Calum Scott Discusses His Stirring Album Avenoir, Touring and the Impact of the Billions Club

English singer-songwriter Calum Scott has come a very long way in the decade since he stole the world's hearts on Britain's Got Talent. With time, his talents have only grown.

Last month on Oct. 10, he released his acclaimed third album, Avenoir, consisting of 14 stirring tracks full of the rich, warm vocals and emotionally arresting lyricism that put him on the map. The album takes its title from John Koenig's The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, which invented the word "avenoir" to mean "the desire that memory could flow backward." The album, too, reflects a desire to change mindsets, learning to move on from the trap of focusing on the nostalgia and regrets of the past and instead fully living in the moment. The story comes to life through soulful ballads and danceable pop anthems that showcase his range while being undeniably Calum Scott. Calum is about to wrap the latest leg of the 2025 The Avenoir Tour throughout Europe, and he was kind enough to answer our most burning questions about the album, his billion-stream songs and so much more. Read the full interview below.

Sweety High: What does the album title Avenoir mean to you?

Calum Scott: Avenoir is the album I really needed to make for my artistry to evolve. It's the most creative I've been in an album before and that's because personally, I am happier than I have ever been! I feel like I have made a lot of peace with myself and I am more confident which has permeated into the music. Avenoir for me is about living in the present. It's reflective and purposeful and intentional but ultimately I am trying to leave the listener in the present, paying attention to what they have.

(Avenoir via Capitol Records)

 

SH: What do you feel are the overarching themes of the album? What kind of feeling do you hope fans take away from it?

CS: This album is about growth; emotionally, personally and creatively. It's me looking at love, loss, vulnerability and self-belief with a bit more confidence than I've ever had before. There's always honesty that runs through the album—there always is. Most if not all my inspiration comes from my experiences or of those from people close to me, but it's paired with hope. The main thing I want people to walk away with from this album is to feel seen and relatable, like they're not alone.

 

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SH: How would you describe the album's sound? Production-wise, how did you go about bringing these tracks to life?

CS: I would say the sound of this record is definitely an evolution from the first two albums. The production is a blend of emotional/cinematic pop but paired with those heartfelt ballads that I am always going to make! We pushed the production to feel bigger in places with some more live instrumentation but making sure that the rawness lets the lyrics breathe. I brought my long-term producer, Jon Maguire, in as an executive producer for this album so it felt like it had a coherency throughout the record which helped us level up! We wrote most of the songs in England in residential studios with writer friends of ours which gave us time to really lean into the writing and the integrity of what I wanted to say.

(Photo credit: Tom Cockram)

 

SH: Can you tell us the story of how singing a bit of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" during your live shows led to you recording your incredible duet? What did it mean to you to have an endorsement from The Estate of Whitney E. Houston to make this happen?

CS: It started as a spontaneous moment on tour! I was supporting Ed Sheeran in stadiums across Europe and Asia and during "Dancing On My Own" I did a little mash up and sang a chorus of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and the crowd went crazy for it! I started to do it on each show and we got the same reaction of pure joy! A video of this mash up made its way to the Houston Estate and Pat Houston personally reached out saying she loved the version and asked if we wanted to do a studio version using Whitney's original vocals! Talk about a dream come true! That, for me, was the validation I needed to release this version of the song. And let's face it, it was always going to be reimagined as a ballad! Pat herself though said Whitney would have loved it like this which is just, everything!

 

SH: How do you feel that these songs represent where you are in life right now?

CS: Each album for me is a collection of feelings and experiences from a moment in time and right now I think the songs represent where I'm at— confident, hopeful, happy, reflective and excited for the next chapter!

 

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SH: What are your favorite songs on the album? Why?

CS: One of the more personal songs on the album is called "Mad," which is the love letter I have written to my future child! I really want to be a dad and the older I get, the more I have those feelings, and so I wanted to immortalize just how much I'm gonna love that kid! One of my favorites though is definitely "Peripheral Vision," which I dare say is the sexiest song I've written that I don't cringe to!

 

SH: You have three songs in Spotify's coveted Billions Club—"Dancing On My Own," "You Are The Reason" and "Where Are You Now." What does it mean to you to have written these songs that have resonated with so many people? Why do you think these songs, in particular, touched others in that way?

CS: I think any song that reaches a billion streams shows just how much it has resonated with people across the world. I feel incredibly lucky to have any song that has been used as a soundtrack to their life. I guess all I try to do with my music is be as authentic and as genuine as I can and that seems to have been the ingredient that has worked for me! I'm incredibly grateful for every single person that contributes to me being able to live my dreams by listening to my music.

 

SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

CS: I am on tour at the moment, just about to finish my European leg and in 2026 I will be back in America so please check my website for tickets and come see me live because if you haven't, you're gonna cry, laugh, dance and cry a bit more—if you have already seen me live before, you haven't seen anything yet!

(Photo credit: Tom Cockram)

 

For more insights from artists on their latest albums, be sure to click HERE to read our interview with GALE on her sophomore album, Lo Que Puede Pasar.