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Britain’s Got Talent winner Tokio Myers calls for Ed Sheeran collaboration

"Well tell me when it kicks in"

Tokio Myers

Tokio Myers

It has been less than 12 months since Tokio Myers stormed to a surprise victory in last year’s Britain’s Got Talent and since then he’s been on a sold-out UK tour, had a top-five album and been nominated for three Classic BRIT Awards – it has already been announced that he will be named Best Breakthrough Act. Not bad for a year’s work.

Speaking to The Big Issue this week, Myers shares his hope that one day he could bring things full circle, with a collaboration with Ed Sheeran. During his Britain’s Got Talent audition, it was the mix of Debussy’s ‘Clair de Lune’ and Sheeran’s ‘Bloodstream’ that first wowed the judges, and everyone else watching. Although he has never heard what Sheeran himself thinks of the track.

Myers said: “I mean, he’s obviously heard it because he’d need to give the go ahead for it to be cleared but I haven’t tried to reach out.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity of him allowing me to use it. And if we meet one day and it’s to be then great. I’m sure if I was to make it as some super successful musician, at that level where all other artists are loving you, I can see us collaborating and maybe performing that track on a special night of his set or on a set of mine. It would go down amazingly well.”

Although he was propelled to fame through Britain’s Got Talent, Myers was classically trained at the Royal Academy, and had grafted in shopping centres and supporting artists like Amy Winehouse for many years. He is not an overnight success story.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

“You’ve got to keep on grinding away,” Myers said. “You’ve got to keep proving yourself.”

Tokio Myers will be performing at the Classic BRIT Awards, which returns after a five-year break on June 13. Read more about his whirlwind year in this week’s Big Issue, out now.

classicbrits.co.uk

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