British singer-songwriter James Arthur returns with the new track “A Year Ago,” which sees him reunited with songwriter Steve Solomon with whom he co-wrote 2016’s most streamed song and recently RIAA Diamond-Certified single, “Say You Won’t Let Go.”
The new track was written in a single week at Solomon’s LA studio. Also in the room during the recording was Arthur’s mate and fellow musician Jamie Grey, another frequent collaborator.
The Middlesbrough-born and most successful X Factor winner of all time has scored four top 10 albums, with 2016’s Back From The Edge hitting the number one spot.
Over his career, Arthur has collaborated with the likes of
Anne-Marie, Sigala, Rudimental, Marshmallow and many more.
He also boasts some of the most impressive streaming stats, with more than 1 billion UK streams across his catalogue. “Say You Won’t Let Go” became Arthur’s breakthrough hit in the US, reaching number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was officially the UK’s most streamed song in 2016 and has gone on to be enjoyed via 2.2 billion Spotify streams, while the song’s official video has achieved 1.5 billion views on YouTube.
Earlier this year, the track became the singer’s first RIAA Diamond Single with 10 million certified units, making James one of just 100 recipients of an RIAA Diamond Single certification in the program’s history.
Other huge hit singles for James include; “Impossible,” “Can I Be Him,” “Sun Comes Up,” “Naked,” “Empty Space,” “Rewrite The Stars,” “Falling Like the Stars,” “Train Wreck” and “Lasting Lover,” which are all certified platinum records.