From his show-stealing double-bill of Glastonbury sets to his new album ‘Are We There Yet?’ debuting at #2 and this weekend’s performance on ‘Strictly’, 2023 has seen Rick Astley cement and celebrate his status as a national treasure. Now Rick shares his new single ‘Forever And More’ ahead of his two long sold-out headline shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Following the album’s first two singles, ‘Dippin My Feet’ and ‘Never Gonna Stop’, Rick now sets a moodier tone with the new single ‘Forever and More’. His powerful soul vocal, a voice of experience, tells the story of a fleeting love interest, who arrives and departs in a flurry of drama – all to the backdrop of an instrumental that links the Stax Records tradition with a contemporary rock touch. ‘Forever And More’ was solely written, produced and engineered by Rick, who also performed everything you hear on the track aside from its female backing vocals.
Rick says, “‘Forever And More’ is about someone special leaving your life because you did not make the effort and you were too late appreciating how amazing the person was.”
The third consecutive album that Rick Astley has made at his home studio in southwest London, ‘Are We There Yet?’ shows that Rick continues to excel by making music both independently and entirely upon his own terms. It’s a record that pulsates with echoes of Rick’s prevalent influences: the timeless soul of Bill Withers, Al Green and Marvin Gaye with the vibrant live instrumentation of the Muscle Shoals R&B scene and a touch of yearning heartland rock. And it has continued the remarkable resurgence that began when he returned to #1 with ‘50’ in 2016, as ‘Are We There Yet?’ extended a run of consecutive Top 10 albums that has also included 2018’s ‘Beautiful Love’ (#6) and 2019’s hits and reimagined recordings collection ‘The Best Of Me’ (#4). The title ‘Are We There Yet?’ questions where Rick is at at this stage in his life and career, but shows that there are plenty more adventures waiting just over the horizon.
Rick Astley has played some intimate shows in recent weeks in celebration of ‘Are We There Yet?’, mixing brand new songs, his rich catalogue of hits and select crowd-pleasing covers such as ‘As It Was’ by Harry Styles. He will follow this week’s Royal Albert Hall shows with a set at the all-star Magic of Christmas extravaganza alongside Emeli Sandé, Simply Red and Texas. His plans for 2024 then get underway with a huge UK arena tour, which has already seen select show sell-out months in advance. Tickets for the dates, listed below, are available HERE:
2023
Monday 30 October Kingston, Pryzm (SOLD OUT)
Wednesday 01 November London, Royal Albert Hall (SOLD OUT)
Thursday 02 November London, Royal Albert Hall (SOLD OUT)
Saturday 25 November London, Palladium, Magic of Christmas (SOLD OUT)
Friday 01 December Kingston, Pryzm (JUST ADDED)
2024
Thursday 22 February Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
Friday 23 February Newcastle, Utilita Arena (SOLD OUT)
Saturday 24 February Leeds, First Direct Arena
Monday 26 February Cardiff, International Arena (SOLD OUT)
Tuesday 27 February Glasgow, OVO Hydro
Thursday 29 February Bournemouth, International Centre (SOLD OUT)
Friday 01 March Birmingham, Resorts World Arena
Saturday 02 March Manchester, AO Arena
Monday 04 March Belfast, The SSE Arena
Tuesday 05 March Dublin, 3Arena
Thursday 07 March Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena (ADDED DATE)
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