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Elliot John Gleave, better known by his stage name Example, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He released his debut studio album, '' What We Made'', in 2007, followed by the mixtape '' What We Almost Made'' in 2008. Example first found success in 2010 with the release of his second studio album, '' Won't Go Quietly'', which peaked at number four on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
and number one on the
UK Dance Chart The Dance Singles Chart and the Dance Albums Chart are music charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company from sales of songs in the electronic dance music, dance music genre (e.g. house music, house, trance music, trance, ...
. The album had two top 10 singles, " Won't Go Quietly" and " Kickstarts". Example's third studio album, '' Playing in the Shadows,'' was released in September 2011 and topped the charts with two number one singles, " Changed the Way You Kiss Me" and " Stay Awake". His fourth studio album, '' The Evolution of Man,'' was released in November 2012 and peaked at number 13 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
and number one on the
UK Dance Chart The Dance Singles Chart and the Dance Albums Chart are music charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company from sales of songs in the electronic dance music, dance music genre (e.g. house music, house, trance music, trance, ...
. In 2013, Example released the lead single from his next album, entitled " All the Wrong Places", which peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. The following year, he released the single " Kids Again", which also peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. His fifth studio album, '' Live Life Living'', was released in July 2014.


Early life

Example was born as Elliot John Gleave in West
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
Hospital in
Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. It ...
. In a 2012 interview with ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', he was stated to have
Asperger syndrome Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's syndrome or Asperger's, is a diagnostic label that has historically been used to describe a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and no ...
,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple con ...
and
obsessive compulsive disorder Obsession may refer to: Psychology * Celebrity worship syndrome, obsessive addictive disorder to a celebrity's personal and professional life * Obsession (psychology), a persistent attachment to an object or idea * Fixation (psychology), persi ...
. He said "I was diagnosed with Asperger's when I was younger. I was amazing with numbers, I had a photographic memory, and I hated reading fiction, preferring books on nature and history. All symptoms of mild autism." He referenced this in the opening track to his fourth album ''The Evolution of Man'', "Come Taste the Rainbow". He has a younger sister, named Elise. He later went on to attend ADT College (now Ashcroft Technology Academy) in
Putney Putney () is an affluent district in southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. History Putney is an ...
. Example has claimed in interviews that the main reason he started rapping was due to his introduction to
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
through albums by
Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, O ...
and
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
– the latter's album purchased primarily for "the cool cover art", and to the fact that he was not particularly good at any sports, so started rapping to fit in socially. His first experience of rapping was through a rap battle at a house party in
Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush is a suburb of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character, its ...
in 1994, when he was 12 years old. In that battle, he, in his own words, "completely destroyed a useless wanker and a fight broke out so (he) sprinted home". He got his stage name Example from a school friend, after his initials E. G. Gleave went on to study BA Media Arts at
Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Holloway, University of London (RH), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public university, public research university and a constituent college, member institution of the federal University of London. It ...
, graduating in 2004. It was during this period that he met Joseph Gardner, AKA Rusher, the producer whom he would go on to work with during his time releasing tracks independently through his All The Chats imprint, and later on Mike Skinner's label The Beats. Gleave and Gardner made a concept album in the audio booth of the university film department; this concept album contained the track which would go on to be Example's first white-label vinyl release, "A Pointless Song". He returned to the UK and became a voiceover artist and editor for the Paramount Comedy Channel (now Comedy Central), also working as an editor at
MTV Networks Paramount Media Networks is the division of Paramount Global that oversees the operations of its television channels and online brands. The division was originally founded as MTV Networks in 1984, named after MTV. It would be known under this ...
.


Career


2004–2008: Record deal and ''What We Made''

After releasing three singles through his own label "All The Chats", including the original 7" version of "I Don't Want To" in January 2006, Example received attention from
Pete Tong Peter Michael Tong (born 30 July 1960) is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as '' Essential Mix'' and '' Essential Selection'' on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for ...
,
Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...
and others at Radio 1. After signing a deal in April 2006 with The Beats, Example put out a response to Lily Allen's number one hit "Smile" entitled "Vile" and received Radio 1 airplay from
Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...
, Jo Whiley and
Chris Moyles Christopher David Moyles (born 22 February 1974) is an English radio and television presenter, author and presenter of '' The Chris Moyles Show'' on Radio X. Previously he presented '' The Chris Moyles Show'' on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2012 ...
. His first 'proper' release on The Beats was "What We Made" in November 2006, the video for which was filmed in
Chernobyl Chernobyl, officially called Chornobyl, is a partially abandoned city in Vyshhorod Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It is located within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, to the north of Kyiv and to the southwest of Gomel in neighbouring Belarus. ...
,
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
(see
below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor * Bottom (disambiguation) *Less than *Temperatures below freezing *Hell or underworld People with the surname * Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general * Fred Belo ...
). Example's second official Beats single entitled "You Can't Rap" was released in March 2007, followed by a re-release of "I Don't Want To" on 11 June 2007. "I Don't Want To" was followed by the single "So Many Roads" (famously sampling
The Carpenters The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining ...
' "We've Only Just Begun") which eventually turned out to be the opening track on Example's full-length studio debut. After the demise of The Beats label at the end of 2007 Example self-released his next single "Me + Mandy" on 10 March 2008 through his original imprint All The Chats. The video for "Me + Mandy" was shot over four days and nights in London, in over 30 locations with over 40 extras. This was done at a cost of just £1000. It was directed by Example's friend Henry Scholfield who also made the promos for "Who Needs Sunshine?", "Vile", "You Can't Rap" and "I Don't Want To". In February 2008, Example also tried his hand at stand-up comedy as part of
BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...
's The Culture Show. Mentored by English comic
Richard Herring Richard Keith Herring (born 12 July 1967) is an English stand-up comedian and writer whose early work includes the comedy double act Lee and Herring (alongside Stewart Lee). He is described by ''The British Theatre Guide'' as "one of the leadin ...
, Example spent six weeks writing and practicing his own stand-up routine which culminated in his first ever stand-up show in front of 60 paying customers in a
Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...
pub. A week later he appeared on the bill under Richard Herring,
Phill Jupitus Phillip Christopher Jupitus (, ''Given name#Name at birth, né'' Swan; born 25 June 1962) is a retired English stand-up comedy, stand-up and Improv comedy teacher, improv comedian, actor, performance poetry, performance poet, cartoonist and podc ...
and
Harry Hill Matthew Keith Hall (born 1 October 1964), known professionally as Harry Hill, is an English comedian, presenter and writer. He pursued a career in stand-up following years working as a medical doctor, developing an offbeat, energetic performanc ...
at the
Lyric Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a nonprofit theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London."About the Lyric" > "History" ''Lyric'' official website. Retrieved January 2024. Background The Lyric Theatre ...
– Example had performed in the same venue ten years earlier whilst a student at ADT College.


2009–2010: Commercial breakout with ''Won't Go Quietly''

Example made his first chart appearance in September 2009, when he released " Watch the Sun Come Up" as the
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
from his second album '' Won't Go Quietly'' through
Data Records Ministry of Sound or Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business based in London with a nightclub, shared workspace and private members' club, worldwide events operation, music publishing business and fitness studio. James ...
. The single debuted at number 20 on the UK singles chart, rising to number 19 the following week. The single was followed by a release of " Won't Go Quietly", released on 18 January 2010. The single debuted at number six in the United Kingdom, marking Example's first appearance within the top 10. It also peaked 36 in Ireland. The announcement was then made in April 2010 that the second album ''Won't Go Quietly'' would be released on 21 June 2010 and would be preceded by the single " Kickstarts". Receiving its radio debut on 13 April by then-
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 Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
DJ
Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...
, the song was produced by
Sub Focus Nicolaas Douwma (born 13 April 1982), better known by his stage name Sub Focus, is an English DJ, music producer, songwriter and sound engineer. He has been releasing records since 2003. On 12 October 2009, he released his self-titled debut ...
. "Kickstarts" was released on 20 June, where it debuted at number three. Released the following week, the album ''Won't Go Quietly'' debuted at number four on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
. On 12 September, Example released " Last Ones Standing" as the fourth cut from the album, where it reached a peak of number 27 in the United Kingdom and 37 in Ireland. On 14 November 2010, he released the final single off the album "Two Lives", though it only peaked at 84 on the UK Singles Chart. On the other hand, it was able to peak at number 10 position on the
UK Dance Chart The Dance Singles Chart and the Dance Albums Chart are music charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company from sales of songs in the electronic dance music, dance music genre (e.g. house music, house, trance music, trance, ...
. In May 2010, he made a Collab with
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
in a song about Nandos. The video gained 5.6 million views on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
and as a result of this Ed Sheeran got a Nando's black card.


2011–2012: ''Playing in the Shadows''

In June 2011, Example released his first single from his third album, " Changed the Way You Kiss Me" where it debuted at number one in the UK. The song also charted in many European countries and Australia, where it was also certified Platinum. The second song of the album " Stay Awake", which was produced by
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...
, was debuted on 1 July 2011 on BBC Radio 1 by
Annie Mac Annie Macmanus (born 18 July 1978), known professionally as Annie Mac, is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and ''Future Sounds''. She also DJed in various locations, includ ...
. It was released in August, and also debuted at number one. His third single "
Midnight Run ''Midnight Run'' is a 1988 American action comedy film directed by Martin Brest from a screenplay by George Gallo. It stars Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton (actor), John Ashton, Dennis Farina and Joe Pantoliano. In the ...
" was released in December 2011 and reached number 30 in the UK Singles Chart. In September 2011, his third studio album was released. '' Playing in the Shadows'' debuted at number one in the UK albums chart and also charted in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.


2012–2013: ''The Evolution of Man''

Example confirmed he was to have a track he wrote for
The Wanted The Wanted are a British-Irish boy band formed in 2009, and originally consisted of members Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker, and Nathan Sykes. The group signed a worldwide contract to Universal Music, Island Reco ...
to be featured on their debut US album, ''
The Wanted The Wanted are a British-Irish boy band formed in 2009, and originally consisted of members Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker, and Nathan Sykes. The group signed a worldwide contract to Universal Music, Island Reco ...
''. The song is called " Chasing The Sun". The track was released as a single in April 2012 in USA and May 2012 in the United Kingdom, featuring remixes from
Hardwell Robbert van de Corput (; born 7 January 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 in ...
and Tantrum Desire and peaking at number two in the UK Singles Chart, and receiving worldwide recognition. In January 2012, Example signed a US record deal with Mercury, which is part of Universal. He is hoping to crack America on his own terms with his next album. On 17 August 2012, the 2013 tour dates were announced. The 13-date tour started on 11 February 2013 in
Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
and finished at the
Manchester Arena Manchester Arena (currently known as AO Arena for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena in Manchester, England, immediately north of the Manchester city centre, city centre and partly above Manchester Victoria station in air rights space. Pr ...
on 1 March 2013. Support comes from British dubstep producer Benga who also produced Example's album track "Come Taste the Rainbow". The lead single " Say Nothing" was released in September 2012, debuting at number two in the UK charts. His second single from the album entitled " Close Enemies" was released in November 2012 and peaked to number 37 in the UK charts. The album was released on 19 November, shortly after the release of "Close Enemies". '' The Evolution of Man'' reached a peak position of 13 in the UK charts. " Perfect Replacement" was announced as the third and final single of the album; it was thought before that "Queen of Your Dreams" would be the third single, but Example ended up opting for "Perfect Replacement". It was released in February 2013 and peaked at number 46 in the UK charts. A song entitled "Where Did The Sun Go?" was also expected to appear on the album or one of the deluxe versions, due to live performances, but Example confirmed on his official Twitter account that the song had been scrapped due to him and its producer
Alvin Risk Marcio Alvarado, better known by his stage name Alvin Risk, is an American electronic music producer, singer and DJ from Washington, D.C., US. He has released music on Owsla, Dim Mak, and Ministry of Sound. He has also released under the labe ...
"not liking it" or it "not being me" (referring to himself).


2013–2014: ''Live Life Living'' and Epic Records signing

On 15 April 2013, he stated on Facebook that he was in Los Angeles working on his fifth studio album. The album was due to be released in June 2014. Five album tracks were written and produced in Los Angeles with Stuart Price. The lead single from the album, titled " All the Wrong Places", was debuted at his Auckland concert in New Zealand on 24 April. Example collaborated with
Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...
on their song "
Thursday Thursday is the day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. According to the ISO 8601 international standard, it is the fourth day of the week. In countries which adopt the "Sunday-first" convention, it is the fifth day of the week. Name Th ...
" from their 2013 studio album ''
Electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
'', released on 15 July 2013. The song was released as a single on 4 November 2013 and reached number 61 on the UK Singles Chart. Example was also asked to feature on
Dizzee Rascal Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), known professionally as Dizzee Rascal, is a British rapper and MC. He is often credited as a pioneer of British hip hop and grime music and was ranked by ''Complex'' as one of the greatest British ...
's song " Goin' Crazy", but declined the offer and
Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...
took the part instead. In July 2013, it was announced that Example had signed a record deal with the UK division of
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
, after leaving his previous label
Ministry of Sound Ministry of Sound or Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business based in London with a nightclub, shared workspace and private members' club, worldwide events operation, music publisher (popular music), music publishing busin ...
. His final release with Ministry of Sound was the compilation album '' #Hits'', released on 5 August 2013. He appeared at the 2013
Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
. Example announced via Twitter that tracks from his upcoming album " All the Wrong Places" and "Only Human" were played at all festival gigs in the summer. "All the Wrong Places" made its radio debut on 15 July 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 Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
with
Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...
and was released on 8 September. It charted at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. "Only Human" was first performed live at a pre-festival warm-up show at the O2 Academy Bristol on 6 June 2013. At festivals during the summer, Example also performed the album track "Take Me As I Am", produced by Critikal. It was premiered at Global Gathering 2013. Example also wrote
Friction Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. Types of friction include dry, fluid, lubricated, skin, and internal -- an incomplete list. The study of t ...
featuring Arlissa's single "Long Gone Memory", which was released on 10 November 2013. His fifth studio album '' Live Life Living'' was released on 7 July 2014. Example cited
the Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboardist, and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured Rapping, MC and vocalist Maxim (musician), Maxim, dancer and occasi ...
,
Faithless Faithless are an English dance music Band (rock and pop), band that formed in 1995, with its core original members being Rollo Armstrong, Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. During the band's initial period of success, Sister Bliss and Maxi Ja ...
,
Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...
and
the Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands in Manchester in 1992. They were pioneers in bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture. Originally known as The Dust Brothers, th ...
as influences for the new album. The album's second single, " Kids Again", premiered alongside its remixes in January 2014 and was released on 16 March. It was produced by Example and Fraser T Smith, and co-produced by Critikal. In February and March 2014, Example hosted four Saturday night shows on Capital FM. Example also announced that throughout March 2014, he would release details including track list, pre-order information, album artwork and the title for his fifth album. On 4 March, Example announced the title of his fifth album, '' Live Life Living''. The album was released in the UK on 7 July 2014, and features twelve tracks, with an additional four on the deluxe edition. The album cover features a new logo, which debuted alongside the single artwork for " Kids Again". On 19 April, Example debuted the album's third single, " One More Day (Stay with Me)", previously entitled "Stay with Me", which was renamed due to the Sam Smith song released by the same name. Example revisited five album tracks which initially just involved him singing and added raps to them. During the "One More Day" premiere with Danny Howard, he confirmed new collaborations with
Klaxons Klaxons were an English Rock music, rock band, based in London. Following the release of several Gramophone record, 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles "Magick (Klaxons song), Magick ...
,
Wretch 32 Jermaine Sinclaire Scott (born 9 March 1985), better known by his stage name Wretch 32, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter from Tottenham, North London. He was a member of the grime collective Combination Chain Gang, before forming The ...
, Angel Haze and
Sigma Sigma ( ; uppercase Σ, lowercase σ, lowercase in word-final position ς; ) is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 200. In general mathematics, uppercase Σ is used as an operator ...
are in the works.


2015–2019: ''Bangers & Ballads'' and standalone singles

Prior to his 2014 tour, Example had confirmed to a fan on Twitter that work on his sixth album had begun, although he stated that it wouldn't likely be finished before the end of 2015. Example spent studio time with Netsky and
Sigma Sigma ( ; uppercase Σ, lowercase σ, lowercase in word-final position ς; ) is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 200. In general mathematics, uppercase Σ is used as an operator ...
leading up to his 2014 tour who could be possible collaborators for the album. In early 2015, Example released a statement on his Twitter account detailing his plans for the year ahead and the following year. The statement detailed that he would be taking a significant break from touring in 2015 in order to spend time with his then wife and son as well as to write new music for his upcoming album and, in 2016, he planned to release his sixth album and return to touring with a full live band. He also released a brief early demo snippet on Instagram, displaying part of a rap verse. On 8 June, Example revealed on Twitter that " Whisky Story", the lead single from his sixth studio album, and its music video would be revealed on 8 July. The track was available to download on 10 July, and peaked only at number 96 in the Official UK charts. In October 2015, Professor Green revealed that Example has collaborated with Takura, P Money 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," thoug ...
on a track called "Access Denied". In May 2016, Example appeared in the music video for WSTRN's "Come Down". The same month, Example confirmed that the second single from his untitled sixth album would be "
Later Later may refer to: * Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the futur ...
" and would be a return to "classic Example", citing "Changed the Way You Kissed Me" as a reference in an interview with Russell Kane on
Virgin Radio Virgin Radio is a branding of radio stations broadcast in Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy, Romania, Turkey, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. As of April 2024, there were over 40 stations globally. The stations ...
. On 7 December 2017 Example appeared on Shape's & Milli Major's MC edit of "Pogo Stick" alongside Grim Sickers and Majestic released on Four40 Records. On 19 January 2018 Example released the single " The Answer". He left Columbia after both he and the label felt "frustrated" with the commercial performance of his latest singles. Example announced the independent release of his 9-track mixtape '' Bangers & Ballads'' on 17 August 2018, which has been retroactively referred to as his sixth studio album. The first single, "Back for More" with Rude Kid, was released alongside the mixtape's pre-order opening on 3 August 2018, premiering a day before through Radio 1Xtra's
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 Danc ...
's radio show. The second single "Show Me How to Love" was premiered a week before the project's release date, on 10 August 2018 aong its music video directed by Risky Roadz. The third single from the mixtape "Sit Down Gary" was released alongside the mixtape on 17 August 2018. On 30 November 2018, Example collabed with Darkzy's on their song "Drops" which was released on CRUCAST. On 11 January 2019, Example released his new single " All Night". It peaked at No. 87 in the UK and at No. 26 on the UK Dance Chart. This marked Example's first appearance on the UK Singles Chart since his 2015 single "Whisky Story". He also stated on his Instagram and Twitter accounts that he would be releasing a new single every month. On 17 January 2020, Example released the single "Back on the Wreck" on Heldeep Records, his first self-produced single he did not contribute vocals for.


2020–present: ''Some Nights Last for Days'' and ''We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up''

On 20 April 2020, Example announced on his Instagram that the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
quarantine had allowed him to make music more frequently and announced that his seventh album would follow in mid-to-late May. Example stated that making the album was the most fun he had ever had writing music and suggested that it may be more hip-hop-oriented with numerous collaborations, stating "It's rap. It's hip-hop. I don't care what ..you want to call it. All I can say is it's the purest, most effortless body of work I've ever made. ..I've always played down my ability as a rapper ecauseI never felt 'welcome to the party', but after this you're gonna know some levels." The first single, "Paperclips (Isolation Freestyle)" was released on 24 April and is a studio version of a freestyle rap he performed on Instagram Live a few weeks prior. He also revealed the album will also feature a track named "Erin", which serves as the album's second single, dedicated to his then wife Erin McNaught who also features on vocals. The track was released on 8 May, and the release of the album was announced five weeks later on 12 June. Example also revealed that the album included a track featuring Doc Brown and Sway. The album's title and cover art were revealed on 15 May, with the album's tracklist being revealed on 26 May. In August 2021, Example signed an exclusive global recording deal with BMG. That same month, he released "Every Single Time", the first single from his upcoming eighth album. It features singer-songwriter Lucy Lucy and record producer
What So Not What So Not is an electronic music project by Australian record producer Emoh Instead (stage name of Christopher John Emerson). What So Not has toured the world, playing in various festivals, including Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, ...
. The second single "Never Let You Down" followed in January 2022, a collaboration with Drum and bass producer Kanine featuring vocals from singer-songwriter Penny Ivy, he then released a song called 'Deep' featuring Nono in which they recorded the song while on tour in February 2022. The album, titled '' We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up'', was released on 17 June 2022. On 22 June 2023, Example made another appearance at
Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
in Somerset, UK. In 2025, Example participated in the sixth series of ''The Masked Singer'' as "Bear". He was eliminated during the semi final alongside
Natalie Cassidy Natalie Ann Cassidy (born 13 May 1983) is an English actress and television personality. She is known for her role as Sonia Fowler in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders.'' She has also appeared in the BBC Two sitcom-horror series '' Psychoville ...
as "Bush".


Film making

While filming a promo video for his single "What We Made" in the abandoned city of Prypiat in northern
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, Example also filmed an 18-minute documentary in the ghost towns that he visited, many of which still remain exactly as they were when they were abandoned after the
Chernobyl disaster On 26 April 1986, the no. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located near Pripyat, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), exploded. With dozens of direct casualties, it is one of only ...
in 1986. He commented "I don't think anyone who's been here can be for nuclear power...I've read stuff recently about how we're only ever going to survive if we make nuclear power available, but you just think: why would you want it to happen after seeing this?" Example made his
feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
acting debut in '' Between Two Worlds'', which he filmed a number of scenes for in 2013. His second appearance was in '' White Island'', the film adaptation of the book ''A Bus Could Run You Over''. His short film acting debut came in February 2016 in the form of
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
-exclusive ''Shield 5'', directed by Anthony Wilcox and starring alongside Christian Cooke.


Personal life

Example is the nephew of the late footballer Tony Grealish. Example was married to
Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...
model and actress Erin McNaught. They became engaged in November 2012 and married in Australia on 18 May 2013. On 23 July 2014, McNaught announced the news that she and Example were expecting a child. On 21 December 2014 a son was born. On 12 September 2017, Example announced the birth of a second son. Example currently resides in
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, Australia. In December 2019, Example obtained his residency visa and became a permanent resident of Australia. Example and McNaught announced they had split amicably in October 2022 after 11 years together. Example is currently in a relationship with English art advisor Daisy Cox. In September 2024, Example announced via his Instagram that he was expecting a child with Cox. Their son was born on 1 January 2025. Example is involved with charity work and is an ambassador for the
Teenage Cancer Trust Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. It ...
. In November 2013, he visited India with the Life Water charity on their "Drop4drop" campaign to introduce fresh water. Example and his then wife McNaught donated a water pump to a community in the
Kadapa Kadapa is a city in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located in the Rayalaseema region, and is the district headquarters of YSR Kadapa district. It is located south of the Penna River. The city is surrounded on three sides by ...
region. Example is a supporter of
Fulham F.C. Fulham Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Fulham, West London, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of English football league system, English football. They have played home games at Craven ...


Discography

* '' What We Made'' (2007) * '' Won't Go Quietly'' (2010) * '' Playing in the Shadows'' (2011) * '' The Evolution of Man'' (2012) * '' Live Life Living'' (2014) * '' Bangers & Ballads'' (2018) * ''Some Nights Last for Days'' (2020) * '' We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up'' (2022)


Awards and nominations


References


External links


Exclusive Interview with Virgin Red RoomExample signs US deal with Universal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Example 1982 births Living people Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London Electronic dance music musicians English dance musicians English drum and bass musicians English male rappers English male singer-songwriters English singer-songwriters English record producers English television editors Eurodance musicians Grime music artists Ministry of Sound artists Musicians from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham People from Hammersmith People with Asperger syndrome Autistic musicians People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder People with obsessive–compulsive disorder English people with disabilities British musicians with disabilities Singers with disabilities Rappers from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham English emigrants to Australia English people of Irish descent Singers from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Date of birth missing (living people)