When the Cardiff-born singer appeared on “The Terrell Show” on YouTube in May 2022, Terrell himself said, “There’s no way you haven’t seen this face before, cause you can’t go on Instagram without seeing this man singing to the top of his lungs in somebodies garage.” He wasn’t wrong. Miller, after appearing on The Voice UK as a teenager, made it his mission to sing anywhere and everywhere he could. And with a voice like his, it’s hard to ignore.
Miller’s breakout single, “Here’s Your Perfect,” which he wrote alongside Salem Ilese and others, was the, no pun intended, perfect song to showcase his natural ability. The soaring ballad features contemporary instrumentation and production mixed with simple yet effective storytelling lyrically, with Miller, of course, singing to the rafters.
Miller’s new song, “Maybe Next Time,” is out now.
The tune begins as a traditional piano ballad before a gospel choir makes its presence known, as is almost expected amongst power pop these days. He sings of opening his heart and giving his love to the wrong person, or people, and how he is paying for it: “Maybe next time it won’t be a waste / You’ll be the one and not the one that got away / So I count down the days till I won’t have to say… maybe next time.”
His second verse is the most gut-wrenching, as he sings of heading home with his tail between his legs. The age-old story of a bad person creating a bad experience, and turning a good person into a jaded lover: “Thinking that night, boarding that flight / With a bruised-up heart and a carry-on bag / A long-lost love that I’ll never get back / Wanna get it back.”
Miller, even when holding back, is never engulfed by the litany of voices, but breaks through with his signature emotional wailing on the back half. It looks, and sounds, easy for him, and he adds just enough vocal cracks and splits to sell his story. This is only aided by the vocal production, which is phenomenally done.
Through all the hard times, there is always a light at the end of them. In a post on IG on the song’s release day, Miller says things have changed for the better. “I remember walking into the studio sad, broken, and defeated,” he said. “Little did I know the months to follow this would be the song that got me out of the biggest depression I’ve ever been in. You have to hit rock bottom sometimes, but at least I’m still here to tell the tale.”
Listen to “Maybe Next Time” on Spotify: