Smokey Robinson has announced his first album of original compositions in more than a decade, the unambiguously-titled ‘Gasms’.
The nine-track album will arrive on April 28, and will be Robinson’s first record of all-new material since 2009’s ‘Time Flies When You’re Having Fun’. In that time, Robinson has worked on other projects, including the 2017 holiday album ‘Christmas Everyday’, and 2014’s collaborative ‘Smokey & Friends’.
The latter record saw the Motown and R&B legend reimagining some of the biggest songs of his career, working with the likes of Elton John, Steven Tyler, Jessie J, John Legend, Mary J. Blige and Sheryl Crow.
Coinciding with the new album’s announcement, Robinson has shared its lead single, ‘If We Don’t Have Each Other’. Listen to that below:
“I chose this song as the first single of my new album because it’s different musically and has a slide dance feeling to it… which is different from what I’ve ever done before,” Robinson said in a statement. “It also has a current rhythm of today that I love, and I hope everyone else does too.”
This Friday (February 3), Robinson and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy will be honoured as the 2023 MusiCares Persons of the Year. The duo will be jointly honoured with a tribute concert at the Los Angeles Convention Center, two nights before this year’s Grammy Awards.
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The show will feature performances from the likes of the Isley Brothers, Brandi Carlile, Dionne Warwick, Chloe x Halle, Michael McDonald, John Legend, Sheryl Crow and Rita Wilson.
“I’m so excited for this year’s MusiCares lineup,” Robinson said when the line-up was announced earlier this month. “These artists are my friends and I not only love them, but I’m honored that they will be performing my music, along with hits from the Motown catalogue.”
Smokey Robinson’s ‘Gasms’ tracklist is:
1. ‘Gasms’
2. ‘How You Make Me Feel’
3. ‘I Wanna Know Your Body’
4. ‘I Keep Callin’ You’
5. ‘Roll Around’
6. ‘Besides’
7. ‘If We Don’t Have Each Other’
8. ‘You Fill Me Up’
9. ‘I Fit In There’