Nathan Sykes

Nathan Sykes first entered the British pop scene in 2009 when he successfully auditioned for the U.K. boy band the Wanted, entering alongside Max George and Tom Parker. Jay McGuiness and Siva Kaneswaran later rounded out the five-piece. Born in 1993 and raised in Abbeydale, Gloucester, U.K., Sykes revealed an innate gift for music and stage performance as early as age six. At eleven he enrolled at the celebrated Sylvia Young Theatre School. After finishing his GCSEs he moved back to Gloucester, where he kept performing and collected several competition wins throughout his teenage years. The most memorable triumph came in 2003 at “Britney Spears’ Karaoke Kriminals,” earning him a kiss from Spears herself. In 2004 he competed in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest hoping to represent the United Kingdom, ultimately placing third behind Cory Spedding and runner-up Andrew Murray. Once the Wanted stabilized, the group refined its sound and issued its self-titled debut album in 2010. Lead single “All Time Low” topped the U.K. charts, prompting a swift follow-up, Battleground, the next year. In April 2013 Sykes was forced to undergo emergency throat surgery in Los Angeles, California, prompting the band to pause activities during his recovery. The interruption arrived at an awkward moment, just as work on a third album and a global tour were set to begin. Following an extended convalescence, Sykes rejoined his bandmates for a stirring performance at the Capital FM Summertime Ball in June 2013. With his voice restored, he joined Ariana Grande on the duet “Almost Is Never Enough,” featured on the soundtrack for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. The track drew praise from fellow musicians and signaled a strong comeback after a challenging period. When the Wanted announced their 2014 breakup, Sykes secured a recording deal with Global Radio. Early 2015 brought his first solo single, “More Than You’ll Ever Know,” along with news that he was preparing a debut album alongside producers including Babyface and Diane Warren. “Kiss Me Quick” arrived as his second solo release that June. After issuing several additional singles, he finally unveiled his full-length debut, Unfinished Business, in November 2016.