INTERVIEW: Nathan Sykes on 'Unfinished Business' Song Meanings | Track By Track

Nathan Sykes has been on his own as a solo artist for about two years following the split of his former band The Wanted, and now, we finally have the 23-year-old's debut solo album Unfinished Business. The record was released today (Nov. 11) via Global Entertainment and features 12 songs (15 on the deluxe version), including his No. 1 US Hot Dance Club singles "Kiss Me Quick" and "Over and Over Again," along with his two most recent songs "Give It Up" featuring G-Eazy, and "Famous." The album also features his collaboration with pop superstar Ariana Grande.

One thing to note is that Nathan wrote and co-wrote every song on his new album, and during an exclusive interview while visiting iHeartRadio HQ in New York City, Nathan opened up about the meaning behind each track, and why he named his debut record Unfinished Business.  

[Buy Unfinished Business on iTunes]

On the meaning behind the album title Unfinished Business

"I named this album Unfinished Business because it's the first thought I had when the band decided to take a break. I felt I've got more to give as an artist, I've got more potential to fulfill, I've got more songs to write, I've got more things to learn about myself. And as I knew Nathan from The Wanted very well, I knew exactly who he was -- I didn't have a clue who Nathan Sykes was. So I had unfinished business to find out who Nathan Sykes was as an artist. At the time, I was like, 'I'm not sure if it's going to work out. I could write a few songs and go, Nathan Sykes isn't a solo artist. He's not an artist.' But, it worked out that I started writing music that was getting a really good reaction from people I was playing it to. And I was feeling amazing and better than I ever had been before as a vocalist, as a songwriter, and as an artist."

Unfinished Business is only the beginning of Nathan's solo career in music, and when asked if he's already working on a second record, he tells us, "I'm always working. I'm one of those people who never stops writing."

Nathan also revealed the meaning behind each song on Unfinished Business. He explained what each song is about, what inspired them, and what they mean to him.

Check out our interview with Nathan Sykes where he breaks down the meaning of his songs on Unfinished Business below:

Track 1: "Good Things Come to Those Who Wait"

"'Good Things Come to Those Who Wait' is a message to myself, telling me to be patient, take my time, and don't pretend to be someone you're not. It was the message that I gave myself when I started writing my album; Not to listen to what everyone else is doing and just believe in [myself], and focus on doing [me]."

Track 2: "Kiss Me Quick"

"'Kiss Me Quick' was written because I'm really bad at flirting. So, I decided to write a really flirty song. It can flirt for me."

Track 3: "Money"

"'Money' is about someone that you're looking at who just looks expensive. They have really expensive taste. I've just been like, 'Why you sat there on your own in the corner, looking glum, when you look awesome, and you look like you got something amazing, so just get out and have fun.'"

Track 4: "Freedom"

"'Freedom' is about someone that was in my life that was just too much. They wanted me, they didn't want me, they wanted me, they didn't want me. So, I was just like, 'Give me some space. I need a little freedom.'"

Track 5: "Twist"

"'Twist' is written about someone who just sweeps you off your feet. And it's a really fun Motown-y vibe that is just talking about someone that's just got your head in a bit of frenzy -- therefore in a 'twist.'"

Track 6: "I Can't Be Mad"

"'I Can't Be Mad' is written about someone that I was seeing, and it's just about me saying that I can't be angry at them because I was the one that got invested into what we had. And even though it was me that got hurt, and [it was] my heart that got hurt, it's not their fault because I'm the one who got invested in it."

Track 7: "There's Only One of You"

"It's written about the mental divide between putting to bed a time in your life, and someone that was in your life, putting that all to one side and just getting on with it, and just [saying], 'It's a beautiful world. There are other things happening, and there's so much in life that you can enjoy.' But then also, at the same time, you're like, 'But there's still that person there.' And you want them. So it's about the change in emotions between those two things."

Track 8: "Famous"

"'Famous' is asking a very simple question. What do I do to make you care about me as much as I care about you? And what extent do I have to go to for the love that I have for you to be reciprocated? Do I have to be famous?"

Track 9: "Give It Up" featuring G-Eazy

"It's probably a bit of a saucier side of me [that] I didn't think I'd end up doing on this album. It's a bit steamier. It's about getting somebody into bed, if I'm completely honest. And I love that song. I love the video as well, it was a fun video. Having G-Eazy on this song was amazing. He's such a gent. He's a lovely guy as well. I'm very excited that people are still discovering this song, and still finding the song. People are still very much supporting the song and love hearing it when it comes on the radio. It's amazing to see people's reactions."

Track 10: "More Than You'll Ever Know"

"'More Than You'll Ever Know' was a song that really helped me find my sound. It was the first song, I think, that I wrote for the album. It's just saying that you love someone more than they'll ever know, and don't hurt me 'cause I care for you so much. It just has such a fun, funky, bluesy vibe to it for such a simple chorus, and it's so sing-along. It's one of my favorite songs, I love doing it live as well."

Track 11: "Over and Over Again"

"'Over and Over Again' is a song that that I wrote because I'm really bad at expressing my emotions and telling people how I feel, so I wrote it into a song. It's basically a love letter to someone that I really cared about. And it's amazing to see people using 'Over and Over Again' as the first dance to their weddings, and they're walking down the aisle to it. It's amazing that a song so special to me with lyrics that are very personal to me, people are taking that song and connecting it to their lives, and really making this song a moment in their life that hopefully is going to be a really nice memory."

Track 12: "I'll Remember You"

"'I'll Remember You' is the song on the album that brings closure to everything that I wrote about on the album, and everyone that I wrote about on the album. It puts to bed that time in my life, that period of writing. And it's just about saying what we had was great, but everything changes. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. But no matter what happens in life, the person that was in your life, they always leave an impression. And even though people will be quick to say that's not always the case, it is the case, because whatever memories you have with that person, they've made an impact on your life. It's about saying even if you find someone that replaces them as as the person that you're going to be with, you'll always remember them and the impact they had in your life. That's why I made it the last song on the album. It brings closure to everything that happened in the two years previous that I wrote about, and the various experiences, the various relationships, and people. It kind of just puts it all to bed. It was the last song that I wrote for the album. It just brings it all together in quite an epic way. There's a big choir going, and it's such a closer to the album. It's one of my proudest moments as a songwriter, writing that song. And I think it really sets up album two really well."

Watch Nathan Sykes's "Famous" music video below: