Pop Culturalist Chats with Ronan Parke

At only twelve-years-old, Ronan Parke accomplished more than many do in a lifetime. He finished runner-up on Britain’s Got Talent, released his debut album, and toured the country. With everything that he’s ever dreamed of right in front of his eyes, he made the courageous decision to take a break, focus on his studies, and live a normal life. During that time, he continued to hone his craft, and this year, he dropped his first single in over four years: “No Love (Like First Love)”. The infectious track marks Ronan’s comeback to the industry and exemplifies how incredible a return can be. We were lucky enough to speak with Ronan about his new single and upcoming sophomore album.

PC: You finished second on Britain’s Got Talent, released your debut album, and then made the decision to take a hiatus from the industry. What went into that decision?
Ronan: My age had a lot to do with it. When I was on the show, I was only twelve and still in school. My exams were coming up when everything began picking up, so I decided to focus on that…as much as I didn’t want to. [laughs] Education is important. It was such an intense experience and I loved every second of it, but I needed to take a break to focus on school and what I wanted to do with my career. At that age, I knew I wanted to sing, but my parents really encouraged me to go back to school and finish my education properly. They wanted me to have a normal life. That was the main reason behind that decision.

PC: How difficult was that decision?
Ronan: It was really difficult. Being so young and coming from a talent show, I released my debut album, which was full of covers, but I had no idea where I wanted to go musically. During my time away, I continued to sing. I continued to have my vocal lessons each week and I dabbled with a lot of different genres to figure out what kind of music I wanted to make. It’s taken me all this time to decide where I wanted to go. In the end, that break was extremely important for my development.

PC: How would you describe your sound?
Ronan: For a long time, I was trying to decide on one genre. I just kept thinking, “Am I going to do pop? Am I going to do just ballads?” I was putting too much pressure on myself to pick a genre. I sat back and realized I love so many genres and I love singing all of them. It’s a mixture. The album has pop on there. It has ballads on there. There’s an element of soul on every song. That’s where my heart is. I absolutely love soul music. I grew up listening to soul music.

PC: You released your new single, “No Love (Like First Love)”. What was the inspiration behind the song?
Ronan: I was sent this song by a great writer and producer. I instantly connected with it and that’s why I decided to go with this as my new single. It’s a song with lyrics that everyone can connect to. Everyone’s been in love and if they haven’t, they probably will be. You always remember that first love; it always has that special place. The song is like a dance anthem, but the lyrics are really meaningful. It has a lovely meaning with a positive message. People are used to me singing ballads, so it was interesting to release this song as the first single.

PC: How has your creative process changed over the years?
Ronan: I have more involvement. When I was twelve, I was singing covers. Whenever I performed, I sang covers. I would go in, sing the song, and that would be it. I loved that, but I was too young to get involved with the creative side of it. The involvement now is amazing; being in the studio and being a part of the production process is really exciting. Now, when we’re getting the songs back with constructive criticism from the producers, I get to learn so much from their responses. It’s really nice for me because I’m learning more now than I ever had the opportunity to before.

PC: What’s been the biggest change in the industry since your return?
Ronan: Social media and streaming! They’re so huge now. They weren’t big when I was on the show, but now everything is on social media. It’s such a big part of the business. Also, making albums is more difficult now because most of the time people don’t listen to albums. They stream the songs that they like and I don’t think there’s as much appreciation for the hard work that goes into making an album.

PC: Does that add an extra layer of pressure when you’re working on your album because of these streaming services and making sure every song on there could potentially be a single?
Ronan: That’s exactly right! There is an extra layer of pressure. I feel incredibly lucky, though. We were sent over 200 songs and we went through them all until we got to the ones we have now. I feel genuinely excited and passionate about all of these songs. There’s definitely something for everyone.

PC: What can you tease about your album? Is there a release date yet? Do you have a favorite track?
Ronan: I do have a favorite track actually. It’s one of the ballads—I really love it. I love the lyrics in it. I love the piano in it. That’s probably one of my favorites. We don’t have a release date set for the album just yet, but word should be coming very soon. I’m really excited. “No Love (Like First Love)” is the first song I’ve released in four years. It was a really big deal for me, and now I’m releasing a second album. It’s just crazy.

PC: Like you just said, “No Love (Like First Love)” is the first song you’ve released in four years. Were there any butterflies, even though you have this incredibly loyal fanbase?
Ronan: Yeah, I definitely had butterflies. I was so nervous. After it was released, I told myself I wasn’t going to look on social media the whole day and the same for when the video came out. The reaction has been incredible and people have been so supportive, though. I’m so lucky to have, like you said, a loyal fanbase. It’s been eight years and I haven’t been consistently releasing music or performing, and to have that loyalty has been incredible.

PC: If you could give them a message, what would it be?
Ronan: Thank you for all the support! I can’t wait for you to hear the music and I hope you love it. The only reason that all artists are out there working is for their fans. They wouldn’t be able to do any of this without them. I’m so grateful and thank you so much.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Ronan: The Real Housewives of New York

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Ronan: I love Pretty Woman. It’s a guilty pleasure because I’ve watched it so many times. I think I’ve watched it over a hundred times.

PC: Favorite book?
Ronan: The book that I could not put down was The Fault in Our Stars.

PC: A favorite play or musical?
Ronan: That’s so difficult! I love theatre. I’ll go with The Lion King.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Ronan: I tend to listen to a lot of female artists so maybe they’d be surprised that I’m listening to Shawn Mendes. I’m absolutely obsessed with him right now. I’m listening to him on repeat.

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Ronan: Power

PC: Hidden talent?
Ronan: I can roll my eyes really well. Is that a talent?

Make sure to follow Ronan on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and pick up “No Love (Like First Love)” on iTunes and Amazon Music.