AceShowbiz - James Arthur believes fatherhood has killed his "ego." The 35-year-old pop star had daughter Emily with Jessica Grist in November 2022, and James admits that it's changed his outlook entirely.

"My perspective changed when I became a dad. I've been on this selfish, self-indulgent pursuit for validation and recognition for my music. Like, why don't people give me my flowers? And all that kind of stuff. When you have a kid, you have a bit of an ego death, like, what are you doing? It's silly to care so much about external things from people who don't care about you," the "Say You Won't Let Go" hitmaker told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column.

James admitted that he was previously very "self-absorbed." The singer shared, "It's been good for me as someone who has been on a self-absorbed pursuit."

Earlier this year, James claimed that fatherhood has made him more "grounded." The pop star also acknowledged that he's "nowhere near as important" as his little girl. He told Best Magazine, "Emily is incredible. There are no words to describe how I feel about her. She has been so good for me, mentally, I think. She's become my anchor."

"For most of my life I have been a lone wolf on this selfish endeavour, with a chip on my shoulder, trying to be successful in spite of my difficult beginnings. The moment Emily was born, an immediate sense of calmness came over me and I thought, I am nowhere near as important as this little baby who I now have to be a father to. I feel very grounded. She is the most beautiful thing you can imagine."