In a candid conversation, Sigala delves into the inspiration and creative process behind his electrifying new track, “It’s A Feeling,” featuring Trevor Daniel and 24kGoldn. This release marks a pivotal moment in his career, signaling a bold departure from his signature sun-soaked EDM anthems. After a year marked by setbacks, including the shelving of a highly anticipated album, Sigala returned to the studio with a renewed sense of purpose. Determined to push his musical boundaries, he crafted a track that seamlessly blends genres, transitioning from rap to indie rock to a pulsating bass-driven drop. “It’s A Feeling” is not just a song; it’s a statement—a reflection of Sigala’s desire to evolve and surprise his audience with something fresh and unexpected. By collaborating with Trevor Daniel and 24kGoldn, Sigala infuses the track with raw, authentic energy, capturing the essence of his new musical direction. As he steps into this exciting new chapter, Sigala remains committed to delivering the high-octane, feel-good vibes his fans adore, while also exploring uncharted sonic territory. This track is more than just a return—it’s a powerful reminder that Sigala is constantly evolving, always ready to take risks and redefine his sound.

Cox: Sigala, your new track “It’s A Feeling” featuring Trevor Daniel and 24kGoldn was released earlier this summer. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind this track and how it represents a new chapter in your musical journey?

Sigala: I had a strange year last year with an album that we’d planned to put out that never came out. It was obviously really frustrating not being able to put music out, but it didn’t stop me making music. I was still in the studio every day, and then it felt like I’d been away for quite a long time, so there was more pressure on me coming back with something really exciting that wasn’t just a middle of the road pop song. So, I really wanted to come back with something a bit different that people may not expect me to do. I had a bunch of tracks and ideas, but ‘It’s A Feeling’ was the one that excited me the most.

Cox: Can you describe the creative process behind the production of “It’s A Feeling”? How did working with Trevor Daniel and 24kGoldn influence the final outcome of the track?

Sigala: Initially I wanted the production to be quite dramatic. It changes between different genres as it goes on; so when it starts off, you might think of it as a rap song, and then the guitars come in with an indie rock influence, and then when the drop comes in it goes into a donk, donk bass thing and they’re all quite like harsh transitions. I really wanted to accentuate that and make sure that it wasn’t too overproduced. I wanted it to sound like a SoundCloud bedroom producer vibe and just make it simple and straightforward and not try and over complicate it.

When the guys jumped on, the production was pretty much there. There wasn’t too much to change, but they both really brought their personalities together on the track. Trevor gave this almost emo-like energy which I loved, while 24k was very much his cool self.

Cox: I noticed a shift in your sound with “It’s A Feeling” – moving from your signature sunshine-laden EDM to a more hard-hitting, gritty style. What prompted this change, and what were you aiming to achieve with this new sonic direction?

Sigala: I’ve always tried to change things up with every single I’ve put out. I always like to look for new influences, but in a way that still fits the ‘Sigala’ style. Otherwise, I’d just get bored of making the same songs every day. For every one song that people hear, there’s another hundred demos and ideas that they don’t hear, so I’m always looking for ways I can take inspiration from different styles and genres.

If I hadn’t worked with Nile Rodgers, I never would have done a disco influenced house record with him and John Newman. When I worked with Fuse ODG, I tapped into afrobeat sonics. Even ‘Wish You Well’ is one of my favourites because of its 00s rave / trance vibe. So hopefully this new one still sounds like me, even though it does sound a bit different.

Cox: With “It’s A Feeling,” you’ve infused your infectious energy into a new sound. How do you maintain your signature energy while evolving your style, and what challenges did you face in this transition if any?

Sigala: It is always slightly nerve-wracking coming out with something that’s a bit different. I’ve always had pianos in my studio, because I come from playing the piano. I’ve played the keys since I was a young lad and that’s something that’s a theme throughout most of my music, in that most of it has pianos in it. So I’ve got some pianos there in the pre-chorus to tick that box. But the rest of it, like I haven’t really used guitars, I’ve used some funky guitars before but nothing like this.

A lot of my songs start on the piano. It’s such a cool instrument; the reason it’s the most popular instrument in the world is that it has notes from bass all the way up to notes that you can’t even sing. It covers such a wide frequency range. I wish I’d had piano lessons, but I remember when I was eight my parents got me this little electronic keyboard. I have two brothers – one of them played guitar, the other played drums – and we would all jam together whilst my parents barricaded themselves in the other side of the house!

Cox: You’ve mentioned spending a lot of time experimenting with different sounds and influences in the studio. Can you share some of the new influences or techniques that have shaped your recent work?

Sigala: I think that broadening the types of music that I listen to does end up affecting what I make. I’m listening to a lot of different music now and also trying to dig around in more of the underground stuff that’s going on. It’s more exciting to me listening to that stuff than listening to the pop music that’s on every time you turn on the radio. 

I’ve been making lots of DnB tracks – I don’t know if I’ll ever put one out, but it’s so much making them because it’s so different. I’ve been working with Subfocus and Dimension in their studios as well, then there’s also speed garage which is taking off just now, as well as afro house… It’s such a cool time to be making music and I don’t think listeners really care as much about what kind of genre they’re listening to anymore.

Cox: Your career has been marked by significant achievements, including eight UK Top 10 singles and several platinum hits. How do you balance the pressure of maintaining your established success while pushing into new, uncharted musical territory?

Sigala: I try not to think about it too much to be honest because I struggled for years before I had any success. I used to overthink everything, and it wasn’t until I stopped doing that and started to make music purely for my enjoyment that success then followed – I always try to remember that.

Cox: Looking ahead to 2024, what can fans expect from you in terms of new music and projects? Are there any particular themes or collaborations you’re excited about?

Sigala: For sure. I’ve maybe got some DnB collabs coming, as well as a few other exciting collabs in different genres. I hope it’s exciting from a fan point of view that there’s going to be lots of different things coming from me – and of course, it’s exciting for me as well. And then obviously there’s the touring side, I’m always out touring so there’s loads more to come this year. I’m off to America again soon, I’ve got loads of UK stuff coming up. And yeah, it’s always nice to have new music to play live as well.

Cox: You’ve achieved remarkable milestones in your career so far, including over one billion video views and billions of streams. How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired to continue creating and innovating in such a competitive industry?

Sigala: Just because I love it, really. If no one was listening to my music I would still be making it. No one listens to 99% of things that I do, and I do it knowing that things are never going to get released or whatever because I’m just passionate about music. I don’t put out songs with the intention of it being successful, I do it because I’m proud of them.

Cox: As you enter this bold new era, are there any specific goals or aspirations you have for this next phase of your career?

Sigala: I really want to focus on delivering more for my fan base. Since the start, I’ve never really been super present on social media. But now, we’ve been doing new things like setting up a WhatsApp community, which has been really great. All the die hard fans are in there and there’s lots of different areas in it for conversations and people meeting each other. We’re actually running a remix competition in it just now where the fans have the stems to one of my upcoming tracks, they then send their own remixes in and then we’ll officially release one of them, which I’m really excited about. So yeah, I want to be doing more things directly with fans and give more back to the people that support me. 

Cox: Finally, how do you hope your fans will react to this new direction in your music, and what message or feeling do you want them to take away from “It’s A Feeling”?

Sigala: Obviously, I hope they enjoy it! It’s a bit different so I understand if people don’t get it at first, but hopefully they will on the second or third listen. It’s such a high energy tune; it’s just supposed to pump people up. It’s great for your spin class, or your gym playlist or whatever it might be, and I hope it fills people with the energy they need to do anything whatever they want.