Mercury-prize shortlister and BRIT Award-nominated musician Loyle Carner has announced a brand new album, hopefully !, set for release on Island EMI on June 20th. Alongside it, Loyle has detailed plans for a huge global tour to follow his Glastonbury headline set on The Other Stage on 27th June, which includes a four-night residency at London’s O2 Academy Brixton in November.
hopefully ! was announced after the release of two new songs, all i need and in my mind, marking the groundbreaking British artist as you’ve never seen or heard him before. A life-affirming exploration of fatherhood, childhood and alternative music, the album is buoyed by a positivity and lightness of touch achieved in large part by stepping out of your comfort zone. In a series of firsts, singing, producing, and accidentally forming the band of his dreams, Loyle Carner cultivates healthier boundaries while also allowing his audience into his life. The album’s moving artwork features his muse of his son, who can also be heard throughout the record.
Loyle Carner first emerged with 2013’s EP, A Little Late, and has since forged a signature blend of unflinching, diaristic lyricism with ambitious, genre-disruptive sounds. His debut album, 2017’s Yesterday’s Gone, untangled personal experiences of grief and the pressures of coming-of-age; his 2019 follow-up, Not Waving, but Drowning, further showcased Loyle’s ability to set lithe rap against old-soul wisdom. A cathartic turning point proved to be 2022’s hugo: a taut, textured exploration of Black identity and anger, which also secured his second Top 3 album.
hopefully ! signals a new era in which Loyle continues to push the boundaries of his art and himself. In an always-unpredictable career, Carner’s work has remained as affectingly personal as it is uplifting and universal. Now a decade in, his impact has never been clearer: the same local hero, now rightly regarded as one of the UK’s most vital voices.
You can pre-order hopefully ! for early access to tickets now: album pre-sale opens on April 30th at 9 am local time, with Live Nation and SJM pre-sale on May 1st at 9 am, Spotify pre-sale beginning on May 1st at noon, and tickets available for general sale on May 2nd at 9 am.
2025 HEADLINE TOUR: (Only UK & Ireland dates shown)
02.11.25 London O2 Academy Brixton
03.11.25 London O2 Academy Brixton
04.11.25 London O2 Academy Brixton
05.11.25 London O2 Academy Brixton
07.11.25 Cardiff Utilita Arena
09.11.25 Dublin 3Arena
12.11.25 Glasgow O2 Academy
13.11.25 Glasgow O2 Academy
14.11.25 Glasgow O2 Academy
18.11.25 Newcastle O2 City Hall
19.11.25 Newcastle O2 City Hall
20.11.25 Birmingham O2 Academy
21.11.25 Birmingham O2 Academy
23.11.25 Manchester O2 Victoria Warehouse
24.11.25 Manchester O2 Victoria Warehouse
25.11.25 Manchester O2 Victoria Warehouse
