Madness

Guy Sebastian named his seventh album <i>Madness</i> as it best described his life during the record’s creation. Written in the wake of his 2012 hit single “Battle Scars”, the success of which took the singer on an extended world tour, Sebastian was also balancing life at home with two children under the age of three, all while trying to create. The title track itself, however, is about the out-of-character things people do in the early stages of romance, hence the line “They say it’s madness, but I call it love”. By way of contrast, in the LP’s darkest lyrical moments—“Elephant”, “One of Us”, “The Pause” and “Linger”—Sebastian explores the closing stages of relationships, inspired by the failing marriages of several close friends. Most heartbreaking of all, though, is “Imagine the Sunrise”, a song written after visiting a children’s hospital and speaking with the father of a sick child—her bed had recently been moved meaning they could no longer share their morning ritual of watching the sunrise together as her view was now obstructed. Instead, they would have to imagine it. With Sebastian’s rich, soulful vocals at the fore, musically <i>Madness</i> embellishes the singer’s trademark R&B/pop with upbeat folk (“Alive”), edgy R&B (“Mama Ain’t Proud”, featuring 2 Chainz) and island/reggae (“Elephant”), aided by guests such as Lupe Fiasco (“Linger”), Sage the Gemini (the gospel-indebted “Light and Shade”) and Australian singer FATAI (“Lightning”).