I mean, I sang when I was a kid, but I would say when I was about 21, 22 I really started to sing.

And what did you do before “X Factor”?
I was a soccer player. So I played soccer with my friends. I was a sportsman. I used to come out and run and do all kinds of activities in sports. That was my thing really. I worked in a call center. I told people how to save money on their energy bills. Then I decided to take a leap of faith with the “X Factor,” and my life changed.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years I’d like to be continuing to do this and be happy. In general you just want to enjoy life. Enjoy it to the fullest, and enjoy what makes you laugh. I hope in 10 years I’ve still got my attitude, and I hope I’m still having a good time and everything is great.

Can you recall any funny or embarrassing moments that have happened to you while on stage?
Yeah, I was on tour with Robbie Williams and my bum fell out of my trousers. That was interesting, and I had to perform the whole show with my bum out.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
Yeah, I think I do. I believe you can meet someone that second and speak to them and believe they’re the one you’re going to marry.

If you were a superhero, what would you want your powers to be?
I’d like to be able to travel. I’d like to be able to be in control of my flying. I’d like to teleport as well. If I could be able to fly from A to B very quickly on my own, that would be amazing.

What is your favorite thing about humanity?
The best thing about us? I was never asked that question before. I don’t know what it would be. I guess people could connect to play music I suppose.

What’s the one thing about you that you’d want your fans to know?
I’m just a normal guy, doing an amazing job

If you could pick two celebrities to be your parents, who would you choose?
Liam Neeson as my dad and Judi Dench as my mom.

You’re a new addition to a crayon box. What color are you?
Red. I love red. It can be lovely, loving and soft, and at the same time it can be quite devilish.

What was your most difficult period of your life?
I think the hardest period in my life was when I got to a crossroads with whether I wanted to be a singer and try and follow my dreams or follow what people expected me to do. That was a big time for me. I think how I dealt with it was to believe in myself. I think what I wanted from my life and my work and from my personal life was to enjoy it. It was the biggest choice I made in my life.

What’s your favorite quality about yourself?
I’m very caring.

If you could trade places with anyone for a week, who would it be?
I would choose to be an American president for a week or a day.

What are you doing when you’re not working?
Sleeping.

So your new album is coming out on March 10?
Yep.

What’s your first single off the album?
My first single is “Wrapped Up.” It’s the one on the radio now in America. I am very proud of it. It’s a beach going, fun song.

Is there anything in the world that you just can’t live without?
I couldn’t live without, I think, my driving license. I say that in a funny way, because in my life and what I do I’ve always been told where to go and told what to do. Sometimes, you know what, I love getting in my car. I love having a driving license. I love being able to just drive and go whereever I want to go. You can explore the world and can do what you want when you want.

What do you think about when you’re alone, driving in your car?
I just listen to my songs. I’ll be thinking about everything really. The world—anything, really, that pops into my mind.

What quality about yourself would you like to get rid of if you could?
I’m very stubborn, so if I could change anything about me it would be my stubbornness.

If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would you like to be?
I would like to be in Australia. I like that country.
ollymurs.com