NEWS
R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe has shared fresh details about his long awaited first solo album, revealing that the process has taken more time than he originally planned.
Since R.E.M. officially went their separate ways in 2011 on good terms, Stipe has only put out a small number of tracks under his own name. Among them is ‘I Played The Fool’, which he recorded with Andrew Watt, Josh Klinghoffer and Travis Barker for the recently released series Rooster earlier this week.
Even so, he has quietly been developing his debut solo record for quite some time. Speaking recently with The Times, he offered fans a clearer picture of how the project is coming along.
“I’m working on a solo album,” he said. “But it’s taken longer than I wanted.”
Talking about what slowed things down, he explained: “Covid didn’t help, but I’m finishing it. When the band split, I just needed a break. I took five years but I got pulled back into music. It’s been a struggle. That’s the main thing. I want it to be great, but I’ve got the pressure of having been in R.E.M. and it’s a high bar, because I want this to be as good as that, and that’s near impossible.”
“So it’s fucking exciting but also terrifying, and I’m doing the music for the first time too, and I think I’m good at it but not great,” he added. “But I love my voice. I don’t like my speaking voice but I love my singing voice, and I so want to immerse myself back into offering music to the world.”
The conversation also confirmed that Stipe still has eight tracks left to complete before the album is finished. He mentioned that he is now working toward a target date and is aiming for a release sometime before the end of 2026. He also joked that the project could possibly carry the title ‘Meet THE Michael Stipe’.
Earlier solo material from Stipe includes the 2019 release ‘Your Capricious Soul’, followed by ‘Drive To The Ocean’ in 2020. That same year he also collaborated with Aaron Dessner’s Big Red Machine on the track ‘No Time For Love Like Now’.
Reports suggest that Stipe continues to have a positive relationship with his former R.E.M. bandmates Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry. The group reunited publicly in summer 2024 when they were honored with induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
During that event, the four musicians surprised the audience with an acoustic performance of their 1991 hit ‘Losing My Religion’. It was the first occasion they had performed together since their appearance at the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.
Earlier this month, Stipe also made a guest appearance with Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy during one of their ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’ 40th anniversary shows in Brooklyn. Together they performed R.E.M. songs ‘These Days’ and ‘The Great Beyond’. The previous year he had also joined them for a performance of ‘Pretty Persuasion’.
Recently, Stipe has also been revisiting the lyrics of ‘It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)’ on Bluesky, pointing out that listeners have misunderstood several of the words for many years.
Take That have revealed details of their upcoming album Dreamers, shared news of a fresh single titled Feel My Love, and unveiled international dates for their 2027 Dreamers Tour.
Nearly two months after completing their second Circus tour, the hugely successful trio of Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald have announced an extensive European schedule featuring over 30 concerts. They have also revealed that their tenth studio record is scheduled for release later this year.
The album’s third track, Feel My Love, will be available next Friday, September 4, 2026, and features Irish American singer and songwriter Michael Patrick Kelly.
The song comes after You’re A Superstar and Sweet July, both of which were performed throughout The Circus Live tour.
The Dreamers Tour will be Take That’s largest European run in several years, with 31 concerts scheduled across 16 countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Ireland. The journey will open in Zurich on June 3 before concluding in Tüßling, Germany, on July 23, while additional performances are expected to be revealed. Audiences will hear songs from Dreamers alongside favourites from the group’s 30 year catalogue.
Those hoping to access tickets ahead of the public sale can preorder Dreamers beginning September 2 at 10am local time. Presales through participating venues will start on September 3, followed by the general release of tickets one day later. Complete tour information can be found at takethat.com.
The announcement of fresh music and further concerts will come as welcome news to supporters, particularly after Gary opened up about the difficult emotions he experienced following The Circus Live tour.
Speaking honestly in a video posted to Instagram, the 55 year old performer admitted that he had “fallen off a cliff” after the returning tour finished at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on July 4.
He explained that he had spent several weeks attempting to film the message: “Whenever we come off tour, it always feels a little bit of an anti-climax… but for some reason, it just feels like I’ve completely fallen off a cliff since the end of the shows.”
Gary also reached out to anyone experiencing similar feelings after the concerts, explaining that the emotional intensity of performing appears to become stronger with every passing year.
Looking back on the happiness the tour brought, he confirmed that The Circus will not be staged for a third time because the demanding production has become too physically challenging at his age.
While hinting at what comes next, Gary said: “I got to run away with The Circus twice. Now I’m running towards our next exciting, brand-new show."
Alongside a recently released Netflix documentary offering viewers a glimpse behind the scenes, Take That’s Manchester concert during the returning Circus run became the most viewed live streamed UK performance so far after airing through Amazon Music.
