British singer-songwriter Olly Murs released his eighth studio album “Knees Up” on November 21, 2025.
This marks his first album in three years since the 2022 album “Marry Me”. Also it is the first release under his new label BMG.
The album comprises 12 tracks, produced by Dave Benkel, Mark Taylor, Matt James, Matty Benbrook and Sky Adams.
Written by Alice Backstrom, Dave Benkel, Ed Drewett, Iain James, James New, Mark Taylor, Matt James, Matty Benbrook, Olly Murs, Samuel Preston nd Sky Adams.
Before the release of the album, he shared he will retire from music on the social media, “The end, the last one, 15 years of hard graft comes down to this. I hope you guys enjoy the last ever Murs album. I've loved every minute of it. Time for me to hang the mic up at last.”
But after the release of the album, he said in an interview with Hits Radio that the announcement of his retirement was a joke.
Olly Murs said of the album, “OM 8. This is the eighth album. This is basically what, the album I wanted to do in 2010 when I first started. This is the album that I couldn't have done in 2010 that's why I'm doing it now, because it feels like I've evolved, I've changed, I've moved on. I am a dad now, but deep down, I still think I'm a lad. This album is like my laddy album from 2010 that I always wanted to do. I'm just really excited I'm finally doing it. It's ska meets kind of like a little bit of The Streets into me, I suppose. It's got, like, a bit of a geezer feel to it, but I'm just trying to be cheeky and fun, really, and just have to have a laugh like this album's basically me having a good time.”
He continued, “So Knees Up, the title is having knees up. So when I grew up, being from Essex, but my family being Cockneys and being from London. Having a knees up means that you're out having a drink and having a good time. With with your friends or family and or with complete strangers. Let's have an knees up. It's just kind of very old, traditional saying that probably doesn't get used as much anymore, but it's like me and the lads will say, let's go out and have an knees up tonight and that means just going out and having the best time. I think for the moment, you guys, the fans, press play on this album. I think you're gonna you're gonna feel that sense of good time and that energy, and it's got Sass about it, it's cheeky, it's fun, and it just makes you want to go and have a good time somewhere.”
He added, “I think for fans, I never know. I mean, it's so, that's what's so great about music, right? We do an album, you've got 12 songs, they all, they each have a place in my heart. But with fans, the songs that I think they're going to absolutely love might not be the songs they actually do. So my top three songs on this album 'Chin Up', 'Honest'. They're the first two songs that I like to listen to. And 'Love = Madness', because it's about my wife.”
Olly Murs explained track-by-track for the album via Apple Music.
“Knees Up” “I always felt like this would be the start of the show. Imagine if I was at a festival and I was walking past a stage and I heard it, I'd be like, 'What's that?' When people come to my shows, I always say, 'Look guys, whatever you're going through, leave it at the door. Let's come and have a good time tonight, deal with that in the morning.' Just forget your troubles and have some fun—that's what 'Knees Up' is, in a nutshell.”
“Save Me” “'Save Me' was the spearhead—that was the first song we'd written that I got really excited about, and it started the ball rolling. At the time, I was writing loads of different types of songs trying to find out where this album was going to go. That ska sound triggered everything that followed, and I thought, 'That song is going to be on my setlist for life. I want to sing it on tour.' I've had that little glimpse in the mirror and gone, 'Oh, my god, you look an absolute mess,' and that's what it's about. Now it's out in the world, and I've performed it live to thousands of people and the reaction was amazing.”
“Guilty” “This came after 'Save Me,' and it's me admitting I've been a bit of a geezer and a lad about town, but all I'm guilty of now is loving you. It's me saying to my wife, Amelia, I'm sorry if I've ever upset you, but I love you so much, I'll do anything for you. 'Guilty' was one of those songs where we all looked at each other after we finished and went, 'That's a pretty good song.' Like 'Save Me,' I think it's one of those songs I could have put on any of my albums.”
“Bonkers” “We had the chorus, but then someone suggested what would be more bonkers than if I was rapping? So we came up with the Essex-y, Mike Skinner-like, Olly Murs version of rap. I thought, 'Yeah, that's bonkers. Let's do it.' This song is me telling my fans that I am a little bit limited edition and reassuring them that ultimately, if you feel like that, don't question yourself. When you look out the window, it's a mad world and we're all a little bit crackers. It's a song about not really taking myself too seriously. I wanted to be daring, show people my versatility and that I was doing something unexpected. The writers I worked with saw my vision, and they really allowed me to open up.”
“Honest” “Hands down, this is my favorite song on the album. I can't wait to sing it a million times. It's a follow-on from 'Save Me,' with the long walk home after having a night out you dream of, knowing your wife is annoyed with you and you're going to have to deal with that. People know me as that cheeky chappy, and there's this daring side of me that comes out once in a while, but I think my fans have fallen in love with the fact that I'm in love. The album is about evolving as a writer: How can I write about me and my wife? Can I write a song about knowing I've pissed her off, but I have no idea what I've done wrong? I think people can relate to it.”
“Love = Madness” “The lyric in this song I absolutely adore is: 'Think of all the lonely hearts/We don't know how lucky we are.' I was that lonely person who wanted to find the love of my life and I did. Me and Amelia found each other, and now we've got two beautiful kids. What else can I dream of? But to put that in a song is quite hard. I played it to Amelia, and I know she loves it, but there's always a reality check with us. 'Great song, now go change a nappy.'”
“Run This Town” “This was written with [The Ordinary Boys singer] Samuel Preston. What a man. We spent a lot of the first three albums together and I love The Ordinary Boys, so it was nice to rekindle that. I always wanted to be in an indie band, so writing with Preston was the coolest thing ever. Back in 2010, he said to me, 'I've got this song called “Run This Town,” do you want it?' I had the demo in my phone for 15 years, and I thought it would fit the vibe of the album, so I spoke to Sam again and it hadn't been taken by anyone. I re-vocaled it, and we sprinkled a bit of stardust on it, and now it's out there in the universe.”
“Yesterday's News” “There's a double meaning to this song. I love the sentiment that I'm yesterday's news, but I wanted to come out of the shadows again, especially in the music world. I also wanted to have a bit of fun with the media and to be a bit cheeky. Sometimes, the papers write things about you that aren't true, so it's me saying don't believe everything you read. When I'd just come off tour and I was really ripped and the newspapers wrote about how my fans didn't like me any more because I didn't have a dad body…Anyway, these stories will be yesterday's news tomorrow because I'm not as famous as I used to be. When you first start out as an artist, everyone's excited about what you're doing, but then you become part of the furniture.”
“Cut to the Chase” “This song is about married life and being who I am. We really are like ships in the night and we miss each other. Amelia's got her own life and I'm doing what I'm doing, so this is me saying, 'I miss being with you and we need to have our moment without everyone else.' I think most people can relate to that feeling of when you are in a relationship and you've got commitments with the kids and work, so it's important to make time for you. It's great when we get a whole day together, then we'll be flat-out busy with work.”
“Still Getting Used (To the Ring)” “We wrote this song last and it's about how I'm not the perfect husband. I'm rubbish at DIY and I always leave the toilet seat up, but give me some slack. I was nervous playing it to Amelia because the last thing I want to do is to piss off the wife. And actually she went, 'Oh, please tell me that's going on the album.' A lot of the songs are quite self-deprecating because I'm being honest with myself. When we got together, I said to Amelia, 'Look babe, I'm a terrible cook, the kitchen is always a mess, but I'll make you laugh every day.' I think I'm quite a fun person to be around, and she accepts my flaws and that's why we have a great relationship.”
“Lovin' Really Hurts” “I was reflecting on how I'd feel if Amelia ever left me. You can never become complacent because that's a dangerous place to be. I've always got to be on my toes. There's a lyric in there: 'The silence speaks so loud,' and when I come home to an empty house and Amelia's out with the kids, it's horrible. People can relate to heartbreak, and when I think about it now, it actually hurts me thinking, 'I really don't want Amelia to ever leave me.' It was a weird song for me to put on the album because I haven't lost Amelia and I love her so much, but I love it.”
“Chin Up” “I'm really proud of this song. It's encouraging men to speak out if they're having a difficult time, whether that's with a phone call or a chat, and it was important to get the sentiment right. A lot of friends, or people around me I knew, have struggled, and I've been there in the past. I've spent many hours on the phone to my friends over the last couple of years, hearing their problems, being an ear for them and hopefully giving them some good advice. I want people who are struggling to know there's always someone out there who wants to help. When I finished that song, I got on the tube and I listened to it on the way home and I cried. I'm proud of this song, and I put it at the end of the album because I really wanted it to have that moment.”
