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PEOPLE & ARTSThursday 5 November 2015
Seal releases album of love,
heartbreak and healing
In this Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 photo, singer/songwriter Seal poses SANDY COHEN thing and you don’t gain So they agreed to call the
for a portrait at Warner Bros. Records in Burbank, Calif. AP Entertainment Writer release,” he said. “And I new album “Seal 7,” which
LOS ANGELES (AP) — For think the whole point of hits stores Friday.
Associated Press Seal, songwriting is like being a songwriter is to “Now people are calling
therapy. And since splitting gain release through those it ‘7,’ much to my annoy-
from Heidi Klum in 2012, things you write.” ance,” said Seal, whose
he’s been immersed. So the new album has birth name is Henry Samuel.
“It’s really cathartic,” he songs with titles such as “People think it’s this mysti-
said. “When people have “The Big Love Has Died” cal reason why it’s called
something that’s ailing and lyrics like: “Breaking up ‘7.’ It’s not. It’s just the sev-
them or something that’s is harder when you have a enth studio album.”
weighing on them and higher price to pay/ Now He’s halfway through mak-
they go and see a thera- she takes a lover so that ing a follow-up, saying he
pist or a shrink ... essentially she can hide the pain.” finds songwriting to be a
what they’re trying to do is A reference, maybe, to “source of light.” It’s not
off-load. They’re trying to Klum’s relationship with her about making hits, he said,
share the load. As a song- bodyguard after she and but making connections —
writer ... you can articulate Seal split? first with his own feelings,
those emotions, or you can Seal and Klum were mar- then with his listeners.
take that which is within ried for seven years before Knowing his music has
and get it out.” their divorce was finalized touched people means
“The caveat is it only works in 2014. They had three more than Grammy Awards
if you’re being honest,” he children together, and Seal and No. 1 hits, he said.
said. “It would be like if you adopted Klum’s daughter “Honestly, without trying to
were going to a shrink or a from a previous relation- sound funny, that feeling is
therapist: that only works if ship. The children are now the fullest feeling you can
you’re telling the truth.” 11, 10, 9 and 4. experience,” he said. “And
The result of all this writing “Over the past few years, even if it’s just one person.
therapy is Seal’s first new Seal has been through the To know that you actually,
music in five years: an al- tumble dryer of love,” said on a humanitarian level,
bum about love, heart- producer Trevor Horn, who that you actually affected
break and healing. first worked with the singer somebody, somebody that
Tall, slim and nattily dressed on his 1991 debut. “He gets was not having an easy
down to his blue suede sad on the record. You can time.
boots, the 52-year-old said hear him being sad, but And to know that you af-
he didn’t set out to write you can’t hear him being fected them, in some
about love, he just tried to bitter.” way you helped them get
be truthful. Seal wanted to call the through something, that is
“If you’re being in any new album “Seal.” But he the most validating feeling
way disingenuous, then it said the record compa- ever. ... It’s at the very core
doesn’t matter if that thing ny was worried that fans of who we are as a race.
comes out and it’s success- would confuse it with his It’s what we’re here for: to
ful commercially. You’re first, second and fourth al- be able to affect each oth-
forever tethered to that bums, also called “Seal.” er in that way.”q
Elvis songwriter Mac
Davis honored by BMI
KRISTIN M. HALL Mirror.” of songwriters, artists and
Associated Press The Lubbock, Texas-native music industry representa-
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) was also a film and stage tives. “And I said, ‘Man, I
— Songwriter Mac Davis, actor, TV and radio person- want to do that.’”
who wrote the Elvis Presley ality and had a solo career Rascal Flatts performed
classic “In the Ghetto,” was as a singer. Davis said he Davis’ song “Baby, Don’t
honored at the BMI Coun- was in awe of Elvis’ person- Get Hooked on Me,” while
try Awards in Nashville, Ten- ality and thanked him for the four-part vocal group
nessee, on Tuesday with helping him as a songwriter Little Big Town performed
tributes from Luke Bryan and later as an artist. the softly poignant “In the
and Little Big Town. “I watched him when he Ghetto.”
Davis was given the BMI first came to Lubbock, “I also want to know how
Icon award for penning Texas, and he stood on the you wrote a lyric that tells a
five decades of hits in the back of a flatbed truck and woman to shut her mouth,”
pop and country worlds the girls were just scream- Bryan joked before break-
including “Memories,” ‘’A ing and yelling and climb- ing into his best Elvis im-
Little Less Conversation,” ing up and trying to get to pression of “A Little Less
and “Texas in my Rearview him,” Davis told the crowd Conversation.”q
