Lopez Blogs

I have written about Ryan Ferrada’s song Touch You Sexy before (here) so I am not going to repeat that for you here… However, it goes without saying that, along with Lee Cheney, I am very excited for more of Ryan’s music, especially since (thanks to Simon – see below) I discovered a song of his called Can’t Let Go which is just such a beautiful, haunting ballad that I encourage you all to go and seek it out on Napster or iTunes immediatelement… Ryan is not only drop dead gorgeous, he has worked hard to get where he is today (see his comments about being bullied in school L) and deserves huge success in the future. I know Baz from Digital loves Touch You Sexy and here is what Simon Curtis had to say about it…

“This track is fantastic. The chorus leaves me a little hungry, but overall I quite enjoy this one. Glad to have Paul discovering music like this for me! Haha. I must say I find his song “Can We Do It Again?” to be leagues ahead of TYS, but it still is an enjoyable listen. Very Kylie, which is a huge compliment in my opinion. Interesting to see that this guy has once opened for Sugababes as well. Definitely going to keep my eyes peeled for more music from this one. Paul, please send me ‘Can we do it again’ asap please!”

Ryan was kind enough to sit down and be probed by my good self and a good time was had by all. Or at least me ;) Here’s what the young star had to say…

1 - Tell us a little bit about yourself - how did you get to be a singer? Are there lots of school plays and musicals in your background?
Hi! Yes, don´t laugh but I was in choirs from a very young age. When I´m recording my producer teases me and says “drop the choir voice. More pop!” so I´m not sure how helpful it really was… I was always part of the school plays but to be honest I´m a useless actor. I just start laughing and then the audience laughs so I won´t be trying acting any time soon.

2 - Can you talk a little bit about the song on your website? I really like it and found it to be a breath of fresh air in today's pop market.
Thank you! It´s actually the first song I recorded with “Greg Fitzgerald”. He wrote and produced “Burning up” and “Fever” for Kylie, and I said I wanted to be in that area of Pop. We wrote the song together really quickly and he made me feel really comfortable when I was recording. He handed me the head phones and said “Kylie likes these” and from then on I knew it was going to be fun. I wanted to write a hot track with a sexy vibe. The dirtier, the better!

3 - Talking of the pop market today, what do you think of it? Any favorite acts? Anyone out there who really isn't worthy of your time?
There are a lot of great pop acts out there. I opened a gig for the Sugababes and after I got the opportunity to watch them from the sound booth. They blew me away! From their live band to their vocals, it was really spectacular. I love Madonna, Britney, Kylie, George Michael and Michael Jackson. They are the artists that I really admire. Obviously there is some music I´m not fond of, but I´m not the type to go trashing other people´s work. I also opened some gigs for Ronan Keating and I learned a lot from him, on and off stage. He treats everyone with respect which I think is an amazing quality.

4 - What about shows like X Factor or American Idol? Ever tempted by that route? Any favourites from those shows?
When those programs started I had already released my first album in Portugal and Spain. I had already had a number 1 single and album and I didn´t feel it was the right way for me to go. And to be honest I don´t know how I could perform under that kind of pressure! Just the look of the judge´s faces is enough to make me go out of tune! When I´m on stage it is all rehearsed and everything is under control.

5 - You are recording in London again soon - what sort of sound are you going for in those sessions and is it heading towards an album?
Yes I have already started the album! And I´m really excited to say that I convinced my producer to let me do a version of the song he did for Kylie “Burning up”. Each song on the album is different from the next. I just want to do music that I love, from retro 80´s sound to dance.

6 - Live Lounge on radio one is one of my favorite shows - where acts cover songs in the chart that they might not normally sing. What song would you cover and who would you want to do a cover of one of your songs?
I would definitely go for a George Michael song. “Too funky” was one of my first demos. That song is hot! And I would love to hear George Michael do one of my songs to see how he would perform it.

7 - I'm very passionate about music but also have a shallow side that appreciates pop star hair and fashion. How important is image to you and what would you be wearing on an average day?
I would be lying if I said that image didn´t matter to me. I go to the gym every day for about two hours. I´m addicted to cardio, but I should really be pumping more iron! I try my best to put 100 % in to everything that I do, from my music to my image. I was the chubby geek in school so I think I´m afraid of being that person again.

8 - Who have you been most influenced by in the music industry?
I grew up with a lot of 80´s music around me. But I would have to say either Madonna or George Michael. It was always their songs and videos that captured me.

9 - You take the zapping on a night on the town. What can I expect?
It depends which country we are in! I love being host and try to make sure that everyone I´m with is having a great time. I love going to nice restaurant´s with my friends and trying out all the trendy clubs in London.