Jordan Rakei will release his highly-anticipated new album The Loop on May 10, his debut for Verve Forecast and Decca UK.
Ahead of the album, Rakei has shared the project’s second single, “Freedom,” launched as BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record.
Of the groove-laden track, Rakei shares, “To me, freedom is the absence of dread or sadness, and the ability to embrace happiness in life.”
In a triumphant return to the city where he cut his teeth, Rakei’s UK and EU tour in support of his new album includes a second night added to his sold-out headline show at Royal Albert Hall. At the beginning of his career, after venturing to London on his own with no contacts in 2015, Rakei put on his own show, catching the attention of his now agent. Tickets for the tour will go on sale February 2.
The Loop, Rakei’s fifth album, marks his recent signing to Verve Forecast and Decca UK—a new career chapter that coincides with several profound changes in his personal life, including becoming a father for the first time. Recorded at RAK Studios, The Loop was self-produced by Rakei and mixed by Ben Baptie (Moses Sumney, Beck, U2).
This is by far Rakei’s most cohesive work to date, following his acclaimed 2021 album What We Call Life, which demonstrated his natural curiosity in exploring new sounds. The Loop’s thirteen tracks features recently released single “Flowers,” a love song dedicated to Rakei’s wife. On the new album, Rakei steps away from the DIY sound he was once known for with bold orchestral arrangements and an Odyssean-style narrative that charts a course through times of darkness and hope.
Reflecting on the project, Rakei explains, “I wanted to get back to why I fell in love with music in the first place. All the artists I grew up listening to—Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield, D’Angelo—I found myself listening to again without that analytical producer side. And I kept that same approach when I started writing new music. No judgement, but also a lot of ambition and desire to make these grand-sounding arrangements. I didn’t want this music to sound like it was made in a bedroom.”
