S Poddar
The Cure is releasing a new song called Alone this Thursday. It has been 16 years of no news about them, but a new track will be out this Thursday. Long-suffering fans of the classic band have been waiting for that moment to arrive, and the new song promises to bring that familiar but always changing sound that had made The Cure one of the most-beloved alternative rock bands of the 1980s and onwards.
A teaser for Alone has popped up on social media, and a small preview of what is soon to come. The song description is a symphonic ballad marrying heavy drums with dark swirling electric guitar. The frontman of the band is, Robert Smith, singing refl exive and emotive words: This is the end of every song that we sing / the re burned out to ash, the stars grow dim with tears. The sweeping electronic and melancholy words hint that Alone will be a bittersweet recognition of what the band has done before and, at the same time, a brand new addition to their extensive legacy.
The track is due for its first official airing on BBC Radio 6 Music on Mary Anne Hobbs’s show at noon UK time, ending a protracted dry spell for new songs by the band. It has been nearly five years since The Cure released new material, 4:13 Dream, and it was not entirely without its problems. The Guardian wrote upon release: “admirably taut and vibrant, though nothing here scales classic heights.” A companion record, 4:14 Scream, had been mooted for 2014 but never emerged. Talking in 2018 Smith admitted that he had been having some creative problems, saying, “I’ve hardly written any words since then. I think there’s only so many times you can sing certain emotions.”
Despite all these challenges, work on the Meltdown festival curated by Smith rejuvenated him. Somewhere in 2019, the band headed into the studio, and it would be great if they did not return with a lot of new material. Recording sessions brought out 19 tracks – mostly over 10 minutes long, said Smith. It was so dark,” he told Rolling Stone, and “incredibly intense.” He seemingly enjoys what has come to life.
After years of rumors and silence, Smith finally announced in 2022 that the album would carry the title Songs of a Lost World. Although there is as yet no official announcement about the full album release, fans caught on to a few teasers. Some fans had received cryptic postcards hinting at the existence of the album, while a poster was spotted in a pub in Crawley—where the group hails from—featuring the title of the new album and a date: November 1, 2024. The date, scribbled in Roman numerals, has invited speculation that this is when Songs of a Lost World might officially appear, and many predict that “Alone” will be included.
Mass influence on rock music was exerted by The Cure. Even years since the last album release, the band stays in line with their specific musical style. Their nervy guitar pop and gothic grandeur please not only the long-term followers but also younger people. The band has shown how influence can endure for generations of new listeners by 17 million monthly Spotify users.
Even though The Cure hasn’t put out new material in over ten years, the group remains active. They continue to tour and travel throughout the world, sometimes playing marathons that last over three hours. It is from these live performances that they have solidified their position as one of the longest-running acts in rock history. Also in the news in 2023, Robert Smith pushed back against excessive fees charged by Ticketmaster on their U.S. tour, forcing partial refunds of their fans-a rare win in this often complicated relationship between artists and ticketing firms.
The band has also fought personal battles. On 5 February, keyboardist Roger O’Donnell announced he was suffering from a rare and aggressive strain of lymphoma, a blood cancer. Through the worst of it, O’Donnell got fans to move their concerns to the backburner with an update that sounds optimistic: \”I’m fine and the prognosis is amazing. The mad axe murderer knocked on the door and we didn’t answer.\””
As the wait for Alone and Songs of a Lost World starts to get underway, the return of The Cure is going to be one of the top talkings points in rock this year. After 16 years have passed, fans will finally have new music from a band that has moulded the sound of modern rock and inspired countless numbers of other artists. Whether an album in advance of full new material or simply a single standalone record, Alone marks a new chapter for The Cure-one perhaps many would wish to hear.
