For jazz vocalist and Christmas crooner Michael Bublé, the past 20 years have been a constant pattern of writing, promoting and touring new albums. Now, he’s ready for a change.
“I have done the same thing, it’s been cyclical,” he told “Diary of a CEO” podcast host Steven Bartlett. “I feel like I’m at this point in my life, in my career where I wanna do something different.”
The singer — known for his suave stage presence, smooth vocals and pristine suits — said he’s ready to shed his “cool and Teflon” stage personality and introduce another side of himself: “Mike.”
“Really it’s about being that other guy, not the suit guy,” he said. “Whether that’s in movies or television or whatever it is, it has to happen now.”
The Burnaby, British Columbia-born singer rose to popularity with his 2005 album, “It’s Time.” Two years later, the singer’s “Call Me Irresponsible” earned him his first Grammy award for traditional pop vocal album. Since then, Bublé has collaborated with a variety of musicians, won several other Grammy and Juno awards and toured his music across the globe.
While his hits include “Haven’t Met You Yet” and “Everything,” Bublé also gained popularity for his seasonal serenades. Known as the “King of Christmas,” Bublé told Bartlett he has been putting his own spin on holiday classics since way before he became a professional singer.
Despite his plans to pivot, Bublé reassured Bartlett he’s not leaving music behind entirely. He explained: “I like to breathe and music is my breath.”
He just wants the “excitement of doing something different. … I need to express myself in a different way.”
During the 90-minute podcast, the 48-year-old singer reflected on the family support he received early in his career, his close relationship with his late grandfather and TikTok’s role in the music industry. He also reflected on how his 10-year-old son Noah’s rare liver cancer diagnosis was a wake-up call. Bublé shares four children with actor and model Luisana Lopilato.
In a Facebook statement shared in 2016, the five-time Grammy winner confirmed his son’s illness. The singer said he and his wife put their “careers on hold” as Noah began his cancer treatment. Bublé told Bartlett that the diagnosis “rocked my world.”
“That was a sledgehammer to my reality. I will never be carefree again in my life,” he said.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
