Music
19 Feb 15

WATCH: Blur confirm new album + London Hyde Park show & premiere video

We knew when Graham Coxon tweeted "Nice day isn't it" that the rumour had to be true and, sure enough, Blur have confirmed the release of a new studio album - their first in 16 years - called The Magic Whip on April 24. The bulk of it was knocked-out in a five-day studio frenzy in Hong Kong with old production pal Stephen Street.

It all started yesterday with the dropping of Chinese New Year-themed hints in The Sun. They're also headlining Hyde Park on June 20 as part of the British Summer Time series of outdoor gigs.
"We couldn't do another gig without a new record," Damon notes.
"It felt like the best thing we'd ever done," Alex says of the sessions.
Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday February 27.
The news was announced, aptly enough, in Chinatown with the soon-to-go-to America Zane Lowe hosting the live Facebook announcement.
Whilst not elaborating, Damon said Hyde Park won't be the only Blur live happening. Tunes include 'Lonesome Street', 'New World Towers', 'Ice Cream Man', 'Thought I Was A Spaceman', 'I Broadcast', 'My Terracotta Heart', 'There Are Too Many Of Us', 'Ghost Ship', 'Pyongyang', 'Ong Ong', 'Mirrorball' and lead single 'Go Out', which premieres below.