JLS star Oritsé Williams has revealed his shocking experience of being told by top record producers that his singing voice was ‘too black’ while he was a member of the pop band.
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the singer, 38, says he was forced to suppress his authentic style of singing to match the rest of the band members – Aston Merrygold, 37, Marvin Humes, 40, and JB Gill, 38.
‘I think during the time of being with the group, as much as it was a great experience, in the very early days, I think I struggled a little bit with where I actually fitted in,’ says Oritsé.
‘Because even working in studios with very pop producers in the beginning, we worked with some of the best producers and writers in the world. There were comments like when I went to the booth, “Your voice is too black, it’s too soulful” to only me as an individual in the group.’
Williams, who is of Nigerian and Caribbean descent, explains: ‘All the music I listened to and what I was inspired by was music from my culture. I’m inspired by music from the world, but essentially my roots lie in, Afro, Caribbean, RnB and soulful sounds. That’s what I grew up listening to and that was being played in my household.’
Recalling the low point in his career, he adds: ‘I struggled with understanding where does a voice like mine now fit into pop music at that time, where artists like Justin Bieber and those vocal sounds were what was at the forefront of mainstream radio.
JLS star Oritsé Williams has revealed his shocking experience of being told by top record producers that his singing voice was ‘too black’ while he was a member of the pop band
In an exclusive interview with Mail Online, the singer, 38, says he was forced to suppress his authentic style of singing to match the rest of the band members – Aston Merrygold, 37, Marvin Humes , 40, and JB Gill , 38
‘And I was like, “Well, I don’t sound like Justin Bieber. I don’t sound like some of these very commercial singers like Shawn Mendes. And so now I’m in this commercial pop group, and I’m struggling with the fact that I’m also very different from the rest of my group members, vocally and musically.”‘
Despite being the founding member of JLS, who were runners-up to Alexandra Burke on the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008, Oritsé admits he took drastic measures for his singing voice to sound more mainstream.
‘I did try to make myself fit in,’ discloses Oritsé.
‘I had to learn to strip a lot of the colours of my voice. I had to try and bring my voice to be as streamlined as possible and what I did essentially was sing through my nose in order to reach that.’
He continues: ‘I realised that the way I can produce that sound is by singing quite nasally but long term, that would damage your voice. And also at the same time is, I want to sound like me. I don’t want to hide who I am as a singer, as an artist. And that for me is actually heartbreaking.’
Indeed, this painful sacrifice helped him contribute to the success of JLS, who collectively have sold 2.6 million albums and 3.6 million singles in the UK to date.
When the group called it a day in 2013, Oritsé was determined to keep making music as a solo artist, as he says ‘it’s at the heart of what he does.’
Yet it has presented further challenges for him within the music industry.
‘I think during the time of being with the group, as much as it was a great experience, in the very early days, I think I struggled a little bit with where I actually fitted in,’ says Oritsé
Williams, who is of Nigerian and Caribbean descent, explains: ‘All the music I listened to and what I was inspired by was music from my culture’
Oritise pictured with afrobeats artist Davido
‘The first thing that they [record labels] try to do is they try to almost separate Oritsé from JLS. They tried to change my name and try to strip me of my identity because they’re like, “Your music’s so different from the group. We just want to repackage you.”‘
However, now that the father-of-two has found contentment in his personal life with his wife Kazz, a marketing manager and former singer and their five-month-old son Shiva, he says feels less inclined to betray his true self.
‘I can’t do that,’ he tells MailOnline.
‘At this time of my life, where I am, everything I’ve been through and being married and having children and finding my musical identity, which is very much grounded in my roots, I have to be who I am.’
He adds: ‘I’m originally Oritsé Williams, the founding member of JLS, but I’m also Oritsé Williams, who’s developed his own sound called Afro Island Sounds. I’m both. I’m not one or the other. Why do I have to choose to be one or the other?’
Oritsé is optimistic that the music industry is getting better in promoting artists who produce music of black origin, including Afrobeats artist Davido, a fellow alumnus at the British International School, in Nigeria.
‘I’m excited,’ says Oritsé. ‘I’ve seen how the world has evolved and changed. I saw how Afrobeats artists, dancehall artists, bashment artists, RnB artists and soulful artists started to really come to the forefront of radio and started to really be prominent in popular music around the world.
‘It’s almost like I’ve lived through all these different times, and I’ve got to the place where Oritsé can be Oritsé now.’
He may have this newfound freedom as a solo artist, but one can only think about whether or not it will be a daunting prospect for Oritsé to get back on stage with JLS
However, now that the father-of-two has found contentment in his personal life with his wife Kazz, a marketing manager and former singer and their five-month-old son Shiva, he says that he feels less inclined to betray his true self
Now, the pop sensations are reuniting once again to perform a limited run of shows across the UK this November
It’s almost like I’ve lived through all these different times, and I’ve got to the place where Oritsé can be Oritsé now.’
He may be free to do whatever he likes as a solo artist, but one can only think about whether it will be a daunting prospect for Oritsé to get back on stage with JLS later this year.
The quartet will be reuniting for The Club Is Alive: 2025 Hits Tour, which will see them perform 15 dates around the UK.
‘Anything with the group whenever it comes up, for me, it’s always beautiful,’ Oritsé tells me.
‘Because the fans have been a part of that chapter of my life, and we’ve been a part of the chapters of their life, and now those fans, some of them have children and are married.
‘So to be able to go around the country and be able to see everyone again and be able to enjoy all these beautiful, nostalgic moments, I don’t take for granted.’
The tour will kick off in Glasgow, Scotland, with one show at the OVO Hydro before stopping in Aberdeen, Newcastle, Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool, Sheffield, Manchester, Cardiff, Leeds, Birmingham , Bournemouth, Brighton, and Nottingham.
The Everybody In Love hitmakers will wrap up their tour with two final shows at London’s iconic O2 Arena on November 28 and November 29.
The tour will also feature support from very special guest Example, 42, at all shows except for the Bournemouth and Brighton shows.
MailOnline has contacted X Factor for comment.
