James Blunt drops 'Halfway' music video featuring Ward Thomas and it's set in an LGBTQ line dancing club
English singer-songwriter and record producer James Blunt unveiled his new music video for 'Halfway' on February 27 featuring the country-pop duo Ward Thomas. The single for 'Halfway' was released on February 5 and is a part of his 2019 studio album 'Once Upon a Mind'.
The music video is directed by Dan Massie, who has worked with Ed Sheeran, Rudimental and Paul Weller. The video features a buoyant, feel-good setting in The Cactus Club, an LGBTQ line dancing social club in Clapham, South London. The 'Halfway' video features fantastic line dance choreography from Peter Flockhart, who teaches an hour of line dancing every week according to The Guardian. Flockhart, who has been teaching the dance since 1993, set up the club alongside fellow line dance enthusiasts Anne and Michael.
As if meant to be paired by divine connection, Blunt and Thomas bring out an incredibly matched performance in their intertwined duet, harmonizing their vocals ever-so-satisfyingly.
Speaking on the single, James said, "I originally wrote 'Halfway' as a solo performance, and the original version that appears on my album is just me on vocals. But after we recorded the track, it was obvious that this song was really meant to be a duet all along. Because the track has a real Americana vibe, I knew immediately that I needed the best Country singers I could find. I had to look no further than Ward Thomas, who really delivers a powerful performance on this duet."
A powerful performance is given by Blunt in the track and, as if breaking out in anthem between the duet vocals, Blunt hits high notes that are likely to send shivers down your spine.
Since its origin in 1993, The Cactus Club, London's first gay line dancing club, boasts of a musically eclectic array of genres including Latin, pop and euro-dance, apart from its primary association to country music. The Cactus Club has seen members coming from abroad who want to join in the lively fun and they are not the only LGBTQ line dancing club in the world. There are more clubs in the UK, Europe, the US and Canada, among others.
Blunt has already begun his hugely successful tour with Thomas on February 14 in Birmingham, playing shows across Europe throughout the run. It will wrap up at London's Royal Albert Hall, according to XS Noize.
Watch the new music video for 'Halfway' here.