What the Future Holds, Pt. 2

Almost a quarter of a century into her career as one fifth of Steps, Claire Richards experienced an epiphany. “I realised that the fact Steps were never cool means that we can never really go out of fashion,” she tells Apple Music. It was pure serendipity, then, that 2020's What the Future Holds found the group bang on trend, arriving amid a tidal wave of high-octane dance pop from acts like Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa. “When times are tough, people are looking for lightness,” adds bandmate Lisa Scott-Lee. “And that's what Steps do, we brighten up the world.” What the Future Holds, Pt. 2 was originally conceived as a deluxe version of What the Future Holds (aka Pt. 1), but quickly escalated into a stand-alone record, with 10 new tracks. They combine the group's trademark big choruses, bittersweet lyrics and imperative key changes with moodier, more experimental elements and more pointed lyrics. “I think there's sometimes a misconception that Steps are a novelty act,” says Richards. “When we first started making music again in 2016, we were sent some really young, cheesy stuff. But underneath our bright outfits and big grins, we've always had really great songs. We've tried to take our very specific kind of pop and translate it into a new era.” Read on as Scott-Lee and Richards guide us through What the Future Holds, Pt. 2, one song at a time. “Take Me for a Ride” Lisa Scott-Lee: “This was written by [songwriting and production duo] Karl Twigg and Mark Topham and was the first song they'd written together in 15 years. They were some of our original writers, but we hadn't worked with them for a long time, so it was nice to hear where they thought we sat musically after all these years. We all really liked the ’80s vibe. It's not as in-your-face poppy as some of our tracks, but it's good to do something unexpected. Lyrically, it's someone who's got strong emotions and feelings, and is speaking out and saying, ‘This is where I stand.’” “Heartbreak in This City (Single Mix)