More news coming at 10am tomorrow morning but it would appear to be a tour in celebration of 15 years since his debut around the UK and Ireland in May next year:

 

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I could see maybe a Greatest Hits as well. I know he released one alongside ‘You Know I Know’ but I think that was a messy idea. So a proper one marketed as a Greatest Hits with a couple of new tracks could sell well. He’s also confirmed to be performing at the NTA’s next week.

It's a shame that his last album of new material, though it charted at #1, didn't really do very well in terms of the singles really making an impact, but I guess that's not unusual for an act like him who really took off in the "iTunes age" back in the early 2010s.

Yeah I'd say he definitely fits into the "vintage" act now, will tour well and chart well on albums but singles success is likely behind him.

I loved his last album (even though no one else apparently did). I'd be more than happy if he picked up where he left off with that!

Oh nice, I agree his 2018 album with the greatest hits attached was a little messy. I wouldn't be opposed to a standalone greatest hits with a new song or two. Also I know it'd never happen but I wouldn't be against getting his version of 2009 winners single The Climb.

New interview with The S*n which confirms the tour is 16 dates next April and May, starting in Plymouth on 25th April (his wife Amelia's hometown) and finishing at The O2 in London on 17th May. Other bits confirmed in there:

 

- Tickets on sale next Friday (13th September)

- Blue will be supporting him on all the dates of the tour

- He's started work on a new album for next year and is looking at a new label

- As mentioned above he'll perform at The National Television Awards next Wednesday

- He's hoping to have surprise appearances on the different dates from previous people he's worked with like Rizzle Kicks, Travie McCoy, Paul Weller

 

I'm surprised there isn't a new greatest hits for this to all hang off of - especially cause You Know I Know was a bit of a poorly executed mess in hindsight - but then I can also understand it, given there's been just one new album since then (not that the singles off it were any good, mind, but that's another issue)

 

Just hope that A) it's a label like BMG he goes for and B) he returns to working with some of his OG producers - Claude Kelly, Steve Robson, Ed Drewett etc.

It's a shame that his last album of new material, though it charted at #1, didn't really do very well in terms of the singles really making an impact, but I guess that's not unusual for an act like him who really took off in the "iTunes age" back in the early 2010s.

 

Honestly it was not really his best album for me. I've mentioned before why but it was a combination of working with the same producers across a whole album, two really poorly chosen singles that did nothing at even Radio 2 and one of which ended up in a media storm ("I Hate You When You're Drunk"), and a label that basically didn't put anything behind it or promote it the way he normally does beyond or even before week one.

 

When you look at some other album campaigns in recent years by acts who have been going for years, some even longer than Olly - Steps, Kylie Minogue etc - and how flawlessly they were done, the difference was vast. I just know he's deserving of better - even if his single success is long behind him - because he puts in the work and is capable of smashing it the whole way round. I sometimes wonder if one of his songs got a "Saltburn" moment like Sophie Ellis-Bextor or Natasha Bedingfield had at the start of the year what that would do.

Honestly it was not really his best album for me. I've mentioned before why but it was a combination of working with the same producers across a whole album, two really poorly chosen singles that did nothing at even Radio 2 and one of which ended up in a media storm ("I Hate You When You're Drunk"), and a label that basically didn't put anything behind it or promote it the way he normally does beyond or even before week one.

 

When you look at some other album campaigns in recent years by acts who have been going for years, some even longer than Olly - Steps, Kylie Minogue etc - and how flawlessly they were done, the difference was vast. I just know he's deserving of better - even if his single success is long behind him - because he puts in the work and is capable of smashing it the whole way round. I sometimes wonder if one of his songs got a "Saltburn" moment like Sophie Ellis-Bextor or Natasha Bedingfield had at the start of the year what that would do.

I did feel like the album campaign was a bit low key compared to normal, bar what I thought was controversy that he didn't deserve or ask for. Not just that song, but the signing video he did for one of the other ones. He got the flack for it even though he was just trying to do a good thing, but was just advised badly.

 

I know there's less money in album sales these days but why bother making them at all then?

 

I do think there's still potential for one of his older tracks to get some traction again if used in the right place. It's a shame You Don't Know Love didn't do better (though top 20 isn't bad by any means, especially as streaming was in full swing).

 

I'm surprised there isn't a new greatest hits for this to all hang off of - especially cause You Know I Know was a bit of a poorly executed mess in hindsight - but then I can also understand it, given there's been just one new album since then (not that the singles off it were any good, mind, but that's another issue)

 

I wonder if that’s do with him not being with Sony anymore. I feel the plan would have been to release a greatest hits to promote the tour.

15 years, wow that makes me feel old. I remember buying his debut album off Amazon and listening to it going to work back in 2010.

I wonder if that’s do with him not being with Sony anymore. I feel the plan would have been to release a greatest hits to promote the tour.

 

True. But then Will Young managed to get a greatest hits out for his 20th anniversary with the singles he did whilst with Sony licensed to it.

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I do think there's still potential for one of his older tracks to get some traction again if used in the right place. It's a shame You Don't Know Love didn't do better (though top 20 isn't bad by any means, especially as streaming was in full swing).

 

It was really really hard to get a hit in 2016 especially, but I think that was the start of him not crossing over into the streaming age (and there's an endless list of acts who were around at the same time who didn't manage to)

I'd love to go see Olly live as was a real fan at the start and just think he seems like an all-round nice bloke. Blue supporting is a bonus.

 

I'm thinking either Cardiff or Birmingham. Text already sent to a mate to see if he'll come with...

It was really really hard to get a hit in 2016 especially, but I think that was the start of him not crossing over into the streaming age (and there's an endless list of acts who were around at the same time who didn't manage to)

 

Streaming coming in didn't help. But if I'm honest, looking back it was that compounded with the absolute hammering he and Caroline Flack had at the hands of the press after they hosted X Factor the year before in 2015 - some of whom were the very same journalists writing sincere eulogies about Caroline when she passed away, yet they were culpable in leading her to those circumstances (one in particular who's since been rightly blacklisted) - that had a negative effect.

 

I feel like the press were always gunning for him from that moment on and it was detrimental to how people viewed him as an artist outside his fanbase and that in turn, plus him being over 30, meant Radio 1 stopped playlisting his singles etc. I fully believe he'll have a second wind at some point and be in favour with all the "trendy" stations etc again but I also believe he might not be in the position he is now if things had been different.

I'd love to go see Olly live as was a real fan at the start and just think he seems like an all-round nice bloke. Blue supporting is a bonus.

 

I'm thinking either Cardiff or Birmingham. Text already sent to a mate to see if he'll come with...

 

I saw him at Cardiff on the last tour. Good venue that one! Will probably do that again and maybe The O2 cause I've not done a tour of his there in ages.

I've liked Olly ever since he did X Factor but I wouldn't have put him & Caroline on the main show in 2015. It worked on Xtra Factor when they could be a bit more loose but I don't think they were necessarily experienced enough.

 

I do think with the advent of streaming, it seems there's a cut-off point and once you reach a certain age, the industry considers you a legacy act. Granted Olly was in his late 20s when he was having his biggest successes (the #1s) but maybe it's the trends too as someone alluded to above.

 

His style is basically a mix of pop, ska and reggae - sort of happy, summery pop is what I think people associate him with the most. You'd think there would still be a market for it.

 

As for public image, I think The Voice helped him a bit. He's said in interviews that the X Factor gaffe put him off doing any telly for a while.

Edited September 6, 2024Sep 6 by Hassaan

Got tickets for Cardiff in the pre-sale.

Had a meeting this morning so couldn't go on until late. Had to get aisle seats as well so not best tickets in the world but it will be good to go see him.

Four extra dates already added and much of the tour already sold out! I got first Cardiff show in presale and the second London O2 when that got added:

 

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The NTAs performance on Wednesday was awesome as well. The intro made me quite emotional!

 

 

His episode of Who Do You Think You Are is on this week on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday.

Edited September 14, 2024Sep 14 by ThePensmith