Loyle Carner has shared details of his upcoming album ‘hopefully!’ whilst also announcing a 2025 world tour.
The new record will be the rappers fourth full-length album and first since 2022 Mercury Prize nominee ‘hugo’.
It will hit the shelves on June 20 – just seven days before he headlines The Other Stage at Glastonbury – and has been described as a “life-affirming exploration of fatherhood, childhood and alternative music.”
The London rapper recently previewed ‘hopefully!’ with the sudden release of a double single, ‘All I Need/In My Mind’. The two tracks signalled a move in a new direction for Loyle Carner as he paired his hip-hop influence with the sounds of bands such as Big Thief, IDLES, and Fontaines DC.
mxdwn.co.uk covered the double single release, stating that: “‘all I need’ is an upbeat, indie-influenced track with poetic, metaphorical lyrics about searching for peace of mind. ‘In my mind’ takes a more relaxed approach, with a slow tempo and instrumentation that wouldn’t feel out of place on a King Krule record.”
Carner revealed that he formed a band earlier this year, which led to this more alternative style of music, with a statement saying: “After inadvertently forming a band around his ‘Hugo’ tour – a dream of Carner’s throughout his life – the introspective jam of ‘in my mind’ sees Loyle step outside of his comfort zone, whilst also centering on what matters.”
Fans are left purring at the potential of Carner’s fourth album, with all of his previous releases earning critical acclaim and showing a constant evolution in his sound.
His 2017 debut ‘Yesterday’s Gone’ garnered rave reviews and truly put his name on the map, with the 2019 follow-up ‘Not Waving, But Drowning’ earning more mainstream attention with a more modern sounding hip-hop influence.
It was Carner’s 2022 album, ‘hugo’, which led to the London rapper headlining a major stage at Glastonbury for the first time as he closed out Saturday on the West Holts Stage in 2023.
This year he moves further up the Glasto’ card as he will headline The Other Stage on Friday 27 June – just a week after the release of ‘hopefully!’. Following his massive Glastonbury performance, Carner will head out on a world tour.
He will head through Europe during October with performances in the likes of Stockholm, Paris, Berlin and Brussels.
The 30-year-old rapper will then come back home throughout November as he tours his new album to his adoring fans here in the UK. You can catch the full dates below, as Carner heads to London, Cardiff, Dublin, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, and Manchester.
He will then complete his world tour with four dates in Australia in December before heading to America next February and March.
Visit here for tickets to the UK leg of the tour and be sure to pre-order ‘hopefully!’ Before 10am on 29 April for first access to tickets.
Head here to pre-order or pre-save the brand new album.
