Naked

Album: You (2017)
Charted: 11
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Songfacts®:

  • The lead single from James Arthur's third album, this vulnerable ballad was penned by the former X-Factor winner with renowned Swedish hitmaker Max Martin and his frequent collaborators Savan Kotecha and Johan Carlsson. Arthur said:

    "The four chords that introduce the song are key, I think. Then you get the crescendo, the middle eight, the huge final chorus, but there's no sense of overload; it stays true to the simplicity of those four chords. It's like a hymn, that devotional aspect. The minute you hear those chords, you want to sing over them."
  • The song's sound was inspired by Arthur's love for gospel music. He said:

    "Gospel is something that's become really close to my heart, I absolutely love it now. I'm not a particularly religious person but that music – man, it's so powerful. Watching the George Michael documentary, it was such a strong reminder of how he brought gospel influences into pop, and how beautiful the results can be."
  • The song's Mario Clement-directed music video is set in the late '50s. James Arthur told ABC Radio he is a fan of the styles of the past.

    "I just find those kind of visuals more aesthetically pleasing than the modern stuff at the moment," he explained. "I didn't wanna have any modern technology, mobile phones or anything, in this video. I wanted to make it classic, 'cause I feel like the song is quite classic sounding."
  • James Arthur's love interest in the music clip is Cressida Bonas, an actress who Prince Harry dated prior to meeting Meghan Markle. The singer said he was unaware of Cressida's romantic history with the Royal until after they shot the video.

    "I was oblivious to all that stuff," he said. "Cressida is just a phenomenal actress in her own right, and she auditioned and she smashed it. And then I was informed later on that she was Harry's ex-girlfriend."
  • James Arthur told Pop Crush he knew there was something special about the track the first time he heard it.

    "I just like to write songs that people universally can relate to," he said. "I don't necessarily base it on a pergola experience. From this song in particular, I actually imagined it as a female singing it. But I like that it can be relatable to everyone."

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