Empty Space

Album: You (2018)
Charted: 22
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Songfacts®:

  • James Arthur's lover has left him, but at the start of this emotionally raw song he's in denial that he's heartbroken

    I don't see you
    You're not in every window I look through
    And I don't miss you
    You're not in every single thing I do


    However, by the time we get to the chorus Arthur concedes he is badly missing her, as he acknowledges only his ex can fill the gap left in his life.

    I'm alone in my head
    Looking for love in a stranger's bed
    But I don't think I'll find it
    'Cause only you could fill this empty space


    Arthur said: "This song is for anyone who has ever deeply loved and lost someone dear to them, and is then faced with the struggle of trying to fill that void. It is about coming to terms with the fact that only that special person can truly fill the empty space."
  • The song was produced by Nick Gale, a.k.a. Digital Farm Animals, who has also worked as a songwriter and producer on hit singles by Dua Lipa ("Be The One") Cheat Codes ("Only You") and Galantis ("No Money").

    Digital Farm Animals also had success with their own single "Millionaire," which was a collaboration with American electronic music group Cash Cash.
  • Asked by OfficialCharts.com if the song is based on a true life story, Arthur replied;

    "It's not a direct reflection of what's going on in my life at the moment, but loss is something I've dealt with a lot over the course of my life and in my journey as an artist. It's a subject I'm familiar with and I feel really resonates with people."
  • The song's music video stars Harry Potter actor Tom Felton as a man reeling over a breakup. Felton is a musician as well as an actor and he recorded four EPs between 2008 and 2011. He also arranged for his Harry Potter co-star Rupert Grint to feature in Ed Sheeran's "Lego House" visual.

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