Craig David
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Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is a British singer and songwriter who rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the single " Re-Rewind" by
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that occupation. He is the leader of the gang of child criminals ...
. David's debut studio album, ''
Born to Do It ''Born to Do It'' is the debut studio album by English singer Craig David, released in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2000 by Wildstar Records and in the United States later in 2001 by Atlantic Records. Following exposure from his work with Bri ...
'', was released in 2000, after which he has released a further five studio albums and worked with a variety of artists such as
Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...
,
Tinchy Stryder Kwasi Esono Danquah III ( ; born 14 September 1986), known by the stage name Tinchy Stryder, is a Ghanaian British, Ghanaian-British rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor. Stryder has released three solo (music), solo studio al ...
,
Big Narstie Tyrone Mark Lindo (born 16 November 1985), known by his stage name Big Narstie, is a British MC, author, rapper, singer, songwriter, comedian and television presenter. He started his career in 2002 as a member of grime crew "N Double A," though ...
,
Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria *Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State **Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries **Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between ...
and
Jay Sean Kamaljit Singh Jhooti (born 26 March 1981), better known by the stage name Jay Sean, is a British singer and songwriter. He debuted in the UK's Asian Underground scene as a member of the Rishi Rich Project with "Dance with You", which reached ...
. David has 20 UK Top 40 singles, and seven UK Top 40 albums, selling over 15,000,000 records worldwide as a solo artist. David has been nominated for fourteen
Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
: five times for Best British Male, and twice receiving a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nomination for
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a male in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The award wen ...
.


Early life

David was born in
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
,
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
, the son of Tina (née Loftus), a retail assistant at
Superdrug Superdrug Stores plc (trading as Superdrug) is a health and beauty retailer in the United Kingdom, and the second largest behind Boots UK. The company is owned by A.S. Watson (Health & Beauty UK) Ltd which is part of the A.S. Watson Group. It ...
, and George David, a carpenter, and grew up in the
Holyrood estate The Holyrood estate is a housing estate in Southampton, England. It was constructed as a new city district to replace a slum bombed in World War II, and designed by Lyons Israel Ellis, who later designed Wyndham Court. Owen Hatherley describe ...
. David's father is
Afro-Grenadian Afro-Grenadians or Black Grenadians are Grenadian people of largely African descent. This term is not generally recognised by Grenadians or indeed Caribbeans. They usually refer to themselves simply as Black or possibly Black Caribbean. The te ...
and David's mother is
Anglo-Jewish British Jews (often referred to collectively as British Jewry or Anglo-Jewry) are British citizens who identify as Jewish. The number of people who identified as Jews in the United Kingdom rose by just under 4% between 2001 and 2021. History ...
and related to the founders of the
Accurist Accurist Watches Ltd is an English watch manufacturer, headquartered in Leicestershire. The brand was established in 1946 in St John Street, Clerkenwell, London, by Asher and Rebecca Loftus. Accurist became the first company to sponsor the ...
watch-making company; David's maternal grandfather was an
Orthodox Jew Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...
and his maternal grandmother a
convert Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...
to
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
. David's parents separated when he was eight and he was brought up by his mother. He attended Bellemoor School and
Southampton City College City College Southampton is a general further education college located in Southampton, Hampshire, England. The college has around 1000 full-time, 2500 part-time students and 450 apprentices each year. It offers a wide choice of full-time vocat ...
. David was bullied by other students at school. He wrote and released the song "Johnny" in 2005 about his memories of being bullied. David's father played bass in a reggae band called Ebony Rockers. As a teen, David began accompanying his father to local dance clubs, where DJs let him take the microphone.


Career


Early career

David's earliest exposure came when he worked on a B-side to British group
Damage Damage is any change in a thing, often a physical object, that degrades it away from its initial state. It can broadly be defined as "changes introduced into a system that adversely affect its current or future performance".Farrar, C.R., Sohn, H., ...
's cover of "
Wonderful Tonight "Wonderful Tonight" is a ballad written by Eric Clapton. It was included on Clapton's 1977 album ''Slowhand''. Clapton wrote the song about Pattie Boyd. "the hard-rock pioneer and guitar god also become a soft-rock star in the mid-1970s. He cel ...
", on the track "I'm Ready". He then started doing vocals for the English
garage A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include: *Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicle ...
duo
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that occupation. He is the leader of the gang of child criminals ...
, on tracks such as "Something" and "What Ya Gonna Do".
Wildstar Records Telstar Records was a British record label that operated from 1982 to 2004. Background Telstar was founded in 1982 by Sean O'Brien and Neil Palmer with a government loan of £120,00Telstar RecordsIt was launched as a specialist compilation mar ...
first became aware of David when the artist's then manager Paul Widger met the label's co-owner
Colin Lester Colin Lester (born 26 May 1960 in London) is a British artist manager of R&B, pop and rock music acts. Colin Lester has managed the careers for numerous British and international artists. He was awarded 'The Peter Grant Award' for outstandi ...
and played some of his music. Lester later told
HitQuarters HitQuarters was an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It was noted for its in-depth interviews with industry figures, as well as its A&R and manager contact directory, free artist promo pages and song ...
that he was particularly impressed by the first song he heard, " Walking Away", saying "That was an absolute stand out ... It struck me that any seventeen year-old that could write a song like this had huge potential." The Wildstar boss was further won over when, on later visiting the artist's home in Southampton, he found David's tiny bedroom stacked from floor to ceiling with 12" vinyl records, commenting: "That convinced me he was the real deal and not just some kid acting out the part." At that point Lester offered him a development deal with his label. When Lester later heard the song "
7 Days Seven Days or 7 Days may refer to: * Week, an amount of time Film * ''7 Days'' (2010 film) (''Les 7 jours du talion''), Canadian thriller film * ''7 Days'' (2021 film), American romantic comedy film * ''Seven Days'' (1925 film), American silent ...
", he said he immediately heard a number-one record and promoted the contract to an album deal the same day.


1999–2003: ''Born to Do It'' and ''Slicker Than Your Average''

The song "
Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta) "Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta)" is a song by English garage duo Artful Dodger, featuring Craig David on vocals. Released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 1999, the song reached number two, giving both Artful Dodger and David their fir ...
", from the Artful Dodger album ''
It's All About the Stragglers ''It's All About the Stragglers'' is the only studio album by the English garage duo Artful Dodger. It was released on 20 November 2000 by London Records. The album contains eight different vocalists, including Craig David. Production The album ...
'', hit number two on the UK charts in 1999; thus, paving the way for a solo career. David's first single, "
Fill Me In "Fill Me In" is the debut solo single of British singer Craig David. It was released on 3 April 2000 as the lead single from his debut studio album, '' Born to Do It'' (2000). The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart on 9 April 200 ...
", released on
Colin Lester Colin Lester (born 26 May 1960 in London) is a British artist manager of R&B, pop and rock music acts. Colin Lester has managed the careers for numerous British and international artists. He was awarded 'The Peter Grant Award' for outstandi ...
's and Ian McAndrew's
Wildstar Records Telstar Records was a British record label that operated from 1982 to 2004. Background Telstar was founded in 1982 by Sean O'Brien and Neil Palmer with a government loan of £120,00Telstar RecordsIt was launched as a specialist compilation mar ...
, topped the UK chart and was the first of a string of four top 10 singles from his debut album ''
Born to Do It ''Born to Do It'' is the debut studio album by English singer Craig David, released in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2000 by Wildstar Records and in the United States later in 2001 by Atlantic Records. Following exposure from his work with Bri ...
'', which eventually sold more than 8 million copies worldwide, earning multi-platinum status in more than 20 countries. The song "Key to My Heart", taken from the US version of the album, was also featured on the award-winning
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
animated film ''
Osmosis Jones ''Osmosis Jones'' is a 2001 American live-action/animated buddy cop crime action comedy film written by Marc Hyman. Combining live-action sequences directed by the Farrelly brothers and animation directed by Piet Kroon and Tom Sito, the film sta ...
''. The success of David's debut, which was written almost entirely by David and Mark Hill of
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that occupation. He is the leader of the gang of child criminals ...
, led to the United States release of "Fill Me In" in May 2001. It reached number 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. ''
Born to Do It ''Born to Do It'' is the debut studio album by English singer Craig David, released in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2000 by Wildstar Records and in the United States later in 2001 by Atlantic Records. Following exposure from his work with Bri ...
'' was released in the United States on 17 July 2001, peaking at number 11 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and sold over 1 million copies. The single "7 Days" hit the top 10 in the U.S.; although "Walking Away", which had reached number 3 in the UK and number 5 in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, missed the top 40 in the U.S. and was the last of his singles to chart there. In April 2009, MTV viewers voted ''Born to Do It'' as number 2 on their "Greatest Album of All-Time" poll, behind
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
's '' Thriller''. The follow-up album, ''
Slicker Than Your Average ''Slicker Than Your Average'' is the second studio album by UK singer Craig David, released on 19 November 2002 by Atlantic Records. It peaked at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart, number 5 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart, and number 32 on the ...
'', was released in 2002. The album's first four singles continued David's streak of top 10 hits in the UK, bringing a total of nine consecutive top 10 hits until "World Filled with Love" peaked at number 15 in 2003. None of the six singles released from the album charted in the U.S.. Although "What's Your Flava?" and " Rise & Fall" (duet with
Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...
) received airplay on the
urban contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contem ...
and
soft adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet sto ...
formats, they did not make the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart or the
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
chart. However, "What's Your Flava?" made the
Rhythmic Top 40 The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on ...
chart (number 32),
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
chart (number 24) and the
Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks was a chart from ''Billboard'' magazine. It debuted in the issue dated December 5, 1998 to preserve the notion of Hot 100 Airplay when it expanded to include airplay data from radio stations of other formats such as R&B, rock and cou ...
chart (number 37). According to the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
, ''Slicker Than Your Average'' was certified Gold in the U.S.. David also commented that the album title could be looked at in two different ways: "On the one hand, it's coming across like I'm arrogant. On the other hand, it's saying I have a lot more composure on the album."" The album was leaked onto the internet prior to its official release but David was not too bothered as he feels it "spreads the word".


2005–2009: ''The Story Goes...'' and ''Trust Me''

David later signed on with
Warner Music Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
and put together his third album, ''The Story Goes...'', which was released worldwide in August 2005 (excluding the U.S. where it was never released). The first single, "All the Way", returned him to the top 3. The second single, "Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)", tied with "7 Days" as his longest-running single in the charts since "Re-Rewind", spending 15 weeks inside the UK top 75. The album's third single, "Unbelievable", debuted at number 18 in March 2006. In 2007, David collaborated with British rapper
Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria *Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State **Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries **Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between ...
on his album '' London Town'', for the single " This Is the Girl". The track was released on 27 August 2007 and debuted at number 18 on the UK charts. The first single from his album '' Trust Me'', "
Hot Stuff (Let's Dance) "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)" is a song by British singer Craig David. It written by David and Fraser T. Smith for his fourth studio album '' Trust Me'' (2007), with production overseen by Smith. The song samples English singer David Bowie's 1983 n ...
", was released on 5 November 2007. David successfully sought permission from
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
to sample his 1983 number-one single " Let's Dance". The single was a top ten hit, whilst the album charted at number 18 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
. " 6 of 1 Thing", the second single to be taken from '' Trust Me'', charted at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his third-lowest-charting single to date. " Officially Yours" was released on 23 June 2008 and peaked at number 158 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his lowest-charting single to date and was the final single from ''Trust Me''. In July, a new track titled "Are You Up for This" started receiving airplay on various radio stations as part of a promo with Ice Cream Records, which also featured a remix with
Wittyboy Duwaine Whitfield, better known by the stage name Wittyboy, is a British DJ, record producer and remixer from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Early life Whitfield was raised in Leeds where he was influenced by a mix of speed garage, grime, hip ...
called "Nutter Butter". On 17 August 2008, David performed at a birthday tribute concert for songwriter Don Black at the
London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...
. He performed the song "Ben", originally a hit for
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
. David took part in ''
Soccer Aid ''Soccer Aid'' is a British annual (formerly bi-ennial) charity event that has raised over £38 million in aid of UNICEF UK, through ticket sales and donations from the public. The televised event is a friendly-style football match between t ...
'' 2008 at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
on 7 September 2008. He picked up the "Man of The Match" award on the night and played in the same England side as ex-internationals such as
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
,
Teddy Sheringham Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham, MBE (born 2 April 1966) is an English football manager and former player. He played as a forward, mostly as a second striker, in a 24-year professional career. Sheringham began his career at Millwall, where he ...
and
David Seaman David Andrew Seaman (born 19 September 1963) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. In a career lasting from 1981 to 2004, he is best known for his time playing for Arsenal. He won 75 caps for England, and is the country's ...
, and played against the likes of
Romário Romário de Souza Faria Figueiredo (born 29 January 1966), known simply as Romário (), is a Brazilian politician and a former professional footballer. A prolific striker renowned for his clinical finishing, he scored over 750 goals and was ...
,
Paolo Di Canio Paolo Di Canio (born 9 July 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager. During his playing career he made over 500 league appearances and scored over one hundred goals as a forward. He primarily played as a deep-lying forward, ...
,
Jaap Stam Jakob Stam (; born 17 July 1972) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. As a player, he played as a centre-back and is regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation. Stam played for several European clubs including P ...
, and
Luís Figo Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo (; born 4 November 1972) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a winger for Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. He won 127 caps for the Portugal national team, a one-ti ...
. David received two 2008 UK
Urban Music Award The Urban Music Awards (UMA) is a hip-hop, R&B, dance, and soul music awards ceremony which was launched by Jordan Kensington in 2003 and is now held in several countries. The US version of the award ceremony, the Urban Music Awards USA, was ...
nominations for Best Album with '' Trust Me'' and Best R&B Act. On 7 November 2008, David was recognised for his contribution to the music industry by receiving an honorary degree of Doctor of Music, from
Southampton Solent University Solent University (formerly Southampton Solent University) is a public university based in Southampton, United Kingdom. It has approximately 10,500 students (2019/20). Its main campus is located on East Park Terrace near the city centre and th ...
at a graduation ceremony held at Southampton Guildhall. David released his first ''
Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
'' album on 24 November 2008. In support of the release, David released two singles to promote the album. "
Where's Your Love "Where's Your Love" is a song by Craig David from his album, ''Greatest Hits (Craig David album), Greatest Hits''. It features vocals from rapper Tinchy Stryder and singer Rita Ora (although her vocals are not officially credited). It was made a ...
" featuring
Tinchy Stryder Kwasi Esono Danquah III ( ; born 14 September 1986), known by the stage name Tinchy Stryder, is a Ghanaian British, Ghanaian-British rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor. Stryder has released three solo (music), solo studio al ...
and
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut studi ...
, a homage to his
UK garage UK garage, abbreviated as UKG, is a genre of electronic dance music which originated in England in the early to mid-1990s. The genre was most clearly inspired by garage house, but also incorporates elements from dance-pop, R&B, and jungle. It ...
days, was digitally released on 10 November 2008. The second single, "
Insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...
", produced by
Jim Beanz James David Washington (born August 26, 1980), known professionally as Jim BEANZ, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, actor, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He is signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Enterta ...
from
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
productions, a dance track with hard bassline beats, was released the following week on 17 November 2008. Toby Gad and Eimear Crombie provided back-up vocals and instrumental stylings. David also started working with guitarist and recording engineer
Kwame Yeboah Kwame Adzenyina Yeboah (born 2 June 1994) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Yeboah played youth football with the Queensland Academy of Sport and Gold Coast United before making his professional debut fo ...
, both live and in the studio. On 29 December 2008, a new mix of "Insomnia", titled "Up All Night Mix", was made available for digital download. As part of the ''Greatest Hits'' compilation, David re-recorded " Walking Away" with four different artists across Europe,
Monrose Monrose was a German pop girl group, first established in November 2006. Formed on the fifth installment of the German adaption of the international television talent show ''Popstars'', the trio consisted of singers Mandy Capristo, Senna Gamm ...
from Germany,
Nek Filippo Neviani (born 6 January 1972), known by his stage name Nek, is an Italian singer-songwriter and musician. Nek is popular in Italy and throughout the Spanish-speaking world, and has performed and released most of his albums in both Italian ...
from Italy,
Lynnsha Sophie Jordier (born in France on 4 January 1979), better known by her stage name Lynnsha, is a French R&B-zouk singer. She has released four albums, self-titled ''Lynnsha'' (2004), ''Elle & moi'' (2008), Île & moi (2013) & Over & Other (2018) ...
from France and
Álex Ubago Álex Ubago (born Alejandro Martínez de Ubago Rodríguez on January 29, 1981, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain) is a Spanish singer-songwriter. He is especially known for his heartfelt voice and his ballads. He was able to record his deb ...
from Spain. The album debuted at number 48 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
. From February to April 2009, David toured Russia, the Far East and performed one show in Los Angeles as part of a ''Greatest Hits'' tour. He met fans at a meet and greet session at Singapore Changi Airport before his show. In April 2009, ''Born to Do It'' came second in a poll by
MTV UK MTV is a British pay television channel focusing on reality TV and music programming operated by Paramount Networks UK & Australia. The channel launched as part of MTV Networks Europe localisation strategy in 1997. MTV UK (previously MTV UK & I ...
for the Greatest Album Ever, which received over 40,000 votes, beaten by
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
's album '' Thriller''. On 14 May 2009, David participated in the Hillsborough Memorial football match at
Anfield Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
. On 26 July 2009, David participated in the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match at
St James' Park St James' Park is a football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. With a seating capacity of 52,305 seats, it is the eighth largest football stadium in England. St James' Park ...
, playing alongside boyhood hero
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
.


2009–2013: ''Signed Sealed Delivered'' and TS5 launch

On 18 September 2009, fans got the first taste of the new album with an exclusive demo posted on his official website, a thirty-second snippet covering
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
's "
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" is a soul song, by American musician Stevie Wonder, released in June 1970 as a single on Motown's Tamla label. It spent six weeks at number one on the U.S. R&B chart and peaked at number three on the U.S ...
". On 2 October 2009, David revealed to his fans via
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
and his website that he had signed a new record deal with
Universal Motown Universal Motown Records was an American record label that operated as a division of Universal Motown Republic Group. It was the contemporary incarnation of the legendary Motown Records label, and the "urban" half of UMG, although there were some ...
. The UK edition of
Jay Sean Kamaljit Singh Jhooti (born 26 March 1981), better known by the stage name Jay Sean, is a British singer and songwriter. He debuted in the UK's Asian Underground scene as a member of the Rishi Rich Project with "Dance with You", which reached ...
's new album '' All or Nothing'' which was released on 30 November 2009, features David on a track entitled "Stuck in the Middle". David performed a bold new cover of " I Wan'na Be like You" from
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
's 1967 film ''
The Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, ...
'' on the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
programme ''Ultimate Movie Toons'', broadcast 28 March 2010. The first single from David's fifth studio album '' Signed Sealed Delivered'' was " One More Lie (Standing in the Shadows)" and it was released in the UK on 22 March 2010 where it made number 76 with the album following one week later on 29 March 2010, which entered the UK chart at number 13. On 17 March 2010, David released a UK garage compilation album titled ''Rewind Old Skool Classics'' mixed with DJ Spoony featuring some of their favourite UK garage hits from the last ten years. Two weeks later on 31 May 2010, the second single to be taken from '' Signed Sealed Delivered'', titled "All Alone Tonight (Stop, Look, Listen)" was released. The chorus of the single samples
The Stylistics The Stylistics are an American, Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith and James Dunn. All of ...
' hit "
Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart) "Stop, Look, Listen (to Your Heart)" is a Soul music, soul song songwriter, written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed that was originally recorded by the Philadelphia soul musical ensemble, group the Stylistics. The Stylistics original version An R&B ...
" but features completely new verses. In the weeks leading up to the release BBC Radio Two backed the single by naming it their 'Record of the Week' and adding it to their 'A-List'. On 20 May 2010, David appeared as a co-host on '' The Morning Show'' in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
alongside
Kylie Gillies Kylie Gillies (born 4 May 1967) is Australian television presenter for the Seven Network, based in Sydney, Australia. Gillies is the co-host of '' The Morning Show'' with Larry Emdur. Career Gillies was born in Tamworth and attended Tamworth Hi ...
, whilst regular male presenter
Larry Emdur Larry Emdur (born 9 December 1964) is an Australian television personality. Emdur is currently co-host of ''The Morning Show (TV program), The Morning Show'' alongside Kylie Gillies, and host of ''The Chase Australia''. The duo also hosted the ...
was on holiday. On 27 August 2010, Swiss DJ Remady released an album titled ''No Superstar'' on which David features on the track "Do It on My Own". David was nominated for 'Best Video' at the 2010
Urban Music Awards The Urban Music Awards (UMA) is a hip-hop, R&B, dance, and soul music awards ceremony which was launched by Jordan Kensington in 2003 and is now held in several countries. The US version of the award ceremony, the Urban Music Awards USA, was ...
for the song "One More Lie (Standing in the Shadows)". The 2010 ''Sunday Times'' Rich List indicated that Craig David is worth £8 million. David revealed on Twitter that he has worked with record producer
Jim Beanz James David Washington (born August 26, 1980), known professionally as Jim BEANZ, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, actor, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He is signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Enterta ...
on material for his new album. He also tweeted about working with
August Rigo Dan August Rigo (born August 6, 1986) is a Filipino-Canadian recording artist, songwriter, producer and musician. August Rigo is signed to a publishing contract with Sony/ATV as a songwriter. Early life Rigo was born on August 6, 1986, in Toront ...
and more recently
Fraser T Smith Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith (born 8 February 1971), known professionally as Fraser T. Smith, is an English record producer, songwriter and musician. Some of the singles he collaborated on include Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain", James Morrison (sin ...
. Whilst doing a show in Russia, David confirmed he had left Universal Music Group and hopes to release his new album in America as well as the UK. In February 2011, David agreed to do a desert trek for
Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
as part of Red Nose Day 2011. A host of celebrities including
Dermot O'Leary Seán Dermot Fintan O'Leary Jr. (born 24 May 1973) is an English broadcaster who currently works for ITV and BBC Radio 2. His radio career began when he worked as a disc jockey at Essex Radio, but he is best known for being the presenter of ''T ...
,
Olly Murs Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom, ...
and
Lorraine Kelly Lorraine Kelly, (born 30 November 1959) is a Scottish journalist and television presenter. She has presented various television shows for ITV, including '' Good Morning Britain'' (1988–1992), ''GMTV'' (1993–2010), ''This Morning'' (2003 ...
trekked 100 kilometres across a Kenyan desert to raise money for preventable blindness across Africa. In May 2011, David made a guest appearance on NRJ12's French reality TV show ''Les Anges 2'' where he offered advice to contestants trying to make a life in Miami. Released on 1 August 2011, David features on
Erick Morillo Erick Morillo (March 26, 1971 – September 1, 2020) was a Colombian-American disc jockey, music producer, and record label owner. Having produced under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers de la Funk, The Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, D ...
's new mix CD ''Subliminal Invasion'' on a track titled "Fly Away". David performed at the Michael Jackson tribute concert, held in
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
at the
Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national rug ...
on 8 October 2011. Further to their earlier collaboration, David and
Erick Morillo Erick Morillo (March 26, 1971 – September 1, 2020) was a Colombian-American disc jockey, music producer, and record label owner. Having produced under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers de la Funk, The Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, D ...
also canvassed a promotional track to DJs and radio stations titled "Get Drunk Up" and also featured it on YouTube. Morillo revealed David would appear on a project with
Harry Romero Harry Romero, better known as Harry "Choo Choo" Romero, is an Americans, American Disc jockey, DJ and record producer. Biography Harry Romero is linked with the record label, label Subliminal (record label), Subliminal with Erick Morillo and Jose ...
and José Nunez, featuring a remix of the track. In December, he featured on the Blackout Mode dance track "Freak on the Dancefloor" that appeared on the compilation album ''R&B Collection 2012''. In 2012, David featured on a number of tracks whilst recording his own album, including releases with Stereo Palma titled "Our Love" and a collaboration with
Mohombi Mohombi Nzasi Moupondo (born 17 October 1986) is a Congolese-Swedish musician, singer, composer and dancer. He grew up in Norsborg and Kista near Stockholm. Mohombi was RedOne's first signing to 2101 Records in joint venture with Universal Mu ...
and DJ Asaad titled "Addicted". In July 2012, it was revealed David was writing with
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The gr ...
on their 20th-anniversary album, the follow-up to their 2009 album "This Is Us" and the first they released since the return of Kevin Richardson who departed from the band in 2005. In January 2013, David announced on Twitter that he had signed a publishing deal with
Universal Music Publishing Group Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a North American music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. It was formerly known as MCA Music Publishing until it merged with PolyGram. Universal Music Publishing is the worl ...
(UMPG). The deal saw David's publishing company, formally known as Bootyman Music Publishing merge to become JEM Music. Starting in March 2013, David embarked on a world tour starting with three shows across Australia, followed by four in Europe (France, Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands) and finally finishing in May with four shows in England (Birmingham, Manchester, Southampton and London). In September 2013, Capital FM announced that David's DJ show 'TS5' would move to Capital Xtra every Friday evening from 10:00 pm.


2014–2020: ''Following My Intuition'' and ''The Time Is Now''

On 2 July 2014, David previewed a teaser track titled "Cold" on his official SoundCloud page. Premiering it on his TS5 radio show the week before, he wanted to preview some of the new music he has been working on in anticipation of his long-awaited sixth studio album. A further teaser track titled "Seduction" was uploaded to the same
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
page in September 2014. On 5 September 2015, David featured on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's Live Lounge with
Sigala Bruce Fielder, known professionally as Sigala, is a British DJ and music producer. He has had eight songs peak within the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, including his 2015 debut single " Easy Love", which samples "ABC" by the Jackson 5. Ca ...
where they covered
Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 200 ...
and
Charlie Puth Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer and songwriter. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his song videos uploaded to YouTube. Puth initially signed with the record label eleveneleven after pe ...
's "
See You Again "See You Again" is a song by American rapper and singer Wiz Khalifa featuring fellow American singer Charlie Puth. It was commissioned for the soundtrack of the 2015 film ''Furious 7'' as a tribute to actor Paul Walker, who died in a single-ve ...
" mixed with the
Little Mix Little Mix are a British girl group, composed of group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards. Jesy Nelson was originally part of the group before she left in 2020. After becoming the first group to win the British ver ...
track "
Black Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...
". The following week, on 10 September 2015, David appeared on
Kurupt FM Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer who aided gangsta rap's rise via 1990s verses helping set lasting trends. He is one half of the rap duo Tha Dogg P ...
's 'Sixty Minute Takeover' on
BBC Radio 1Xtra BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been cod ...
with
MistaJam Peter Dalton (born 19 January 1983), known professionally as MistaJam, is a British DJ and radio presenter. He is known for presenting radio shows on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra from 2005 to 2020; since 2020 he has presented on Capital and C ...
. He performed "
Fill Me In "Fill Me In" is the debut solo single of British singer Craig David. It was released on 3 April 2000 as the lead single from his debut studio album, '' Born to Do It'' (2000). The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart on 9 April 200 ...
" over the track "
Where Are Ü Now "Where Are Ü Now" is a song produced by American EDM artists Skrillex and Diplo under their collaborative effort Jack Ü, with vocals from Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was released as the second single from the duo's debut studio alb ...
" and it became a viral internet hit. Two snippets of potential new album tracks were also played on the night and this 1Xtra appearance led to David making surprise performances of the "Fill Me In" / "Where Are Ü Now" remix at Fabric with Kurupt FM and Alexandra Palace with
Major Lazer Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after t ...
and
Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with ...
. It was later revealed that the Radio 1Xtra appearance led to a collaboration between David and
Big Narstie Tyrone Mark Lindo (born 16 November 1985), known by his stage name Big Narstie, is a British MC, author, rapper, singer, songwriter, comedian and television presenter. He started his career in 2002 as a member of grime crew "N Double A," though ...
who also featured on the show and the track they recorded titled "
When the Bassline Drops "When the Bassline Drops" is a song by British singer Craig David and British rapper Big Narstie. It was David's first single in six years, it was released on 27 November 2015 by Insanity and Speakerbox Media as the lead single from his sixth studi ...
" was played on
MistaJam Peter Dalton (born 19 January 1983), known professionally as MistaJam, is a British DJ and radio presenter. He is known for presenting radio shows on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra from 2005 to 2020; since 2020 he has presented on Capital and C ...
's
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
and
BBC Radio 1Xtra BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been cod ...
show on 7 November 2015, it was later revealed the track is to be released under SpeakerBox/JEM on 27 November 2015. David made a surprise appearance on ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' on 13 December 2015, where he performed his breakthrough single "Re-Rewind" during a medley with
Reggie 'n' Bollie Reggie 'n' Bollie (formerly Menn on Poinnt) are a Ghanaian music duo consisting of Reggie Zippy and Bollie Babeface. They formed in 2012 and are best known for finishing as runners-up on the twelfth series of ''The X Factor'' UK in 2015. Overview ...
and
Fuse ODG Nana Richard Abiona (born 2 December 1988), better known by his stage name Fuse ODG, is a British singer, songwriter and rapper. He is best known for his singles "Antenna" and " Dangerous Love", and for featuring on Major Lazer's " Light It Up ...
. "When the Bassline Drops" debuted at number 50 in the UK and peaked at number 10 on 5 February 2016, becoming David's highest-charting single since 2007. On 25 January 2016, it was announced that Craig David had signed a
recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...
with Insanity Records (a joint venture between Sony Music UK and Insanity Management) and independent company Speakerbox Media. On 19 March 2016, at the second day of the Ultra Music Festival 2016, during the set of the Dutch DJ and record producer
Hardwell Robbert van de Corput (; born January 7, 1988), known professionally as Hardwell, is a Dutch DJ and music producer from Breda. He was voted the world's number one DJ by ''DJ Mag'' in 2013 and again in 2014. In 2022, he was ranked at number 43 i ...
, he appeared to present their new track "
No Holding Back ''No Holding Back'' is the eleventh studio album by Jamaican reggae fusion singer Wayne Wonder. It was released on March 4, 2003 via VP Records; and it remains Wonder’s only album to date to have charted in the United States. The title of the al ...
", which was released on 19 August 2016. In 2016, David appeared on
Kaytranada Louis Kevin Celestin (born August 25, 1992), known professionally as Kaytranada (stylized as KAYTRANADA, shortened as KAYTRA), is a Haitian-Canadian record producer and DJ. Celestin rose to prominence after releasing a series of mixtapes, remixes, ...
's album ''
99.9% ''99.9%'' is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Kaytranada, released May 6, 2016, through XL Recordings worldwide and Ultra Records in Canada. The 15-track album features guest contributions from by , Vic Mensa, Little ...
'', on the track "Got It Good", which he also co-wrote. This song also appeared on his sixth studio album. On 19 August 2016, Craig announced on social networks that his sixth studio album, ''
Following My Intuition ''Following My Intuition'' is the sixth studio album by English singer Craig David. The album was released on 30 September 2016 by Insanity Records and Sony Music and features the likes of Big Narstie, Blonde, Sigala, Hardwell and Kaytranada. It ...
'', would finally be released on 30 September 2016. It debuted at number one on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, giving David his first number-one album since his debut, ''
Born to Do It ''Born to Do It'' is the debut studio album by English singer Craig David, released in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2000 by Wildstar Records and in the United States later in 2001 by Atlantic Records. Following exposure from his work with Bri ...
'', reached the top spot in 2000. On 15 September 2017, David announced the release of the seventh studio album, '' The Time Is Now'', which was released in January 2018, along with the single "
Heartline "Heartline" is a song by British singer Craig David. It was written by David, Jonas Blue, and Sam Romans and produced by Blue for his seventh studio album, '' The Time Is Now'' (2018). The song was released as the album's lead single on 14 Septem ...
". On 23 November, David released his second single from ''The Time Is Now'', " I Know You" featuring
Bastille The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was sto ...
. David and Dan Smith from Bastille performed the song live a day later on ''
Sounds Like Friday Night ''Sounds Like Friday Night '' is a music entertainment programme that began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 27 October 2017. Presented by broadcaster Greg James and rapper A.Dot (credited as Dotty), the programme features both emerg ...
''. The single peaked at number 5 in 2018, making it David's highest charting single since "Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)" in 2005. ''The Time Is Now'' debuted at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, kept off the top spot by '' The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''. On 31 May 2019, David released a new single " When You Know What Love Is" from his upcoming eighth album. In July, David made a cameo appearance in
Love Island Love Island may refer to: Film * ''Love Island'' (1952 film), an American film directed by Adam Lloyd starring Todd Wathen and Eva Gabor * ''Love Island'' (2014 film), directed by Jasmila Žbanić Music * ''Love Island'' (album), a 1978 album ...
, performing the single as a DJ at a Ministry of Sound pool party. His next UK garage single "Do You Miss Me Much" was released on 23 August 2019. On 31 December 2019 and 1 January 2020, David performed on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
's
New Year Live BBC One's New Year's Eve specials have aired in varying formats; in 2000, and since 2004, they prominently feature live coverage of London's New Year's Eve festivities, including the midnight bongs of Big Ben, and the fireworks show on the Ri ...
concert at
Westminster Central Hall The Methodist Central Hall (also known as Central Hall Westminster) is a multi-purpose venue in the City of Westminster, London, serving primarily as a Methodist church and a conference centre. The building, which is a tourist attraction, also ho ...
with his full band and TS5 DJ set.


2021–present: ''Walk the Line'' and ''22''

After appearing on KSI's BMG-released album '' All Over the Place'', David went independent as a solo artist in order to release his new album. In May 2021, he appeared on "Summertime", a single from ''
People Just Do Nothing ''People Just Do Nothing'' is a British television mockumentary sitcom, created and performed by Allan Mustafa, Steve Stamp, Asim Chaudhry and Hugo Chegwin. The programme follows the lives of MC Grindah, DJ Beats and their friends, who run K ...
'' stars Kurupt FM, which appeared on their album ''The Greatest Hits (Part 1)''. In October, he scored a Top 40 single with MNEK called "Who You Are", which was produced by Digital Farm Animals and released by Moor in association with BMG. David ended the year as one of the judges on new talent show ''
Walk the Line ''Walk the Line'' is a 2005 American biographical musical romantic drama film directed by James Mangold. The screenplay, written by Mangold and Gill Dennis, is based on two autobiographies authored by singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, 1975's '' Man ...
''. Debuting on ITV on 12 December 2021, David joined
Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, havi ...
,
Dawn French Dawn Roma French (born 11 October 1957) is a British actress, comedian, presenter and writer. French is known for writing and starring on the BBC comedy sketch show ''French and Saunders'' with her best friend and comedy partner, Jennifer Saunde ...
and
Alesha Dixon Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, dancer, television personality, and author. She gained recognition in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B, garage and hip hop group Mis-Teeq. The group disbanded in ...
on the judging panel. In August 2022 he performed "
7 Days Seven Days or 7 Days may refer to: * Week, an amount of time Film * ''7 Days'' (2010 film) (''Les 7 jours du talion''), Canadian thriller film * ''7 Days'' (2021 film), American romantic comedy film * ''Seven Days'' (1925 film), American silent ...
", " Live in the Moment" and "
Fill Me In "Fill Me In" is the debut solo single of British singer Craig David. It was released on 3 April 2000 as the lead single from his debut studio album, '' Born to Do It'' (2000). The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart on 9 April 200 ...
" alongside
Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...
at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
. On September 30, 2022, David released his eighth studio album, '' 22'', via his own TS5 label and Moor Records under exclusive license to BMG. The album was preceded by and features singles "Who You Are" (featuring
MNEK Uzoechi Osisioma "Uzo" Emenike (born 9 November 1994), professionally known by his stage name MNEK (, ), is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. He has been nominated for a Grammy and a Brit Awards, Brit Award, and has received the ...
), "My Heart's Been Waiting for You" (featuring Duvall), "G Love" (featuring Nippa) and "DNA" (featuring
Galantis Galantis is a Swedish electronic dance music production, songwriting and DJ duo consisting of Christian Karlsson (DJ), Christian Karlsson and Style of Eye, Linus Eklöw. Karlsson is also known as Bloodshy as part of two other musical groups, a d ...
). "Who You Are (Part 2)", "Who You Are" (Stripped) and "DNA (Part 2)" were also released as additional promotional singles. On 14 November 2022, music festival
Camp Bestival Camp Bestival is a British music festival, the "little sister" of Bestival, both organised by BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank. It is held annually, in July, at Lulworth Castle in Dorset and is targeted at families with small children. In 2019 it had ...
announced their 2023 lineup, which included David, alongside
Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...
,
Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...
,
Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a model, singer and actress. Born in Jamaica, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was a teenager. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for ...
,
The Kooks The Kooks () are an English pop-rock band formed in 2004 in Brighton. The band consists of Luke Pritchard (vocals/rhythm guitar), Hugh Harris (lead guitar/synthesizer/bass) and Alexis Nunez (drums). Their music is primarily influenced by the ...
, the
Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...
, and others.


Publishing deals

On 9 September 2020, David signed a global publishing deal with New York-based Round Hill Music. The agreement includes all of David's music catalogue to date, and also includes a futures agreement that will see all of his new music administered by the company.


Caricature on ''Bo' Selecta!''

David was frequently caricatured by comedian
Leigh Francis Leigh Izaak Francis (born 30 April 1973), known professionally as Keith Lemon, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for creating and starring in Channel 4's sketch comedy show ''Bo' Selecta!'' (200 ...
on the British TV comedy show ''
Bo' Selecta! ''Bo' Selecta!'' is a British television sketch show written and performed by Leigh Francis. It was broadcast on Channel 4 from 2002 until 2009 and lampooned popular culture, becoming known for its often surreal, abstract toilet humour. Seaso ...
''; the show's title itself being a reference to his song "Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta)". Although many other celebrities lampooned in the series appreciated the jokes and even appeared in the series themselves, David – the series's most prominently mocked target – did not enjoy the attention, remarking that the public were no longer taking him seriously. Speaking to ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' in 2007, David said that "The whole ''Bo' Selecta!'' thing was killing me for a while because this idiot had a cult following and I was the main caricature. ... Inside it was absolutely pissing me off and hurtful beyond belief. There were times when I thought I just want to knock this guy out".Iley, Chrissy (4 November 2007).
Craig David: no laughing matter
. ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
''.
Times Newspapers News Corp UK & Ireland Limited (trading as News UK, formerly News International and NI Group) is a British newspaper publisher, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the American mass media conglomerate News Corp. It is the current publisher of ...
. Archived fro
the original
on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
Although he made an appearance himself on the programme (as the pseudo-fictional tribute act "Craig Davis"), he regretted it. However, he has also denied that his career had been ruined as a result of the show, and has said that he was satisfied with his musical output over the years. In a 2015 interview with the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'', David stated that he had no hard feelings towards Francis, explaining how he had seen him at a wedding and given him a hug, assuring him they were "cool". He further explained in the interview that it was his PR team who suggested that he "play hurt" by the caricature. He reiterated this stance on ''
The Jonathan Ross Show ''The Jonathan Ross Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on ITV on 3 September 2011 and airs on Saturday evenings following the conclusion of Ross' BBC One chat show, ''Friday Night with Jonatha ...
'' in 2016 and explained that, contrary to popular belief, he had not fled the UK to escape negative attention brought about from the show. In June 2020, Francis apologised for his portrayal of David (among other black and
mixed race Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-ethn ...
celebrities such as
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
,
Mel B Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Melanie B or Mel B, is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sc ...
, and
Trisha Goddard Patricia Gloria Goddard (born 23 December 1957) is an English television presenter and actress. She is best known for her television talk show ''Trisha Goddard (TV series), Trisha'' (1998–2010), which was broadcast on a mid-morning slot on I ...
) in the show as a response to the
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...
movement and
George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internati ...
, stating that "I want to say sorry for any upset I caused whether I was Michael Jackson, Craig David or Trisha Goddard... all people who I am a big fan of." ''Bo' Selecta!'' was removed from the
video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
service
All 4 All 4 is a video on demand service from the Channel Four Television Corporation, free of charge for most content and funded by advertising. The service is available in the UK and Ireland; viewers are not required to have a TV licence—required ...
later that same month for similar reasons. David raised the topic again in October 2022. "Every sketch felt personal", he told ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
''. "It felt like a vendetta and when it got a following, it became something that affected me. People would shout at me on the street and I felt the same feeling I had when I was bullied at school. Leigh Francis had normalised bullying by making it comedy. When he put blackface on, that was being racist. We can all apologise when on the back foot. Has he reached out to any of the people he did on his show? He hasn't reached out to me. Has he gone to communities to talk about bullying? Racism? And to be educated? You can only ask him."


Discography

* ''
Born to Do It ''Born to Do It'' is the debut studio album by English singer Craig David, released in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2000 by Wildstar Records and in the United States later in 2001 by Atlantic Records. Following exposure from his work with Bri ...
'' (2000) * ''
Slicker Than Your Average ''Slicker Than Your Average'' is the second studio album by UK singer Craig David, released on 19 November 2002 by Atlantic Records. It peaked at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart, number 5 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart, and number 32 on the ...
'' (2002) * '' The Story Goes...'' (2005) * '' Trust Me'' (2007) * '' Signed Sealed Delivered'' (2010) * ''
Following My Intuition ''Following My Intuition'' is the sixth studio album by English singer Craig David. The album was released on 30 September 2016 by Insanity Records and Sony Music and features the likes of Big Narstie, Blonde, Sigala, Hardwell and Kaytranada. It ...
'' (2016) * '' The Time Is Now'' (2018) * '' 22'' (2022)


Concert tours

Headlining * The Time Is Now Tour (2018)


Filmography


Personal life and activism

David is
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. He is also an avid supporter of
Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club () is an English professional football club based in Southampton, Hampshire, which competes in the . Their home ground since 2001 has been St Mary's Stadium, before which they were based at The Dell. The club play in ...
, his hometown football team. On 24 March 2010 (
World Tuberculosis Day World Tuberculosis Day, observed on 24 March each year, is designed to build public awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) and efforts to eliminate the disease. In 2018, 10 million people fell ill with TB, and 1.5 million died ...
), the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
appointed Craig David as a Goodwill Ambassador against
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
. His first activity in this role was to travel to
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
to learn more about tuberculosis, where he met people suffering from the disease and those who have recovered, and scientists who have dedicated their lives to fighting tuberculosis. David stated that his mission is to help overcome the social stigma of TB in order to combat the disease. In January 2021 it was announced that Craig David would appear in an
E-Sports Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although orga ...
series in a campaign with
Mclaren McLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor, the second oldest active team, and the second most successful Formul ...
and
British American Tobacco British American Tobacco plc (BAT) is a British multinational company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, tobacco and other nicotine products. The company, established in 1902, is headquartered in London, England. As of 2019, it is the large ...
(BAT) in order to enable them to reach their customers "in new, exciting and engaging ways" to push the nicotine pouch brand VELO. He appears in the series alongside other UK stars including presenter Rory Reid and
Fred Sirieix Fred Sirieix (; born 27 January 1972) is a French maître d'hôtel best known for appearing on Channel 4's ''First Dates'', and BBC Two's '' Million Pound Menu''. Sirieix grew up in Limoges, France and trained to work in front of house in a Mic ...
. Craig has also been criticised by
Action on Smoking and Health Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is the name of a number of autonomous pressure groups (charities) in the anglosphere that seek to publicize the risks associated with tobacco smoking and campaign for greater restrictions on use and on cigar ...
in 2013 for appearing in another
Big Tobacco Big Tobacco is a name used to refer to the largest companies in the tobacco industry. According to the World Medical Journal, the five largest tobacco companies are: Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Japan To ...
funded appearance in Penang, Malaysia where
Japan Tobacco International JTI - Japan Tobacco International is the international tobacco division of Japan Tobacco, a leading international tobacco product manufacturer. The holding company is JT International SA and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and sells its b ...
sponsored a concert.


Honours and awards

On 30 December 2020, it was announced that in the Queen’s New Year Honours List David had been appointed as MBE in recognition of his services to music. His manager
Colin Lester Colin Lester (born 26 May 1960 in London) is a British artist manager of R&B, pop and rock music acts. Colin Lester has managed the careers for numerous British and international artists. He was awarded 'The Peter Grant Award' for outstandi ...
was also appointed OBE in recognition of his services to the music industry and to charity. David received his award at Windsor Castle on 15 December 2021.


References


External links

* – official site * *
I Love Music Festival at Tenerife (23 April 2011)
{{DEFAULTSORT:David, Craig 1981 births Living people Atlantic Records artists 21st-century Black British male singers Black British male rappers Black Jewish people English Jews English male singer-songwriters English people of Grenadian descent English record producers British contemporary R&B singers Ivor Novello Award winners Jewish rappers Members of the Order of the British Empire MTV Europe Music Award winners Musicians from Hampshire Musicians from Southampton Third British Invasion artists UK garage musicians