- Words Gabriel Mealor-Pritchard
Singer-songwriters Armaan Malik and Calum Scott talk their latest single 'Always', playing with emotions and wearing their hearts on their sleeves.
Harmony is all about peace, unity, and balance – all of which we hear from the track ‘Always’, a collaboration between pop icons, Armaan Malik and Calum Scott. A ballad written from the heart, as well as a cathartic experience, the artists’ harmonising melodies immerse you in their peaceful world. Lyrically, they depict a love story, simple yet heartfelt, leaving that lingering, heartstring-tugging feeling you just can’t budge.
Far from a breakthrough artist, more of an accomplished instrumentalist with north of 10 billion streams across all platforms. The tender piano chords and guitar strums on this single sound like the undivided attachment you feel when falling in love. Calum rose to fame back in 2015 from his appearance on Britain’s Got Talent, where he leveraged his success into record production, fuelling a critically acclaimed career before lending his own emotive abilities to ‘Always’ alongside Armaan. Leaving no stone unturned, the single encapsulates all of love’s moments, the good and the bad, with candidness being the leading light.
To mark the release, we caught up with Armaan and Calum to talk all things ‘Always’, exploring the pair’s influences and finding out their dream collaborations.
Congratulations on the new single, it’s an undeniably romantic track, what was the inspiration behind the song?
Calum Scott: Thank you! I know Armaan and I are so grateful for the support on a track that didn’t require much thinking, to be honest! Putting two sensitive boys in a session was always going to end up with a song written about love! It’s about finding that one person that you dreamt of, the one who you turn to celebrate with or take comfort from.
Armaan Malik: Thank you. The inspiration to create ‘Always’ came from a deep desire to capture the essence of a surreal love story, one that feels like a warm embrace from your partner. We wanted to encapsulate the sweet feeling of love with soft piano elements that let the lyrics shine and allow listeners to immerse themselves in that feeling.
To someone who’s never heard the single before, how would you describe it in three words?
Calum Scott: Dreamy, sincere, meaningful.
Armaan Malik: Romantic, Mesmerising and Heavenly. ‘Always’ is a track that captures these feelings and speaks straight to the heart.
The track features dramatic piano and harmonies enhanced by soothing strings. What inspired you to incorporate those elements into the song?
Calum Scott: Both Armaan and I are well-versed in piano tracks, strings and harmonies so it came very naturally! The song usually tells you what it needs, you can feel it in your gut, we knew this would be a song that would make people think of their own love and provoke all those heartwarming feelings so making sure the song was adorned in beautiful instruments and harmonies was imperative.
How do you think those elements and the other orchestral arrangements contribute to the track?
Calum Scott: They help carry the song on a journey both through Armaan and my own verse and our chorus together. It helps build the picture in your mind of that person you could dedicate this song to. I think the song would be powerful as a guitar or piano-only track but the other instruments help sprinkle that magic!
Armaan Malik: Adding elements of the piano and orchestral strings into the song was a conscious decision to enhance the emotional depth of the song and bring across the heartfelt message that we wanted to convey to our listeners.
Where do you draw inspiration from when making music?
Calum Scott: It always comes from my own experiences. I like to make sure that my music is sincere or comes from a story or my interpretation of a story that feels honest and real. I put a lot of myself into my music because it resonates with people. My story isn’t just my own, it’s millions of people’s from across the world.
Armaan Malik: My musical inspirations come from various avenues: my personal life experiences, people around me, songs that inspire me and make me want to explore the art of storytelling through music. I feel like I am someone who can express himself much better through music than putting my words into sentences.
Since this is the first time you’ve worked together, tell us how you met and what made you want to collaborate?
Calum Scott: Our meeting was by chance. Armaan was in the UK writing and on his last day, a mutual friend of ours, Bill Maybury, who I had been working with, had previously worked with Armaan and introduced us to each other. When we met, we clicked straight away. The song came very easily and wasn’t written as a duet but after hearing the demo, I texted Armaan and said “I have to be on this with you”, and he agreed!
Armaan Malik: Collaborating with Calum was such a seamless and organic process. We connected instantly over our shared passion for creating heartfelt love songs, and that synergy translated beautifully into what you hear today as ‘Always’. It’s crazy to think that our first jam together resulted in such a beautiful collab.
What do you think you enhance in each other’s musical practice?
Calum Scott: I think we reflect each other very well so I wouldn’t say we ‘enhance’ each other, but we bring out the best in ourselves. It’s rare to meet an artist and to get on so well, so quickly! It means that when we’re around each other, making music feels like friends doing something they love, which it is!
Armaan Malik: The collaboration on ‘Always’ brought together our unique talents and perspectives. Calum’s strong yet soulful voice complemented with my vocals helped us create a gorgeous blend of harmonies and textures.
What is the perfect setting for your new track, where did you picture it being played when you were writing it?
Calum Scott: I am so happy that I got to record the music video in Mumbai with Armaan, I felt like I was a welcomed guest in Armaan’s home and he has helped me reach a country I had never visited or worked in before. For me, that was the perfect setting! To be honest it could have been anywhere with Armaan!
Armaan Malik: ‘Always’ is a beautiful and sweet love ballad that captures the beauty of love through its simple yet heartfelt lyrics. I envisioned the song being played in a setting that amplifies its romantic essence. Whether it’s at a wedding, a casual beach date during sunset, a cozy evening by the fireplace, or a moment of intimacy with a loved one, ‘Always’ can easily set the perfect mood. But yes I strongly picture it being a big wedding song.
At its core, the track is a passionate love song; what were your main influences?
Armaan Malik: Even though I didn’t set out to specifically capture my personal feelings on this record, at its core, I truly believe this track is a reflection of the deep love and connection I share with my long-term partner. Her influence on my life and my music is undeniable. It’s a beautiful coincidence that this song resonates so strongly with our love story, making it even more meaningful.
If you could collaborate with one other person, dead or alive, who would it be?
Calum Scott: I was always in awe of Whitney Houston growing up but since becoming an artist, I’ve wished I could have worked with George Michael, especially since covering his song ‘One More Try’, which I love. For me, collaboration is exciting, it’s like putting chefs in a kitchen and coming up with a completely new recipe which could be stunning, or gross! I am always excited to collaborate and will continue to explore new or obvious collaborations to see what magic we can make!
Armaan Malik: Charlie Puth!!!
Since working together so well on this single, do you have any future collaborations on the horizon?
Calum Scott: I couldn’t possibly say! Rest assured there are some in the not-too-distant future!
Armaan Malik: I’m super down to get back into the studio and whipping up some more tunes with Calum. Our musical vision and tastes are quite similar. Whenever the right opportunity arises, I’ll be more than happy to collaborate again!
What’s next for you?
Calum Scott: I am in LA right now for the premiere of the Garfield movie as I have a song on the soundtrack! I will be touring and then joining Ed Sheeran again for three months!
Armaan Malik: After a phenomenal year so far, there is still so much in the pipeline that I can’t disclose yet. But rest assured, there is always something exciting coming up for my fans and listeners and I can’t wait to share all of it with you guys.