The Cure has announced the release of their first new album in 16 years.
The "Boys Don't Cry" legends, who last dropped an album in 2008 with *4:13 Dream*, will return with *Songs of a Lost World* on November 1. Fans have already been treated to the new song "Alone" during their recent 90-date world tour, which is also the opening track of the upcoming LP and is now available for streaming.
Frontman Robert Smith reflected on the significance of "Alone" in a statement: "It’s the track that unlocked the record. As soon as we recorded it, I knew it had to be the opener, and from that point, the whole album came into focus."
Smith admitted he initially struggled to find the perfect opening line for the first track, but a poem by Ernest Dowson titled "Dregs" ultimately provided the inspiration he needed. "I had been toying with the simple idea of ‘being alone’, but something felt off. When we finished recording, I remembered Dowson’s poem, and everything clicked. That’s when I knew the song—and the album—were real."
The album’s cover art features "Bagatelle," a 1975 sculpture by Janez Pirnat, with longtime Cure collaborator Andy Vella handling the design and artwork. The band recorded the tracks at Rockfield Studios in Wales, and they plan to unveil the full tracklist in the coming weeks, having teased several of the songs during their tour.
In addition to the standard single LP and CD formats, *Songs of a Lost World* will be available in various special editions, including a Miles Showell Abbey Road half-speed master 2LP, a marble-colored LP, a double cassette, and a deluxe CD package with a Blu-ray, featuring an instrumental version of the album and a Dolby Atmos mix.
