The youngest member of the now defunct boyband The Wanted is grateful for the chance to mature as a solo artiste.

Going solo wasn’t easy for Nathan Sykes back in 2015.

The former member of British-Irish boyband The Wanted had to overcome his insecurities while finding his own sound and identity, the 24-year-old told the press and his fans at a recent press conference held in Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP).

Nathan Sykes opens up about his journey as a solo artiste. Photo by: Klix Photography

“I think coming from a band, it was weird (going solo) because you’re so used to making music for 4 other people and then suddenly you wake up and think, ‘I’m going to make music for myself’ and then you go, ‘what does that sound like?’” said Sykes.

“For the first time, I was going, ‘who’s Nathan Sykes?’”

The Wanted was formed in 2009. The group went on to achieve huge success with popular singles such as “All Time Low” and “Glad You Came” before they split in 2014.

Sykes started his solo career and has since gone on tours across the United Kingdom. He has also toured with Little Mix and Alessia Cara.

His debut single “Kiss Me Quick” peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. In November last year, he released his first solo album, Unfinished Business.

Sykes said: “I wasn’t only establishing my music direction, but I was also establishing myself as an artiste for the first time. To put it differently, it was about becoming the whole pie instead of an ingredient in the pie.”

Moving forward, he hopes that he can continue creating new music and “make progress as an artist, an individual and a musician”.

Organized by NP’s campus radio station, Radio Heatwave, the press conference saw about 80 fans attending; 1 of them was 19-year-old Shanelle Theo. A fan of Sykes since The Wanted days, she flew all the way from Indonesia to see her idol in the flesh.

“Even though he has gone solo, I will continue to support him no matter what he does,” she said.