Bruce Springsteen reveals details about new album Only The Strong Survive

Virgin Radio

29 Sep 2022, 14:27

Bruce Springsteen has revealed details about his new upcoming album titled Only The Strong Survive.

The record will be a follow-up to his 2020 album Crossroads and his first new music in two years. The album is a collection of fifteen soul music greats from the legendary catalogues of Motown, Gamble and Huff, Stax and many more.

It will also feature guest vocals by Sam Moore, as well as contributions from The E Street Horns, full string arrangements by Rob Mathes, and backing vocals by Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore, Curtis King Jr., Dennis Collins and Fonzi Thornton. 

In a video posted to social media , the musician talks about the process of making the album in lockdown and says: “Before I knew it, I had an album done but, of course, I threw that one out because that’s how I roll, and that’s when we begin. As in the past, never to be deterred, I kept recording and on my second try, I found a theme I wanted to explore.”

The theme, according to Springsteen, was focusing on his voice first before the arrangement of his songs. He explained he usually put his melodies and compositions first and his voice “always came second, third or fourth.”

The singer continued: “This time I decided to do something I had never done before- make some music that is centred around singing, around challenging my voice.”

He added that soul music was a huge inspiration for the new album, especially that of Smokey Robinson, The Supremes and Levi Stubbs and the record will be comprised of 15 soul gems.

You can see the full tracklist below:

1. Only the Strong Survive
2. Soul Days feat. Sam Moore
3. Nightshift
4. Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)
5. The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore
6. Turn Back the Hands of Time
7. When She Was My Girl
8. Hey, Western Union Man
9. I Wish It Would Rain
10. Don’t Play That Song
11. Any Other Way
12. I Forgot to Be Your Lover feat. Sam Moore
13. 7 Rooms of Gloom
14. What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
15. Someday We’ll Be Together

The Boss also talked about how he discovered the power of his own voice while doing this project and said: “I’m 73 years old, and I’m kicking ass. I’m a good old man!”

At the end of the clip, Springsteen revealed the new record would be called Only The Strong Survive and it is available for pre-order here.

The singer also released a song from the album, called Do I Love You (Indeed I Do), which you can see below:

This comes as the singer gears up for a world tour with the E Street Band next year. It will be his first live performance with the full band since 2017 and the tour kicks off in the US between 1st February and 14th April before heading to Europe and London’s Hyde Park with two shows in the summer.

Only The Strong Survive will be released on 11th November.