Just as America lost the Backstreet Boys and N*Sync, but gratefully gained one solo and talented Justin Timberlake, the Brits are following suit. Pop boy groups are certainly taking a hit and not the kind that goes platinum. One Direction lost Zayn Malik earlier this summer, and despite claims of sticking together, the group later announced their intentions to disband in March. The Vamps are also trying to outlive this inevitable bell curve of popularity, but when only one song plays on the loop track in your local Journey’s shoe store, they may yet be the next victims of music’s fickle nature.

And remember The Wanted? Yes… No one else does either. But to be fair, emerging as another pop band from across the pond around the same time as One Direction definitely made the competition for fans a fierce one. Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker, and Nathan Sykes stuck it out for about four years with three albums to show for their effort. As of now though, the guys are on an unofficial hiatus. It seems that someone just forgot to tell Sykes.

The twenty-two year old singer still feels the music despite this indefinite breakup of his former band. He’s wasting no time twiddling his thumbs, instead aiming for tapping feet with the current launch of his solo career, and if his new singles are any indicator of things to come, we can all expect big things.

Sykes has broken free from the auto-tuned restraints of boy bandom to pursue the vocal challenges of a true artist. In his new single, “Kiss Me Quick,” he demonstrates a range rivaled perhaps only by Adam Lambert. And what’s that I hear? Real trumpets! Real instruments, period. His style is far from typical bubblegum pop, rather, it’s a soulful blend of modern jazz and blues that creates a sound pleasantly reminiscent of R&B artist John Legend. When everything in pop sounds the same, it’s refreshing to find a beat that dabbles in all genres in less than four minutes.

It is clear that Sykes has officially outgrown his boy band days. The lyrics are playfully expressive, even dubbed “cheeky” by Sykes himself. But even rock stars are entitled to be a little insecure as Sykes teases listeners with the opening line, “Is this what you wanted?” Rest assured, Nathan, it most definitely is, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting the release of the entire album. But for now, you can find the single “Kiss Me Quick” in iTunes and Google Play stores.