For his latest album 'Illuminations,' Josh Groban was much more involved in the writing process. Working with famed rock 'n' roll producer Rick Rubin (Metallica, Slayer, Green Day), he admits he was pushed by the super-producer. The result is a more personal album, which hits stores on November 15. "I'm definitely anticipating some questions from people in my life -- whether some of these songs are about them," he tells PopEater.
The first single and video for 'Hidden Away' is one such example. "I can definitely pinpoint one or two people -- at least -- in my life that I felt the song is for," he says. "It's also for myself as well. I think sometimes we sing songs that we'd like to hear ourselves and so in that way it can be very cathartic."

So what message does Groban want his friends to take away from the song? "It's about people needing the kind of life shaken out of them," Groban explains. "It's about people who are waiting for that release. It could be somebody coming home from work, a friend -- but the song itself is about people who need to be woken up inside."

As for the video -- his first in more than four years -- the Los Angeles-born singer wanted to convey that feeling without getting too intricate. "It's not overly complicated, but follows the stories of a few different people who are just simply waiting for that wake up," he says. "So I think the video represents that feeling, people seeing themselves the way others see them."

Fans should expect more videos for tracks off 'Illuminations.' "I think these songs really lend themselves to music videos," he says. "They're very personal stories for me and so my quest in making videos in the future is try and make videos that visually more and more match the mood of the song."