7 Things to Know About Singer Nathan Sykes

When the band formed in 2009, Sykes was just 16 years old. Now well out of his teens, he’s already familiar with how the industry works as he kicks off his solo career.

Sykes and his bandmates in The Wanted won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Breakout Artist in 2013 following the success of their hit single, “Glad You Came.” In the band’s speech, they graciously thanked their supporters before singing an impromptu a capella version of the Starland Vocal Band’s “Afternoon Delight.”

In 2013, Sykes starred in a reality TV show about The Wanted, called “The Wanted Life.” The series, which aired on E!, gave fans an inside look at the boy band's lifestyle while they lived together in the California's Hollywood Hills. 

Sykes suffered from a vocal chord hemorrhage in 2013, which required throat surgery. Luckily, the surgery was a success and the singer came back from it better than ever.

Right after The Wanted completed their last tour, Sykes headed to the studio with Grammy-nominated producer Harmony Samuels, who’s recorded hits with artists like Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, and Chris Brown. Sykes had met Samuels while working on Grande’s track, “Almost Is Never Enough,” their duet which spent two straight weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

Sykes’s first U.S. solo tour date at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City sold out in just 10 minutes. He revealed to Rolling Stone that his mom frantically called him to say that the ticket website had crashed, but really, the concert had just sold out that quickly.

He’s performed alongside Meghan Trainor at one of her shows in Birmingham, adding his vocals to the singers hit song, “Like I’m Gonna Loose You.” Trainor then acknowledged Sykes’ impressive cover of “Marvin Gaye” on Twitter, referring to him as the “best vocalist.”