R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe Confirms Collaborating With Many Musicians For His New Solo Album

As 2023 has just arrived, fans have started counting down the days for some exciting projects, and one of them is expected to come from Michael Stipe. Stipe will be releasing his first solo album this year. As he revealed in a conversation with Departures, he has carefully thought about it and worked hard for this album, and it will also feature many exciting collaborations.

“I’m working on a solo album, my first,” the vocalist said before sharing some details about his upcoming debut solo. “I’m collaborating with a bunch of different musicians, and each of those songs, if I get my way, which I think I will because I’m paying for it, will be very different. I have no management. I have no label. For the first time in my adult life, I don’t have a contract with anyone except myself.”

He continued, “So I get to do whatever I want. Anyway, there will be a visual representation for each of the songs, and it should come together next year. I’m hoping to build slowly. At the same time, I’m putting together my first institutional art show in Milan at ICA. I’m working on a bunch of sculpture pieces for that. There will be a lot of photo-based portraiture.”

He seems to be particularly interested in the visuals of the album. Michael explained, “So I have the record, the show, and then, of course, to further complicate it and make it difficult on myself, my next book with Damiani will come out as a loose program of the show. And I’m doing something that I’m completely terrified of and not sure that I’m capable of. Actually, I know that I’m incapable, but I’ve started painting.”

While this will be his first solo album, it’s not his first solo release. The first of Stipe’s solo singles, ‘Your Capricious Soul,’ was released in 2019, and ‘Future if Future,’ produced by Brian Eno, dropped in early 2022. It is not known precisely when this new album will be released. However, as further details about the album come out, it is certain that the dose of excitement and curiosity increases.

It doesn’t look like this year will be just about new music for Stipe. A new book, an art exhibition, and paintings are on the horizon in 2023 for the artist who has started to explore different artistic waters. So 2023 will definitely be a creative and exciting year for Stipe, and it’s up to us to follow what he’s going to do!