Calum Scott made waves in 2015 when he put on a breathtaking performance on Britain’s Got Talent. His success wouldn’t be as short-lived as some of his peers on the show, as he went on to release an album and multiple singles, including “You Are The Reason”.
“You Are The Reason”, according to Scott, is a thank you to the relationships that are important to him and that make his life better. Though it wasn’t originally the intention, this theme was developed over the course of the writing process.
Although it wasn’t the most successful single from his debut studio album Only Human, it’s understandable why the themes of “You Are The Reason” cause the lyrics to resonate so easily with listeners.
Without a Reason
Although Scott himself has stated that the song is a sort of love-letter to the important people in his life, it didn’t start out that way at the beginning of the writing process. Writing together with co-writers Corey Sanders and Jon Maguire, it had an altogether different meaning at the outset.
The song was so different in fact, that according to Scott it was even originally going to be destined to have a completely different title, “Without A Reason”. This was due to the fact that the song was being written under a mindset of not knowing the reasons for your anxiety.
Doing a quick examination of the lyrics of “You Are The Reason”, you can see some traces of how the song may have turned out had it been written with the original theme in mind. During the chorus, for example, Scott laments about fixing what he has broken, showing signs of regret and worry.
The developments that the writing process underwent serve the song well, however, providing a relatable story that underpins the narrative of the lyrics. It wasn’t just his fans and listeners that were a fan of the song, either.
Two Reasons
Scott has performed two different duets of his single, one with Leona Lewis, Ilse DeLange, and Barbara Pravi. The lyrics had obviously resonated with other singers, who were more than happy to join him in adding their own unique style to the track.
Although it’s always an honor to collaborate with another established and respected singer, Scott was particularly pleased with the joint effort that he got to share with Leona Lewis, stating his admiration for her in an interview about their duet.
Hearing Scott talk about his respect for Lewis and the beauty of her voice almost brings the meaning of his lyrics to life, even more, showing the value of building relationships, even new ones.
The duet with Leona Lewis was incredibly well received and amassed incredible figures both in Youtube views and in digital downloads. Rightfully so, as the two singers complement each other wonderfully on the track.
From One Talent to Another
Sometimes, the stars align in fascinating ways, such as how Scott’s song saw its next big appearance on the world stage.
As previously mentioned, Scott was a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent. It must have been fate then, that the next time the song exploded in the public was when Americas Got Talent contestant Kodi Lee took to the stage with his own powerful rendition of the song.
Lee’s unique spin on the song not only saw him breeze through to the finals of the talent show but also nudged Scott’s song back into a high spot in the charts, reaching the spot of 14 on the Canadian Digital Song Sales chart.
Even Scott himself praised Lee for his rendition of the song, describing the American singer as “incredible.”
Although Lee has faced his own struggles and hurdles that he has had to overcome, his breathtaking interpretation and ability to invoke emotion in all those watching truly shows the power of engaging lyrics and heartfelt performance.
Commercial Success
Even though the song wasn’t his most commercially successful, that honor belongs to “Dancing on My Own,” the long-lived nature and broad appeal of “You Are The Reason” will definitely make it one of his most memorable.
Perhaps as time goes on, we will see another singer breathe life into the song once more with their own style, just as Kodi Lee did.