Since 2005, and prior to his participation in The X Factor, he was a vocalist and guitarist in a number of bands, and later, as a solo artist as well as forming his own The James Arthur Band and James Arthur Project.
Arthur was born in Middlesbrough, England to English mother Shirley Ashworth and Scottish father Neil Arthur. James’ father was a delivery driver, but also used to be a DJ and a drummer for many years. Arthur’s parents split when he was just two-years-old and each settled with a new partner. Neil and Shirley were not on talking terms with each other for more than twenty years. But they agreed to attend the show together in a family reunion to attend their son’s performance.
Arthur first went to Ings Farm Primary School in Redcar, North Yorkshire. When he was nine, he moved with his mother Shirley and his step father Ronald Rafferty to Bahrain where he studied at the local British School of Bahrain for four years. When they split, Arthur, then 14, had to move back with his mother and his two half-sisters Jasmine and Neve to the UK to live in a modest house in Saltburn-by-the-Sea.Upon his return, he continued his studies at Redcar’s Rye Hills School.
Arthur has five siblings, an older brother called Neil Arthur, an older sister called Sian Arthur, and three younger sisters, Charlotte Arthur and Jasmin and Neve Rafferty.
Arthur has been writing and recording songs since he was 15 as an unsigned artist both solo and in many bands including:
Moonlight Drive - a Cleveland-based progressive, experimental, rock five-piece band with Arthur in lead vocals. The band was active between 2005 and 2008. They had recordings such as «Said You’d Be There», «Hole in My Heart» and «Tear Me Apart».
Cue the Drama - an alternative rock band based in Marske-by-the-Sea and active between 2005 and 2008. Recordings included «On the Radio 98KUPD», «It’s Killing Me», «I Reach You» and «It Hurts».
Save Arcade - a Middlesbrough alternative rock band made up of Arthur (vocals, guitar), Josh Brown (keyboards, vocals), Matthew Green (guitar), Alex Beer (bass, vocals), Travis Shaw (guitar, percussions, vocals) and Karl Dowson (drums). In 2009, the band released a three-track EP called Truth, carrying the title track «The Truth», as well as «Echoes» and «I Un-Proudly Present». In June 2010, the band released a five-track EP, Tonight We Dine in Hades, which in addition to the title track «Tonight We Dine in Hades» included «Superhero», «You Always Want a Fight», «Juliet Is Not Dead» and «She Aims to Please». Both releases were on the independent 57 Records UK.
Emerald Skye - a four-piece indie pop/rock band formed in March 2011 based in Redcar / Saltburn-by-the-Sea and made up of Arthur (guitar, vocals), Dean Harrison (piano, violin), Paul Gill (bass) and Save Arcade bandmate Green (drums).
Arthur also uploaded many of his own songs to Soundcloud and YouTube including an album entitled Sins by the Sea. In 2011, he auditioned for The Voice UK and made it into the final 200 contestants but no further.
In early 2012, he recorded songs and released two EPs as The James Arthur Band. The band consisted of Arthur (vocals and guitar), Jez Taylor (guitar), Chris Smalls (keyboards), Jordan Swain (drums) and Rich Doney (bass). In 2012, the band released The EP Collection CD with nine tracks with R&B, soul and hip hop influences, a compilation of tracks on both EPs. Arthur also released an EP named Hold On under the name The James Arthur Project in August 2012 in collaboration with John McGough. The tracks were written and arranged by McGough, and mixed by Matt Wanstall with all vocals by Arthur.
Arthur auditioned for The X Factor with an acoustic rendition of judge Tulisa Contostavlos’s «Young», before explaining his past, including spells in care and time spent on the streets after break-ups within his family. He also revealed his father and mother had not spoken to each other for over 20 years, and this was a reunion of sorts for them to attend his audition. After his judges’ houses performance of «I Can’t Make You Love Me», he was picked by his mentor Nicole Scherzinger as one of the 12 contestants for the live shows, and one of just three in the «Boys» category. After the second live show, Arthur suffered from an anxiety attack backstage. Whilst being treated at the studio, paramedics determined he did not need to go to hospital, and he was ordered back to his hotel to rest. He later returned for the results show the following. Arthur was in the bottom two in week 7 after performing «Can’t Take My Eyes Off You». He sang «Fallin’» for survival against Ella Henderson, with the judges going to deadlock after their vote was evenly split 2-2 (mentor Scherzinger and Gary Barlow voting to keep him, while Contostavlos and Louis Walsh voted in favour of Henderson). Arthur was then saved by the public vote. On 8 December, he made it through to the second night of the live finals.
Arthur won The X Factor on 9 December 2012, with 53.7% of the vote, against Jahméne Douglas who received 38.9% of the vote.
Is This Love
James Arthur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought I knew them well but maybe I was blind
'Cause everything's brand new
Thought I knew my heartbeat but it was out of time
It's like my lungs are opening for the first time
Ever since I met you
And I'm on my way now
Is this love, really love?
Is this love, really love?
I swear that I was heading down a darker road
You got through my guard when I was in safety mode
Darling you're such a view
You're pulling down my walls like you're my only sun
You're the one to blame, you hold a smoking gun
So take your aim and shoot
And I'm on my way now
Is this love? Really love?
Is this love? Really love?
I need to know, need to know
'Cause I've never been this close
Is this love, is this love?
Really love, really love?
And all these demons I'm letting go
'Cause I can see what is beautiful
It finally feels like I'm coming home
Is this love? Really love?
Is this love? Really love?
I need to know, need to know
'Cause I've never been this close
Is this love, is this love?
Really love, really love?
And all these demons I'm letting go
'Cause I can see what is beautiful
It finally feels like I'm coming home
In James Arthur's song Is This Love, he expresses his newfound love and the way it has opened his eyes and rejuvenated his life. Arthur admits that he has walked the streets a million times, and yet he never saw things the way he does now. The love is brand new, and it has made him question everything he thought he knew about his life. He once believed he knew his heartbeat, but now it seems out of sync. And the feeling of the world seemed new to him, ever since he met that special someone.
Arthur admits to feeling like he was moving down a darker path before he met this person, and he had shut down his emotional side to guard himself. However, this person managed to get past his guard and break down his walls. They pulled him out of his dark state and became the only light in his life. Arthur admits that he is so close to this person that he has never been this close to anyone before. He then asks the question, "Is this love, really love?" wondering if this new feeling is real or just temporary.
Arthur explains that he is letting go of his demons, and he can finally see the beauty in his life. And it feels like he's coming home for the first time in a long time. Although the thought still lingers in his mind if this love is real, he's willing to go through it to find out. In conclusion, James Arthur's Is This Love is an emotional ballad that tells the story of a man who's found a new love that's opened his eyes and changed his life forever.
Line by Line Meaning
I must've walked these streets about a million times
I thought I knew everything about this place, having spent so much time here.
I thought I knew them well but maybe I was blind
But now I see them in a brand new light, maybe I wasn't seeing clearly before.
'Cause everything's brand new
Everything feels fresh and different now that I've met you.
Thought I knew my heartbeat but it was out of time
I thought I was in rhythm with my own life, but I wasn't until I met you.
It's like my lungs are opening for the first time
I feel alive and brand new, like I'm breathing for the very first time.
Ever since I met you
All of these changes and feelings overwhelmed me in the best way when I met you.
And I'm on my way now
All of these changes make me feel like I'm headed towards something great.
Is this love, really love?
All of this newness and excitement makes me wonder if what we're feeling is true love.
I swear that I was heading down a darker road
Before I met you, I felt lost and like I was headed towards a darker future.
You got through my guard when I was in safety mode
I was trying to protect myself from getting hurt by anyone, but you broke through my defenses.
Darling you're such a view
You bring so much beauty and joy into my life, it's hard not to be completely enamored with you.
You're pulling down my walls like you're my only sun
You're breaking down all of the walls between us, bringing light and warmth just like the sun.
You're the one to blame, you hold a smoking gun
You're the reason for all of these intense feelings and changes, you're the culprit behind my newfound happiness.
So take your aim and shoot
If you're the one making me feel like this, then keep doing what you're doing.
I need to know, need to know
I'm curious and desperate to know if what we have is really true love or not.
'Cause I've never been this close
I've never felt this connected and attached to someone before.
Is this love, is this love?
This intense feeling is so new to me, I can't help but keep questioning if it's really love or not.
And all these demons I'm letting go
All of my past struggles and negative feelings are starting to fade away thanks to you and this newfound love.
'Cause I can see what is beautiful
I'm able to appreciate all of the beauty in my life now that you're a part of it.
It finally feels like I'm coming home
With you and this love, I finally feel like I'm where I'm meant to be, like I've finally found my true home.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES ARTHUR, STEVE ROBSON, CLAUDE KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sabrinavilla8086
I must've walked these streets about a million times
I thought I knew them well but maybe I was blind
'Cause everything's brand new
Thought I knew my heartbeat but it was out of time
It's like my lungs are opening for the first time
Ever since I met you
And I'm on my way now
Is this love, really love?
Is this love, really love?
I swear that I was heading down a darker road
You got through my guard when I was in safety mode
Darling you're such a view
You're pulling down my walls like you're my only sun
You're the one to blame, you hold a smoking gun
So take your aim and shoot
And I'm on my way now
Is this love? Really love?
Is this love? Really love?
I need to know, need to know
'Cause I've never been this close
Is this love, is this love?
Really love, really love?
And all these demons I'm letting go
'Cause I can see what is beautiful
It finally feels like I'm coming home
Is this love? Really love?
Is this love? Really love?
I need to know, need to know
'Cause I've never been this close
Is this love, is this love?
Really love, really love?
And all these demons I'm letting go
'Cause I can see what is beautiful
It finally feels like I'm coming home
@miscrits1x1
rse 1]
I must've walked these streets about a million times
I thought I knew them well but maybe I was blind
'Cause everything's brand new
Thought I knew my heartbeat but it was out of time
It's like my lungs are opening for the first time
Ever since I met you
And I'm on my way now
[Chorus]
Is this love, really love?
Is this love, really love?
Ohhh ohhh
[Verse 2]
I swear that I was heading down a darker road
You got through my guard when I was in safety mode
Everything's brand new
You're burning down my walls like the Miami sun
You're the one to blame, you hold a smoking gun
So take your aim and shoot
And I'm on my way now
[Chorus]
Is this love? Really love?
Is this love? Really love?
I need to know, need to know
'Cause I've never been this close
Is this love, is this love?
Really love, really love?
@alannajohnson5043
James Arthur , I'm your Biggest fan since your very first X Factor audition. Thank you for sharing your gift with the world. you're an inspiration to me. Despite all the heartache you lived through you still pushed through and changed your life for the better. you never gave up . God bless you and your Parents .
@alannajohnson5043
I would be so happy and appreciative if he would respond to me♡.
@tiasmith1997
Alanna I have also been his biggest fan since the X factor! I voted every night and went to a concert! His first album was amazing and it broke my heart as my friends forgot who he was, but people like you and me never did. He is an inspiration to me and has helped me through so many hard times and I can't thank him enough for that ❤️❤️ never left my heart or my ears xxx
@suhaibawad4479
Alanna Gonzalez I don't wanna be depressing but I don't think he replies here. You have a much higher chance of him replying to you on twitter
@nikolijacuckic9594
it's Arthur not Author...
@lovelystillsmiling5234
+Suhaib Awad lol
@alex4422
His songs are so strong I feel like even my brain got moves
@Salma-nv4xm
3 seconds in and im already in love
@monaisabella4238
Salma Styles When I saw the name James Arthur I already knew this song would be the best 😂😅
@deakaca5617
Salma Styles omg same