Medicine

Album: It'll All Make Sense in the End (2021)
Charted: 41
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In January 2020, while performing a concert in Madrid, James Arthur had a panic attack so brutal he immediately had to leave the stage. The next day they rushed him into hospital with an infected gallbladder, which had to be removed immediately.

    Arthur canceled the rest of his tour, spent a week in a Swiss hospital, then when he got back to Britain he turned his home into a rehab and underwent intensive therapy. With the support of his girlfriend, the dancer Jessica Grist, Arthur recovered sufficiently to embark on his UK arena tour in March.

    Then coronavirus and lockdown hit. Having built a studio and invested in industry-standard recording gear, Arthur could start working on his fourth studio album, It'll All Make Sense in the End. This autobiographical track is the first song he wrote for the record, which he released as its lead single on March 5, 2021.
  • The song finds Arthur paying tribute to the healing, restorative powers of love over adversity. For him, Jessica Grist's love was the best medicine during his tough time. "The last year has forced any couple to look at themselves," said Arthur. "It held a mirror up to us all, didn't it? And my partner was hugely supportive through that whole time. There are some pretty dark lyrics in there: 'When I'm suicidal, you don't let me spiral.'"
  • Arthur wrote the uplifting ode to his romantic partner with:

    Red Triangle, who are a British songwriting and production duo comprising Rick Parkhouse and George Tizzard. They previously worked on four tracks on Arthur's Back From The Edge album. Red Triangle also co-produced "Medicine" along with Matt Rad (Martin Garrix's "In The Name Of Love," Niall Horan's "Seeing Blind").

    London-based singer-songwriter James "Yami" Bell (Tiesto's "The Business").
  • It'll All Make Sense in the End is more guitar-heavy than Arthur's previous records. "I purposefully didn't put any ballads or pianos on the album," he told Officialcharts.com. "I definitely pushed it. The core of this record is all rock guitars, basically to the point where they maybe weren't needed - I just crowbarred them in. I don't want to repeat myself and do 'Say You Won't Let Go' again."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

Roger McGuinn of The ByrdsSongwriter Interviews

Roger reveals the songwriting formula Clive Davis told him, and if "Eight Miles High" is really about drugs.

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.