Kevin Simm

In 2001, Kevin Simm first drew widespread notice by joining the televised singing contest Popstars. The format pushed entrants to assemble temporary pop collectives, with the triumphant act awarded a recording contract. His collective, Liberty, finished second after narrowly falling to Hear'Say, though the members still broke into the broader music business. Legal issues prompted a name change to Liberty X, after which the act notched several U.K. chart entries, the biggest being the 2002 number-one single “Just a Little.” Three studio albums followed, each landing progressively lower on the charts, before the group ultimately split.

Years later, a planned Liberty X reunion collapsed once Simm entered The Voice as a solo contestant in 2016. During his early appearances he stated that Liberty X had officially ended. He still claimed victory after an eventful run through the competition’s rounds, and the win created strong anticipation for his first full-length project. Universal released the debut single “All You Good Friends” in 2016, which was soon succeeded by the ten-track album Recover.