KSI unleashes Catch Me If You Can: "I'm a person that breaks through barriers"

On his new single Catch Me If You Can, KSI pledges: "Make no mistake, I'm here to stay."

His confidence is entirely justified. Though he first came to prominence on YouTube, both solo and as part of the Sidemen collective, he's since established himself as a formidable pro boxer and a consistently successful musician.

In fact, he now has nine Top 10 songs and a chart-topping album – 2021's All Over the Place – to his name, along with four BRIT nominations.

As he unleashes Catch Me If You Can and S-X collaboration So Far Away, we catch up with the multi-hyphenate to talk breaking through barriers, making it in music industry and when we can expect his follow-up to All Over the Place.

Hi KSI! Your new single Catch Me If You Can is a banger, but also so different. Was that deliberate on your part?

Yeah, I mean that's like my bread and butter.  I hate the idea of people knowing what kind of song I'm going to release. I want them to be like: "I wasn't expecting this sound, but this is quite cool, this is quite enjoyable." You know, I want to create an emotion. I want people to be like "this is sick" or "I hate this". That's what you want from music, I think.

Do you have a favourite lyric in the song?

I think it's "go and ask your mom, yeah, she know who I am". It's such a ridiculous line, but it's factual. Because of Britain's Got Talent and everything [I've done], mums know me now, so I think it's kind of a cool thing to say.

When did you make Catch Me If You Can? Have you been sitting on it for a while?

I actually made it this year. It's one of the new songs where I think I've found a little area that I want to hit at that makes sense for me.

I wanted to release it sooner rather than later, because I was going to try and coincide it with my fight with Dillon Danis [in March]. It was going to be my ring walk [song] and from there we'd start the promotion for the song. But when the fight didn't happen [because KSI fell ill], we had to change our plan.

MORE: Where every KSI song and album has charted in the UK

I love that you wanted to tie in the song with your boxing like that.

Well, I'm trying to create an ecosystem where people can become a part of it and see all different sides of me. You've got [my sports drink] Prime, you've got the Sidemen, you've got [my boxing company] Misfits, you've got my music. And because my music isn't just one genre, I'm able to have a song for everyone. It's like a dope festival that everyone can enjoy.

What are the biggest barriers you've come up against in the music industry, and how do you get around them?

I mean, I've always had barriers in terms of my career as an entertainer. With me being a YouTuber and making music, there's been a barrier of: "You're a YouTuber. You can't make music. You can't chart."  Having to break through that [stigma], it's taken time, but I think I'm there.

Same with boxing. It's like [people think] you're not a real boxer. Like, "you're just a part-timer", but I'm able to do one of the highest pay per view fights of the decade. So I've definitely had barriers left, right and centre, but I'm a person that breaks through them. 

And now you're even getting BRIT Award nominations.

I mean, I haven't won yet, but there's still time!

How close are you to releasing your third studio album?

It definitely won't be this year, but probably next year for sure. I mean, there's a lot of constant deliberation that goes into an album – like, perfecting [it] to make sure it's exactly what I want it to be. You know, I have songs [in the bag], but I think for me, right now, I'm still making music to make sure it's the best that it can be.

As a perfectionist, how do you know when to step back and say "the album's ready"?

I'd say I have a good idea of when I've got the best piece of work. I don't want to be a guy that releases, like, 30 songs as an album. I want it to be 12 to 15 songs and feel like a body of work that I'm excited about and that my audience can take in. 

KSI's Catch Me If You Can and So Far Away are out now via Atlantic Records.