Blood Orange to release first album in six years Essex Honey

R&B-electronic artist Blood Orange has announced his first album in six years, Essex Honey, set for release on August 29 via RCA Records.

It will be the first full-length release from the Grammy-winning artist behind the project, Devonté Hynes, since 2019’s Angel’s Pulse.

Written, produced, and recorded entirely by Hynes, Essex Honey is described as a “personal exploration of grief and his upbringing in Essex, England” with nods to Elliott Smith, The Replacements and Hynes' own earlier sounds.

The album includes contributions from a wide range of collaborators, including Lorde, Caroline Polachek, Daniel Caesar, Mustafa, Brendan Yates of Turnstile, and author Zadie Smith, who appears as a vocalist for the first time.

Other guests include Tirzah, Eva Tolkin, The Durutti Column, Wet’s Kelly Zutrau, actors Naomi Scott and Amandla Stenberg, and Liam Benzvi.

The upcoming release arrives on the heels of renewed attention to Hynes’ earlier work with his 2011 track ‘Champagne Coast’ recently going gold after finding a second life on TikTok.

In recent years, Hynes has been active as a composer, scoring films and series such as HBO's We Are Who We Are, Passing and Master Gardener.

The English musician has also performed his classical work internationally and collaborated with artists including Harry Styles, Mariah Carey, Carly Rae Jepsen and A$AP Rocky.

Two songs from the upcoming project, ‘Mind Loaded’ and ‘Somewhere In Between’, are out now.

A full track list has yet to be released.

Essex Honey will be out on August 29 and is available for preorder.

In the meantime, you can check out Blood Orange's  'Mind Loaded’ feat Caroline Polachek, Lorde and Mustafa below.