Conor Maynard has released his first single of 2022, “Dance With Somebody”, a clever reimagination that transforms Whitney Houston’s iconic upbeat hit into a sombre, melancholic pop-ballad.
Conor was sat at his piano, playing around with a set of chords he absolutely loved. For months, this remained nothing more than that, a catchy melody with real potential. Then it hit him. He immediately switched on his mic and sang the line ‘Oh I Wanna Dance With Somebody’. It fit perfectly.
“Dance With Somebody” sees Conor Maynard putting his stamp on a bonafide classic. The reflective tone is instantly set by the gentle opening piano chords, signifying the shift in tone and tempo from the original. Conor’s signature pitch-perfect vocals demand your attention and here is no different, with the singer maintaining the theme of heartbreak his November single “What I Put You Through” centred around.
“From doing covers for such a large part of my career, I’m incredibly aware of the power of familiarity and how people’s favourite songs can make them feel nostalgic as well as bring them mixed emotions”, says Conor. “I always felt the chorus of ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ had melancholic undertones. I was dealing with a situation where I wanted to be out with my friends and dancing with people, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it at the time. This track captures that sombre feeling.”
In March 2020, having spent a decade signed to a major label and achieving global success, Conor Maynard stepped out on his own as an independent artist. This 29-year-old’s prior accomplishments need little introduction: Maynard’s debut album Contrast secured a number one in the UK charts, a record which produced five UK top ten singles and catapulted him to international stardom, with his YouTube channel alone boasting 12.5 million subscribers and 2.5 billion views.
