After returning earlier this summer with Getting Lost, his first solo release in eight years, Nathan Sykes has shared a second taste of his long-awaited new album Ultraviolet. The shimmering new single Butterflies is out now, with the full record due for release on 17th October.
Nathan Sykes
Where Getting Lost offered sun-soaked, nostalgic pop, Butterflies leans into Sykes’ love of bold, radio-ready hooks. Written with producer Tobie Tripp (George Ezra, Tom Grennan) and co-writers David Sneddon (Lana Del Rey, Lewis Capaldi) and Theo Hutchcraft (Calvin Harris, Måneskin), the track captures the rush of first love with a universal charm. As Sykes explains: “It’s about that feeling you get in your stomach—nervous, excited, giddy—thinking about someone new, someone you’ve known forever and the fun that person brings. The song came together quickly once we got there, and it just as quickly sticks in everyone’s heads who hears it. It’s one of my favourite moments of the album.”
The single reflects much of what Ultraviolet promises: a balance between glossy, euphoric pop and the more introspective, vulnerable moments that mark Sykes’ evolution as both artist and songwriter. The album follows his 2016 Silver-certified debut Unfinished Business and will be released on multiple formats, including limited purple vinyl, picture disc, cassette, and CD, with bundles featuring a signed art print.
Sykes first made his mark as a member of The Wanted, with chart-topping singles and arena tours across the globe, before carving out his own solo path with over a billion streams to date. After reuniting with his bandmates for a celebratory tour shortly before the tragic passing of Tom Parker, Sykes chose to reset his solo career, starting a new project from scratch that would eventually become Ultraviolet.
Earlier this year, he played a sold-out headline show at London’s Omeara in just five minutes, debuting new material alongside fan favourites Over And Over Again and Almost Is Never Enough. This October, he heads back to the stage for two intimate headline dates:
OCTOBER
29th – Manchester, Deaf Institute
30th – London, O2 Academy Islington
An Explosive Sabrina Carpenter Show Keeps Drenched London Warm At BST Hyde Park 2025
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