The reunion is in full force for A1 as they bring out brand new music with this new single, titled “Armour”. They reformed in 2009 as a trio and have been performing as a group ever since, but nine years later, Paul Marazzi has reunited with the group, making this brand new single their first in 16 years as a four-piece, following their collaboration with Eve Angeli in 2002, titled “Nos Differences” which is the French version to their previous hit track “Caught In The Middle” and their 2002 solo track “Make It Good”. The single actually follows up 2014 single “Critical Love”, which was released when they were a trio after winning the Norweigan show The Hit.
A1 are a four-piece boy band consisting of Ben Adams, Paul Marazzi, Christian Ingebrigtsen, and Mark Read. They were a hit in the 00’s best known for the hit songs “Take On Me” (a cover of the A-ha track), “Same Old Brand New You”, and “Caught In The Middle”; both of the former tracks hit number one in the UK and in Norway. They have a total of eight top 10 UK singles and seven top 10 Norway singles. They released three albums Here We Come, The A List, and Make It Good during the 00’s all of which charted inside the UK top 20 and all hit number four in Norway. Since reformation, they’ve released 10 singles including the latest “Armour”, with only the first three charting in Norway, which were 2009’s Norweigan Comic Relief single “Take You Home”, and 2010’s singles “Don’t Wanna Lose You Again” and “In Love And I Hate It”. 2014 saw them back on British TV screens when they took part in The Big Reunion on ITV2 along with other 90’s and 00’s bands. Last year, 2017, marked the return of Paul Marazzi, and A1 are now a four-piece and plan to embark on a 20-year anniversary tour, next year.
This brand new single has been quite the wait for fans. We haven’t heard all four band members sing together in over 16 years, so it’s no surprise that harmonies are on point for “Armour”. Although no confirmation of a new album, we reckon there will be one on its way considering it is their 20-year anniversary next year and they plan to do a tour to celebrate – so this could possibly be set as the first single from that possible-album. It has been written by A1 themselves.
Stream A1’s New Single “Armour” On Spotify Here:
Kicking it off with some harmonies, A1 is prepared to show off their four-piece reunion and it’s incredible to hear. There’s a subtle backing track allowing the vocalists to shine with every lyric. It reminds us of Rasmussen’s “Higher Ground” but much more subtle and laid-back.
It’s a strong track with powerful lyrics painting a story of being strong together, which is certainly a nice sentiment since Paul Marazzi is back in the group now. The boyband shows how much they’ve grown as a boyband, and yet still manage to prove they have a spot in the music industry.
“Armour” is available to download and stream right now. Look out for details about their upcoming 2019 tour to celebrate their 20 year anniversary.