Truth behind Olly Murs’s ‘appalling’ new album: Fans say they’re ‘staggered’ and he should ‘be stopped’, label are ‘mortified’, his petulant response and why Simon Cowell’s had the last laugh

by

A TikTok user, wearing Christmas Grinch pajamas and slippers, playfully sneaks around his home to the sound of Olly Murs’ new song, “Knees Up.” The video, which features Murs rapping the song’s intro, has already gotten over 650,000 views.

This TikTok video isn’t helping Olly Murs’ new song—it’s actually making fun of it. The video’s creator, with over 180,000 followers, described the song – which is part of Murs’ first album in three years – as sounding like something a villain would play, rather than a typical pop tune.

A few fans have questioned whether Olly should have come back to making music, especially since he took time off to focus on his family.

People online are making fun of the pop star’s strange new music, which includes lengthy rap sections and takes inspiration from ska, a lively style of Jamaican music. Reportedly, some executives at her record label, EMI, are embarrassed by the song, called ‘Knees Up’.

This new, energetic song is a departure from what Olly Murs’s fans – many of whom are middle-aged women – are accustomed to. However, the 41-year-old singer says it’s a return to the fun, carefree style he was known for earlier in his career.

“Knees Up” isn’t the only song facing criticism. Another track on the album, “Bonkers,” which details his partying and is sung with a deliberately over-the-top Essex accent, includes the lyrics: ‘They say when I was little, I was loco/Don’t think I was ever dropped on my head though/Maybe that one time I fell off the bed though’. This song has also received a lot of negative attention and mockery online.

Olly Murs’ song ‘Yesterday’s News’ includes the lines: ‘Some said I’d be spotted nude/ In Tesco’s by the mangoes in an old pair of shoes.’ The lyrics sparked a lot of reaction online, with one TikTok user asking Olly to ‘stop’ with what they described as a strange accent. Other listeners were highly critical, calling the album ‘the most embarrassing ever’ and expressing disbelief that it had been released, describing it as ‘appalling’.

One former fan admitted she was trying to convince herself to enjoy the song, saying she used to be a big fan of Olly.

Murs’s album, ‘Knees Up,’ was released through EMI Records, a label that also works with popular artists like Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lewis Capaldi, and Justin Bieber. Lucy Dann is the head of the label.

According to a source, EMI is thrilled to be working with Olly, but it’s unclear how Lucy and her colleagues feel about the situation. It seems they’ve given him a lot of creative freedom.

Olly seems to be handling the negative attention he’s received online with humor. He recently posted a video responding to a critical comment about his song. In the video, he jokingly pretended to be upset, using a pacifier to mimic crying before dramatically removing it and glaring at the camera.

This isn’t the behavior that won him over fans on The X Factor back in 2009, when he finished as runner-up to Joe McElderry.

Oh my gosh, I still remember when Olly Murs first came onto the scene after X Factor! Simon Cowell really knew what he was doing with him. ‘Please Don’t Let Me Go’ was HUGE – straight to number one in 2010, can you believe it? And it hasn’t stopped since! He’s sold over 30 MILLION records worldwide! It’s insane! He’s been nominated for so many awards too, including six BRIT Awards – he totally deserves all the recognition!

What’s really surprising about his new project is that it all started with Olly himself – he’s even credited as a writer on the album. It’s heavily inspired by the pop sounds of bands like Madness and The Specials, which Olly loved as a kid growing up in Witham, Essex.

This album is a lifelong dream come true for Olly, a father of two who is married to fitness enthusiast Amelia Tank, 33.

Olly recently shared that this album felt like the one he originally envisioned starting his career with, but it wasn’t the one he ultimately released first.

I used to create music with my fans in mind, trying to give them what I thought they expected. But this time, I decided to make an album that I truly wanted to make, for myself.

‘I’m out here doing my thing, and if people like it, great. If you don’t, it is what it is.’

After Olly won on The X Factor, sources say Simon Cowell encouraged him to create more commercially popular music when he signed to Cowell’s record label, Syco.

According to a music industry insider, Simon had a strong understanding of audience preferences and used that knowledge to guide the music his artists put out.

He really put a lot of work into selecting the perfect songs and ensuring everything was just right. It’s hard not to feel like he actually helped Olly’s career. It makes you wonder where Olly would be now if he’d released this music earlier.

In 2015, Olly began co-hosting The X Factor alongside the late Caroline Flack, replacing Dermot O’Leary.

Two years later, when Olly announced he’d be a judge on the competing show, The Voice UK, insiders said Simon was extremely angry.

According to one insider, Simon Cowell was upset that Olly Murs had changed sides, particularly because Olly had previously left The X Factor to focus on his music career.

In a 2017 TV interview, Olly said Simon hadn’t contacted him, stating, ‘Simon has my number and knows how to reach me if he wants to talk.’

Olly left Syco in 2022.

After the album Knees Up came out, someone in the music industry jokingly asked, ‘I wonder what Simon thinks of it?’

Okay, so everyone was absolutely roasting Olly online, it was awful! But honestly? All that drama actually worked! His album went viral, even if it was for the wrong reasons, and it got him all the way to number three on the charts! I was SO proud! Sadly, it’s dropped out of the top 100 now, which is heartbreaking, but still… number three! I’m still streaming it constantly, hoping it’ll climb back up!

Read More

2025-11-27 20:23