ET spoke with the boy band about their latest song, 'Rule the World,' and their upcoming reunion tour.
The Wanted is back! ET's Denny Directo spoke with the boy band about their upcoming reunion tour and releasing their first single in seven years.
"I think it's, all kind of, it's all down to Tom really, this kind of reuniting of The Wanted, and it's originally for a really brilliant cause," Nathan Sykes explained of the band coming together after a seven-year hiatus. "Tom, I'm not going to take any of the credit for that, put on a really brilliant fundraiser to raise money for cancer awareness, and it's an incredible thing, an incredible gig, with an amazing lineup. Raised loads of money. Anyway, great night overall. And that was kind of the original conversation, and then, off the back of that, we all really enjoyed each other's company and that just started talking about greatest hits, and new music and touring, which we're going to start doing next year."
The 12-date arena tour is set to kick off in the UK in March 2022, nearly 12 years after the band's debut. While it took the group a few Zoom meetings and some collaborating, when the boys finally reunited at Royal Albert Hall for the cancer benefit, it was as if the group had never left.
"It was such a special moment," Tom Parker gushed.
"Someone said it was special, or we have a way with each other onstage, and before it and afterwards, it's almost like a ritual, it's just the way that we are together, so in terms of that, it felt like we'd never been away," Max George continued. "I think for all of us, it was nerves and excitement, apprehension, I mean, God knows how Tom felt, 'cause this was his show, he probably saw that this was the pinnacle moment of that night. It just felt so right to be in the Albert Hall, and hear an audience sing and scream songs like that, and cheer for songs, so it was an amazing night, it really was like the best moment, most emotional night we've ever done in terms of performance."
A moment Parker said he'll never forget.
"That moment onstage together, I will never forget it for the rest of my life," Parker shared. "So good, so meaningful."
"It was great. We all had a little sort of group huddle onstage, and a little private conversation...in front of five, four-thousand screaming people, and literally for that for 20 seconds, 30 seconds, it felt like we were the only people in the room. It was really really cool," George added.
In addition to their new single, "Rule the World," the group is releasing a greatest hit album, out next month. While it's not a dance record, George says the track definitely has a dance feel to it.
"The new song, the new single, it's got more dance than we've done before, but it isn't a dance record that everyone's putting out at the moment," George said of the track.
While it's a little different from what fans have heard in the past from The Wanted, "Rule yhe World" is still very much a part of the group's DNA.
"I think when we do a record together anyway, we can do a really slow ballad or just a really up-tempo dance track, and we bring the same feeling because our voices bring that kind of emotion and stuff to it. So I think as soon as we've come back as a five, it's us no matter what it is," George continued.
As far as putting out a whole new album, the group is playing it by ear for now.
"I think at this point, we'll play everything by ear, and we'll focus on this greatest hits album and then leading into the tour, and I think beyond that, we're just gonna see the fan reaction and how we feel about it," Jay McGuiness shared.
As far as The Wanted's message for the fans, both new and old, they've just got one thing to say: "Thank you."
Most Wanted: The Greatest Hits is out Nov. 12.
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