But now it’s more accessible, and you can base it on the sound. In the mid to late 1990s, when I was spending a lot of money on CDs, I’d base my purchases on what I heard on the radio, the producers, the covers. So some of the songs might surprise some people, but if I find the meaning in the song, the genre or background doesn’t matter. But I am a bit biased, because I’m from Longford like his mother, so there’s a midlands link there.
But now he’s writing really impressive, meaningful music, like Our Song. He’s a kid to many people, having come from a boy band. But when you have a brilliance like that, you can go right to the top. You can’t do that in a lot of other careers or ways of life: you have to put in the hard yards. The field of music is like sport: you can be so young and still excel to the very top of your game.
People might look at a current-affairs news presenter in his 40s and probably don’t think he listens to Selena Gomez, but there’s something in her songs. You have someone like KD Lang, who’s such an experienced songwriter, then you come into the younger singers, who write music that’s equally inspirational. The playlist is so varied, from early 1970s right up to the current day. If you can relate to a song it can urge you to think in a certain direction, so music often helps me process my thoughts. Music is also such an immersive experience that it can give you clarity of thought. The first four or five tracks on the playlist motivate me – Mr Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra is probably one of my favourite songs of all time. I used to drive around the country as a correspondent, and when I was tired and on a long journey I’d put on the songs that would perk me up. If I’m walking or exercising I’ll listen to music then. The motivation is about if you find a message or a beat in a song that gives you a pep in your step. The meaning is about what the song is saying and how it makes you feel. I look to music for motivation and meaning. People might have a genre they’re into, but any song can mean something to me – whether it’s The Beatles or Beyoncé, it doesn’t matter. It was torturous too, because there’s just so much great music out there. But previously I was a radio DJ, so selecting songs and playing music was what I did for a living, and it was enjoyable to come back to that and pick this playlist. Because of my job I spend most of my time listening to spoken word, and reading far more than most people probably should.
I don’t listen to music as much as I used to.
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