“The Loop is a bombastic soul explosion with songs that jump from a rallying political cry, to grief over a friendship breakdown, to a sentimental ode to his young son, to whom he dedicates the album.” – GQ“What has spawned from this approach of raw expressionism is Rakei’s grandest record to date. It’s his most cinematic, most grandiose – his most ambitious.” – Wonderland“A master producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Rakei’s music is revered for its iconic DIY sound. But in his fifth album he dares to step out in a new direction.” – CLASH“Unsurprisingly polished and musically diverse, The Loop is an uninhibited soul-bearing piece of work from an artist who can devastate and seduce you in a single breath.” – NARC, 4/5 Revered multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer Jordan Rakei has today released a deluxe version of his latest studio album The Loop, which features three new tracks: ‘Celebrate’ featuring STUTS (which has already reached 2 million global streams), ‘The Seize‘ and ‘Talk Talk Talk’, which was recorded at the iconic Abbey Road studios during Jordan’s year-long residency. The deluxe album comes ahead of Jordan’s slot at Cross The Tracks festival alongside Michael Kiwanuka and Ezra Collective on Sunday, May 25th in South London. The Loop, Rakei’s fifth album saw Jordan achieve his first Top 40 album, be named Abbey Road’s first ever Artist In Residence, play a coveted slot on Glastonbury’s West Holts stage, sell out his biggest-ever shows globally, curate his very own BBC Prom, and finish the year of 2024 with 2 stellar sold-out nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall. As well as the previously unheard singles, The Loop (Deluxe) version also features live versions of ‘Trust’, ‘Hopes and Dreams‘ & ‘Friend Or Foe‘ from the Royal Albert Hall shows. Released last year via Decca (and Verve Forecast in the US), The Loop marked a new chapter in Jordan’s career that coincided with a number of profound changes in his personal life. It’s an extraordinary record, not least for its sheer, breathtaking ambition whilst retaining the experimental, off-kilter vibe he’s synonymous with. Containing singles ‘Flowers’, ‘Freedom’, ‘Learning’, ‘Friend or Foe‘ and ‘Trust’, the album showcased his typically bold production style alongside spectacular orchestral arrangements and haunting choirs, hypnotic beats and an Odyssean-style narrative that charts a course through times of darkness and positivity. Recorded at RAK Studios, self-produced and mixed by Ben Baptie, fans and critics will note how on The Loop, Rakei has stepped away from the DIY sound he was once known for (and still loves). He grew up listening to artists such as Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield and D’Angelo and having returned to immersing himself with their music recently, he knew he didn’t want this new album to sound like it was made in a bedroom. Inspired by a Bill Withers documentary, in which his hero ignored the contempt of his peers for daring to reach higher, Rakei set about assembling a crack team of musicians to fulfill his own crystal clear ambitions for this album. Speaking on the deluxe version, Jordan explains:“This deluxe album is special for me, because it features two new songs that hold a special place in my heart. So happy for them to be coming out in the world. It also features three live performances from my shows at The Royal Albert Hall last year which were some of my favourite live performances throughout the year of touring this record!” |
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| The Loop (Deluxe) Album ArtworkOriginal album:Flowers Freedom Friend or Foe Forgive Royal Trust State of Mind Hopes and Dreams Learning Cages Everything Everything Miracle A Little LifeDeluxe additions: |