Since springing to fame as a runner-up in 2009’s The X Factor, Olly Murs has gone beyond the promise of his cheeky chappy persona to become an enduring pop star and household name. His eighth album, Knees Up, promises a good time, but it has the sensitivity and self-deprecating charm of a man getting to grips with a new life stage, as a husband and father of two young children. “It’s a full-circle moment for me,” Murs tells Apple Music. “I feel like this is the album that I always wanted to do, but I never really got the chance. Now I’m in my dad era, but still a bit of a lad at the same time.” Murs might be examining that dual identity, but when it comes to his sound there’s a clear direction: British ska that draws on the heritage of Madness, The Ordinary Boys, and The Streets, but is uniquely his. Murs worked with Ed Drewett (who co-wrote 2013’s “Dear Darlin’”), Iain James (Little Mix), and Sky Adams (Doja Cat) on the 12 tracks, which show a range of emotions. He brings his “limited edition” self to the party on “Bonkers” and thanks the universe for sending love his way on “Love = Madness.” That permission to be himself is hard won, and he’s grateful for it. “I think back to 2010 and I didn’t have the freedom to express how I feel because I wasn’t a good enough songwriter,” he says. “Now I’m more experienced and I know who I am.” Not only does Murs know who he is, but he also has a good idea of who his fans are—and he’s under no illusions that men often get dragged to his gigs by their girlfriends. “If I wasn’t who I am, I’d probably be one of those guys going, ‘What am I doing here?’ I’ve had many guys come up to me after a show that were like, ‘I wasn’t expecting much tonight and you surprised me.’ Maybe there’ll be a lad down the pub saying to his mates, ‘Press play on this album, you’ll really enjoy it,’” he says. Read on as Murs takes you through the album, track by track. “Knees Up” “I always felt like this would be the start of the show. Imagine if I was at a festival and I was walking past a stage and I heard it, I’d be like, ‘What’s that?’ When people come to my shows, I always say, ‘Look guys, whatever you’re going through, leave it at the door. Let’s come and have a good time tonight, deal with that in the morning.’ Just forget your troubles and have some fun—that’s what ‘Knees Up’ is, in a nutshell.” “Save Me” “‘Save Me’ was the spearhead—that was the first song we’d written that I got really excited about, and it started the ball rolling. At the time, I was writing loads of different types of songs trying to find out where this album was going to go. That ska sound triggered everything that followed, and I thought, ‘That song is going to be on my setlist for life. I want to sing it on tour.’ I’ve had that little glimpse in the mirror and gone, ‘Oh, my god, you look an absolute mess,’ and that’s what it’s about. Now it’s out in the world, and I’ve performed it live to thousands of people and the reaction was amazing.” “Guilty” “This came after ‘Save Me,’ and it’s me admitting I’ve been a bit of a geezer and a lad about town, but all I’m guilty of now is loving you. It’s me saying to my wife, Amelia, I’m sorry if I’ve ever upset you, but I love you so much, I’ll do anything for you. ‘Guilty’ was one of those songs where we all looked at each other after we finished and went, ‘That’s a pretty good song.’ Like ‘Save Me,’ I think it’s one of those songs I could have put on any of my albums.” “Bonkers” “We had the chorus, but then someone suggested what would be more bonkers than if I was rapping? So we came up with the Essex-y, Mike Skinner-like, Olly Murs version of rap. I thought, ‘Yeah, that’s bonkers. Let’s do it.’ This song is me telling my fans that I am a little bit limited edition and reassuring them that ultimately, if you feel like that, don’t question yourself. When you look out the window, it’s a mad world and we’re all a little bit crackers. It’s a song about not really taking myself too seriously. I wanted to be daring, show people my versatility and that I was doing something unexpected. The writers I worked with saw my vision, and they really allowed me to open up.” “Honest” “Hands down, this is my favorite song on the album. I can’t wait to sing it a million times. It’s a follow-on from ‘Save Me,’ with the long walk home after having a night out you dream of, knowing your wife is annoyed with you and you’re going to have to deal with that. People know me as that cheeky chappy, and there’s this daring side of me that comes out once in a while, but I think my fans have fallen in love with the fact that I’m in love. The album is about evolving as a writer: How can I write about me and my wife? Can I write a song about knowing I’ve pissed her off, but I have no idea what I’ve done wrong? I think people can relate to it.” “Love = Madness” “The lyric in this song I absolutely adore is: ‘Think of all the lonely hearts/We don’t know how lucky we are.’ I was that lonely person who wanted to find the love of my life and I did. Me and Amelia found each other, and now we’ve got two beautiful kids. What else can I dream of? But to put that in a song is quite hard. I played it to Amelia, and I know she loves it, but there’s always a reality check with us. ‘Great song, now go change a nappy.’” “Run This Town” “This was written with [The Ordinary Boys singer] Samuel Preston. What a man. We spent a lot of the first three albums together and I love The Ordinary Boys, so it was nice to rekindle that. I always wanted to be in an indie band, so writing with Preston was the coolest thing ever. Back in 2010, he said to me, ‘I’ve got this song called “Run This Town,” do you want it?’ I had the demo in my phone for 15 years, and I thought it would fit the vibe of the album, so I spoke to Sam again and it hadn’t been taken by anyone. I re-vocaled it, and we sprinkled a bit of stardust on it, and now it’s out there in the universe.” “Yesterday’s News” “There’s a double meaning to this song. I love the sentiment that I’m yesterday’s news, but I wanted to come out of the shadows again, especially in the music world. I also wanted to have a bit of fun with the media and to be a bit cheeky. Sometimes, the papers write things about you that aren’t true, so it’s me saying don’t believe everything you read. When I’d just come off tour and I was really ripped and the newspapers wrote about how my fans didn’t like me any more because I didn’t have a dad body…Anyway, these stories will be yesterday’s news tomorrow because I’m not as famous as I used to be. When you first start out as an artist, everyone’s excited about what you’re doing, but then you become part of the furniture.” “Cut to the Chase” “This song is about married life and being who I am. We really are like ships in the night and we miss each other. Amelia’s got her own life and I’m doing what I’m doing, so this is me saying, ‘I miss being with you and we need to have our moment without everyone else.’ I think most people can relate to that feeling of when you are in a relationship and you’ve got commitments with the kids and work, so it’s important to make time for you. It’s great when we get a whole day together, then we’ll be flat-out busy with work.” “Still Getting Used (To the Ring)” “We wrote this song last and it’s about how I’m not the perfect husband. I’m rubbish at DIY and I always leave the toilet seat up, but give me some slack. I was nervous playing it to Amelia because the last thing I want to do is to piss off the wife. And actually she went, ‘Oh, please tell me that’s going on the album.’ A lot of the songs are quite self-deprecating because I’m being honest with myself. When we got together, I said to Amelia, ‘Look babe, I’m a terrible cook, the kitchen is always a mess, but I’ll make you laugh every day.’ I think I’m quite a fun person to be around, and she accepts my flaws and that’s why we have a great relationship.” “Lovin’ Really Hurts” “I was reflecting on how I’d feel if Amelia ever left me. You can never become complacent because that’s a dangerous place to be. I’ve always got to be on my toes. There’s a lyric in there: ‘The silence speaks so loud,’ and when I come home to an empty house and Amelia’s out with the kids, it’s horrible. People can relate to heartbreak, and when I think about it now, it actually hurts me thinking, ‘I really don’t want Amelia to ever leave me.’ It was a weird song for me to put on the album because I haven’t lost Amelia and I love her so much, but I love it.” “Chin Up” “I’m really proud of this song. It’s encouraging men to speak out if they’re having a difficult time, whether that’s with a phone call or a chat, and it was important to get the sentiment right. A lot of friends, or people around me I knew, have struggled, and I’ve been there in the past. I’ve spent many hours on the phone to my friends over the last couple of years, hearing their problems, being an ear for them and hopefully giving them some good advice. I want people who are struggling to know there’s always someone out there who wants to help. When I finished that song, I got on the tube and I listened to it on the way home and I cried. I’m proud of this song, and I put it at the end of the album because I really wanted it to have that moment.”