Soulful singer-songwriter Calum Scott returns to Minneapolis with confidence and gratitude

Reflections on the passage of time and embracing the present define his latest album, “Avenoir”

Calum Scott was a human resources worker when he received a Golden Buzzer from Simon Cowell on “The British Voice” for his performance of “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn. Over a decade later, he’s on tour in support of his third album, “Avenoir,” which will bring him to The Fillmore in Minneapolis on May 3.

The 37-year-old singer, who came out as gay in 2018, calls “Avenoir” his most confident work yet, something he attributes to how far he has come in the industry as well as personal development.

“For the first time in my career, I genuinely feel like I deserve to be where I’m at,” he says. “Also, as just a human being, I’m happy with who I am, happy with where I’m going, making peace with a lot of my demons of the past, with my sexuality and my identity.”

This reflection upon the passage of time is foundational to “Avenoir,” a 40-minute soul-search that takes several sonic twists and turns, from dramatic ballads to upbeat pop romps. Scott also collaborates with American country singer Lauren Alaina and even got permission from the Whitney Houston estate to use her vocals in his cover of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).”

The record’s elegant title, “Avenoir,” comes from John Koenig’s “Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows” (which, coincidentally, Koenig conceptualized while attending Macalester College in St. Paul) and refers to “the desire that memory could flow backward.”

“It’s this kind of concept that we move through life as a rower moves — we’re always moving forward, but we can only see where we’ve been,” Scott explains, noting the origin of the album’s cover art. “[Koenig] explains, like, wouldn’t it be cool to be able to turn around in your boat and to see what life has planned for you? It was just such a huge light bulb moment for me.”

Scott says he applied the “Avenoir” concept to his own life and the magic of his career windfall 10 years ago, and came to the conclusion that he wouldn’t want to see the future.

“For me, it’s the twists and turns of life that make it exciting,” he says. “If everything was laid out for you, your sense of hope would diminish, your sense of ambition would be diminished in the sense that it’s all laid out for you, you have no control.”

This is coming from the same man who has been open about his struggles with his sexuality, body dysmorphia and suicidal ideation. Indeed, Scott is a cheerful, bubbly man, but it’s an attitude that feels hard-won. And he still loves having a good cry.

“It’s been hard work and determination, a lot of blood, sweat and tears, mainly tears,” he says. “I’ve gone to really dark places with my music to create light. For me, that’s everything.”

Scott’s May 3 show at The Fillmore will be his first concert in Minneapolis since 2022. Though his music has seen more commercial success in the United Kingdom, he says he loves touring across the pond.

“[American fans] are not scared to show you their hearts,” he says. “I’ve performed in London, for example, sometimes there’s a sense of people who are too cool to be like whooping and clapping and cheering. In Japan, they will clap and applaud you, but they’re so conscious not to clap over your talking that they all stop so quickly.”

Scott also shows an awareness that concerts are a luxury that not everyone can spare money for, which he says motivates him to make the experience worth it for his fans.

“The money that somebody has worked hard for, that they quite rightly deserve to be spending on the important things in life, the fact that they’ve spent that on a Calum Scott ticket means that I’ve gotta give everything that I possibly can to make sure that people leave feeling fulfilled,” he says. “For me to come back to Minneapolis and inject that joy … I mean, I think there’s no closer to magic that you can get than just sharing that moment with people.”

If you’re interested in seeing Scott live, expect a journey. Scott describes an explosive start to get everyone on their feet, followed by a detour to what he calls “Cry Corner.”

“Cry Corner, for me, is my favorite part of the show — it’s intense, it’s emotional, I have the first few rows crying,” he says.

Scott then draws the audience out of Cry Corner with Whitney Houston, then through his repertoire of dance songs and wholesome hits — something for everybody.

“If people wanna come and forget their problems for 90 minutes, I got you. If people wanna come and they wanna cry to the song that reminds them of their late mother, I got you. If you wanna feel like you wanna dance around like no one’s watching, I’ve got you,” he says. “I’ve got you in many different ways, and I think that’s what my shows are all about.”

With North America being the last major leg of the “Avenoir” tour, Scott says his biggest takeaway will always be gratitude for his fans. In return, he says he offers a lot more than just pop music.

“I feel like I offer a safe space. I offer relatability,” he says. “I always remind myself that I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the people that have listened and followed that journey. That keeps me humble, it keeps me grounded and it keeps me passionate.”

Scott offers VIP Meet and Greet ticket packages, which he says are really fun. He also released the song “Stay” with German pop singer Leony on March 20, which he describes as having “early Sabrina Carpenter vibes.”

Calum Scott — Sunday, May 3, 6 p.m. at The Fillmore, Minneapolis. Get tickets here.