Luke Evans is thankful for the support he received from Nicole Kidman and her husband Keith Urban when it came time to craft his new album, A Song for You.
The actor and musician, 43, chats with PEOPLE about the release of his sophomore LP, out now, and how he tapped Kidman, 55, for a cover of A Great Big World's 2013 hit "Say Something" for the album.
Noting he knew Kidman "loved to sing" and that the pair "would often talk about music while we were on the set of [the television series] Nine Perfect Strangers," Evans says Kidman invited him over for dinner one night — and the rest was history.
"We would talk about my first album, which she told me that she and Keith loved, and they thought my voice was great," he details. "I went to their house for dinner one night back in Sydney, after we'd finished shooting the show, and we were all singing around the piano at one point. It was such a lovely evening, and I'll never forget it. It was really special."
So when Evans realized that Kidman would make an excellent addition to a duet on his upcoming album, he knew he wanted to ask her, but he wasn't sure she'd accept his offer.
"I know they're musical and they love music and it fills their lives, so I just thought, 'I'm going to just take a chance and see if she would say 'yes' — and she did," he says. "It was a lovely moment, and we found time together to come to a decision on the song, and then she did her part in Nashville, and I did mine in London."
A Song for You is Evans' second studio album after 2019's At Last. He says putting the LP out was "a lot of work and a lot of time was put into this."
Alongside his duet of "Say Something," with Kidman, A Song for You also features various other covers, including "I Can't Make You Love Me," "Everybody Hurts," and "Over the Rainbow," as well as two holiday tunes — "Last Christmas" and "Silent Night."
Evans tells this album is "very different" from his 2019 LP, "because this whole album is more ballad-based."
"It's where my voice sits very comfortably, but I didn't choose easy songs, unfortunately," he adds with a laugh. "Really, these songs are major ... but they're just songs I've always loved to sing. They make me feel good, and sometimes we all need a song that makes us feel good, so I thought I'd put 14 of them on one album."
Evans also featured two original tracks on the project, "Busy Breaking Yours" and "Horizons Blue," the latter of which was released as a single.
The song, Evans tells PEOPLE, "is the second track I ever wrote" and focuses on "when you fall in love with somebody, and that moment of the immediacy of everything that happens when you meet someone. You never forget that moment."
He adds: "I'm a big fan of Adele, a big fan of George Michael, and I know that their music often comes from their love — sometimes tragic, sometimes beautiful, sometimes hopeful, and they take you on the journey. So I want you to do that with these songs, and 'Horizons Blue' is that."
"Busy Breaking Yours," meanwhile, "is a very different kind of song, more about regret and a bit of a heartfelt story of if you could go back and do things differently, would you?" Evans says. "It's a sad song, but it's a very powerful song."
Looking to the future, Evans says he has no plans for a follow-up album just yet, but he is open to it should fans want more from him.
"I think if I can sing and do my acting and enjoy them both, and people want to see me and listen to me do these things, then there's no reason why I can't do both," he tells.
"They bring me a lot of happiness, so if people enjoy it, and they want to hear more, I've got a lot more to give," Evans adds.
One idea he has for a potential third album could be a project composed of duets, given the popularity surrounding his song with Kidman.
When asked about some singers he'd love to work with, Evans doesn't hold back. "Adele, Barbra Streisand, Lizzo — I'd love to sing with Lizzo — I love Pink. Gosh, big fan of Pink," he says. "And oh my God, yeah. Lady Gaga! Of course, yeah. I'm aiming very high."
A Song for You is available to purchase and stream now.
