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Matt Terry interview

It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been a year since Matt Terry was crowned the winner of The X Factor 2016.

The singer from Bromley wowed the judges and the viewers at home with his powerful range and spine-tingling falsetto. Following the release of his first single When Christmas Comes Around, penned by Ed Sheeran, Terry featured on Enrique Iglesias’ hit SĆŗbeme La Radio over the summer.

Now he’s ready to strike out with the first material that he’s written and the first taster is new single Sucker For You. I caught up with Matt to discuss the single, find out what’s coming up on his forthcoming debut album and to talk about the pressure of being an X Factor winner.

Your new single Sucker For You is out now. Where did the idea for the song come from?

I wrote it about four or five months ago in Sweden. I just wanted to write about something super relatable, that everybody’s been through so I thought why not pick the topic of falling in love with somebody that doesn’t really love you back. It’s towards the end of the relationship when someone’s not really feeling it any more. I put all my personal experience into that and came up with Sucker For You.

Sucker For You probably isn’t what people were expecting to hear from you. Did you purposely want to catch people off guard with this single?

Yeah. This has always been my sound but obviously on the show it’s hard to get that across with having to stick to the themes and do what you’re told. I thought I would definitely shock people and I have, in a good way.

One of the things I remember about you from your time on The X Factor is your falsetto. Do you like to use that to put your own stamp on your music?

Definitely, the falsetto is kind of my little thing. It allows me to put my own spin on things so I definitely wanted to put that in there.

Matt Terry
Credit: RCA

The video for Sucker For You is coming out soon. What can you tease about it?

We shot it in Miami. I’m super excited. All I’ll say is fire, ropes, car…

Ok, that sounds interesting! Sucker For You is the follow-up to SĆŗbeme La Radio, which you released over the summer with Enrique Iglesias and Sean Paul. What was that experience like for you?

That was just mad. I still can’t believe I was on there. I mean who was watching over me and making all this happen? I remember I jumped on the track and Enrique called up my label and said, ‘is this guy Spanish? It’s really amazing! I want to release it right away’. I had a week’s notice then it went out and I promoted it in the UK. It was amazing, one of life’s most incredible experiences ever.

I saw some of your acoustic performances and they were fantastic. Are you thinking of releasing a solo version at some point?

I loved doing the acoustic version so maybe. Maybe I’ll get that done at some point! (laughs)

You’ve had a pretty amazing start to your career since winning The X Factor. Your first single was written by Ed Sheeran and then you got to work with Enrique Iglesias. Do you have any other collaborations that you’re working on for the album?

Collaborations wise we’re still in the process of thinking about whether to put them on the album or release them afterwards as singles. Watch this space!

I saw on your Instagram that you’ve been in the studio with RedOne. What’s it like working with someone like him?

Yes I have. It’s amazing and he’s such a cool dude. We just vibed straight away and we’ve got a track on the album together, which is super cool.

Would you say Sucker For You is indicative of the kind of music you’re recording for this album?

I think Sucker For You sums it up really well. There are some different bits and pieces on there like a couple of ballads, a few Spanish songs… there’s a bit of everything.

Matt Terry
Credit: RCA

Let’s talk about your Spanish language skills. Where did those come from?

I lived in Spain for eight years of my life in a small town. I did all my school out there, my GCSEs and A-Levels, all in Spanish so that’s why I became fluent in it.

Are you making plans to tour at this point?

I’m not sure about this year but we’re definitely planning a tour for next year. We’ll see where the album sells and go from there really.

On The X Factor you were performing and singing every week to audiences. What’s it like to go from the craziness of that to the studio working on new music for months not being able to perform that much?

You’re kind of on your own and I guess there’s a bit of pressure to deliver. Most sessions are so natural and cool, and everybody’s there for each other ready to make a good song. It’s a really enjoyable process.

How are you feeling about the reaction to Sucker For You? The fans seem to be loving it…

I’m over the moon. We’re Top 40 on iTunes at the minute so that’s incredible for me. I’m just really glad and chuffed that people are liking it. That’s all I wanted really. I’m super happy.

Do you feel having won the X Factor, there is a lot of pressure on you now to really deliver?

I think for any artist, when you drop a single there’s a bit of pressure because you want it to do well. You don’t want to disappoint your management or your label or your fans. I think it’s a little nerve-wracking but exciting at the same time.

So I mentioned before that a lot of things some stuff on your Instagram stories. What’s your relationship with social media.

You’re on social media quite a lot. What’s your relationship with it like?

I think it has its pros and cons. I love it because I can speak directly to fans so I know what they’re thinking and can ask what they’re liking. That really helps me out. I think I’ve got off with it quite easily. I’ve not really had too much negative on there. I know it can happen and that’s the downfall.

What’s it like being able to instantly get feedback from your fans?

I love it. I think it’s amazing. The whole world is kind of social media driven. You have to embrace it because I don’t think you can really beat it. It’s good to see the good side of it and just enjoy it.

What are your goals in 12 months and what do you want to achieve?

I want my song to do well and to get a Top 10 single, that would be amazing. I want to do a really good tour by the end of next year. The X Factor tour was my absolute favourite so if I could do something like that again, I would absolutely love it.

Matt Terry’s single Sucker For You is available to stream and download now.

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of PiƱata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

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