Collabro

Formed in Britain during January 2014, Collabro emerged as a vocal ensemble whose focus on musical theater numbers and heartfelt pop ballads distinguished them from typical boy bands. Their style merged expressive solo leads with tight ensemble harmonies, yielding shows that balanced refined technique and assured poise alongside an energetic, youthful appeal. Initial exposure came through a nationally broadcast talent show, after which their debut collection Stars arrived in 2014 and captured the theatrical-pop blend that had already won U.K. audiences; six years later, Love Like This expanded the group’s palette across a broader range of contemporary pop material.

The five members first united when longtime friends Matt Pagan and Jamie Lambert held auditions for Michael Auger, Richard Hadfield, and Thomas J. Redgrave, creating a lineup devoted to stage and pop repertoire. Within weeks the newly assembled quintet tried out for the eighth season of Britain’s Got Talent, delivering “Stars” from Les Misérables to secure unanimous approval from the four judges. Throughout the summer they advanced steadily, claiming the title in June. A contract with Simon Cowell’s Syco Records followed at once, and Stars appeared that August. Buoyed by its reception, the group issued Act Two in 2015, presenting heightened renditions of well-known theater selections from Cats, The Lion King, and The Phantom of the Opera. After Richard Hadfield’s departure in 2016, the remaining quartet recorded Home for Peak Productions in 2017. A concert document, Road to the Royal Albert Hall, surfaced the following year. Shifting to BMG, Collabro delivered their first project for the new label with the 2020 studio album Love Like This.