Today, The Voice South Africa winner Richard Stirton drops his highly-anticipated new EP ‘Naked’. This is the first body of work the star has released since he dropped his debut album ‘Middle Ground’ through Universal Music shortly after winning the competition. This time, however, Richard decided to release his new material independently and while it did come with a few challenges, overall, the experience has been a really positive one for the star.
“’Naked’ feels like my first real introduction to my fans as to who I am as an artist. It is the first body of work that I am putting out that is entirely me,” Richard tells us. “As a kid growing up I was pretty shy and insecure and as I got older, I realised that my insecurities stemmed from my desire to be accepted. I would change who I was in order to be the person who I thought others wanted me to be, and this change in myself is what made me uncomfortable. I decided that I would no longer change who I was to suit other people and that I would rather stay true to myself in every facet of my life. And the same holds true for my music.”
The album’s lead single ‘Defeated’ has been met with a positive response from fans further cementing Richard’s notion that working without a label on this four-track EP was the best decision for him. “During the making of my first album, ‘Middle Ground’, I did not have a hell of a lot of input as we only had 3 weeks to produce the entire album. Majority of the songs on the album were not written by me, they were demos sent in by other writers. This made it difficult for me to stand behind the album with conviction,” Richard reveals. “I felt like I was lying to my listeners, claiming songs to be mine that I hadn’t written. I also wasn’t entirely sure who I wanted to be as an artist. What my’ ‘sound’ was and what production style I wanted to take. Since the first album, I have spent a lot of time working at my song-writing and my understanding of music. I want to create music that is honest and true to who I am and thus connect genuinely with the people who listen to and enjoy my music.”
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Richard adds that his new EP has given him the voice he’s been searching for. “Every lyric of every track comes from me and is drawn from personal experience. Every production decision was overseen by me. I feel like I am showing where I am as a musician and a human being,” Richard continues. “I want to build a relationship with my listeners. I want them to feel the authenticity of the songs and embark on a journey with me. I want them to grow with me. I want to be a part of their lives through my music. I want the songs to remind them that whatever it is that they are going through, they are not alone. I want the fact that I am baring my soul and putting myself out there, make everyone realise that they can just as easily do the same in whatever it is that they want to do with their lives. Life is way better ‘Naked’ anyway.”
‘Naked’ is available on all major digital music platforms now.
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