Michael Bolton‘s new album Spark of Light is unique in his career: It’s the first one on which he co-wrote every song. He also worked with young collaborators he felt could bring something new to the table.
“Part of the process was finding young, fresh, driven writers,” Michael tells ABC Audio. “And it’s interesting, because what they want from me is…classic music. What I want from them is a fresh, new set of ears, to hear what writers and producers are doing now.“
Some of those collaborators include Zac Barnett of “Best Day of My Life” band American Authors, and Nicholas Petricca of WALK THE MOON, the band who brought us “Shut Up and Dance.” The result, he says, is an album that “encourages people to celebrate life.” That positive outlook is reflected in the album’s title.
“The concept of Spark of Light, the definition of it for me personally, is that hope, that faith and belief that great things are supposed to happen to human beings,” he explains, adding, “We’re supposed to be part of them. We’re supposed to inspire our fellow human beings.”
“And,” he notes, “that’s what I find the music has been doing.”
It’s likely that the music will appeal to some of the young fans that Michael’s made through his comedic work in movies, TV and commercials — not to mention his stint on The Masked Singer.
“We’ve noticed a lot of new fans and a younger fan base,” he says. “We have a lot of the fans who found the Jack Sparrow video, and that gave me permission to explore more comedy and fun.”
He adds, “I think that being ‘in on it’ is a big deal. We enjoy the younger audience being fans of music that would otherwise be their parents’ music.“
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