He is only half joking when he calls YOU his grown-up album. The 17-song epic finds the global star at both his boldest and most promiscuous, with hard-hitting lyrics, a restless rifle through musical styles and the searing vocals of someone with plenty to get off their chest. The singer turned 30 during YOUs gestation and rather than the expected bout of soul searching, the landmark birthday left him liberated. I stopped caring what other people thought, he says. I looked back at what Id achieved and realized that I dont need to compete anymore. 30 isnt old by any means, but its not an age to be chasing trends. I know the music I want to make. Im not trying to be anyone else. Another unexpected consequence of turning 30, or perhaps of looking back, was a desire to return to the free-spirited way in which he made music as a teen. I definitely tapped in to my 17 year old self, says James. I got back on my acoustic guitar, on my own, which I hadnt done a while. It wasnt about trying to write a hit. It was about having something to say. And heres the grown-up part for the first time in my life, I stopped looking inwards and started looking out, at other peoples relationships and how my behavior in the past might have affected those around me. That forced me to use my imagination.