British, Grammy Award winning songwriter Jimmy Napes is stepping out from behind the curtain and looking to showcase his own talent in the forefront. Napes has written tracks for Sam Smith, Mary J Blige, Clean Bandit, Jessie Ware, Disclosure and others and has been heralded as one of the driving forces behind the new UK explosion into the United States pop market. Napes is steps into the limelight with a new single "Give It Up" that features production from Howard Lawrence, one half of Disclosure as noted by Pigeons and Planes.
Napes shines on "Give It Up" with stellar songwriting over a shimmering instrumental from Lawrence. Naples provides soothing verses along with a infectious chorus that could be the launch point for a successful solo career. Calling upon frequent collaborator, Howard Lawrence of Disclosure brings strong chemistry and a cohesive production throughout.
Napes has helped write songs like pop smashes "Stay With Me," "Rather Be" and "Latch." His songwriting ability has made him a quiet star in the music community.
The route that Napes is taking now is not an uncommon one for many artists. Ne-Yo began his career as a songwriter for artists like Maino and Beyoncé, before using his talents and charisma to become a headlining act himself though continues to write tracks for others. Frank Ocean followed a similar path, writing songs for Justin Bieber and John Legend.
It is the music industry's way of "paying your dues" or "earning your stripes" before going for the big time. Some artists fail in the process and aren't meant for the spotlight, while others like Charli XCX, Bruno Mars or Ocean have excelled as a lead artist.
Listen to "Give It Up" below via Napes's soundcloud.
