It’s been 36 years since he first shot to fame, yet Rick Astley is now arguably a more prominent force in popular culture than he ever was. The endearingly boyish 57-year-old is still winning over new fans, whether he’s performing with Foo Fighters, Take That or Blossoms; becoming an unlikely social media sensation; or simply embracing the unending love that greets his era-defining smash ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ which was boosted by its use in an intensely affecting scene in ‘Ted Lasso’. Indeed, since returning to #1 in 2016 with ‘50’, Rick has enjoyed the strongest run of album chart positions of his entire career.
It’s been the journey of a lifetime, yet the road ahead of him remains open for further exploration – the next stop being the release of his long-awaited ninth studio album ‘Are We There Yet?’ on October 6th. Rick today launches the album alongside its first single, ‘Dippin My Feet’, and announces details of a UK headline tour which starts with two prestigious dates at London’s Royal Albert Hall this November, followed by massive arena dates in 2024 culminating at Manchester’s AO Arena. On the tour, Rick will be joined by very special guests Belinda Carlisle (except London) and The Feeling (London only). The news comes as Rick prepares to make his Glastonbury debut this Saturday when he opens the Pyramid Stage
‘Are We There Yet?’ is the sound of Rick reflecting and building upon the experiences he’s gone through since the release of 2018’s ‘Beautiful Life’. Some of the new songs were started during lockdown in 2020, but he decided to leave them deliberately unfinished until it was feasible to play them live again. A simple, unadorned piano ballad ‘Blue Sky’ speaks of the natural serenity that came from lockdown, but it’s a set that draws upon an eclectic array of inspirations.
Some are the result of the invigoration that Rick has enjoyed while celebrating the music of The Smiths during life-affirming shows with Blossoms. Others came from his huge sold-out North American arena tour with New Kids On The Block, Salt ‘N’ Pepa and En Vogue. Between shows, Rick would often gaze at the seemingly infinite roads ahead of him and think, ‘Are We There Yet?’.
Rick says, “Now, that phrase has multiple meanings. Are we there yet in my musical ambitions? Am I done with my career? Have we arrived? Or are we still travelling?”
The time that Rick spent in America’s heartland together with his lifelong love of soul stalwarts Bill Withers, Al Green and Marvin Gaye also informed the new album. It’s particularly prominent in ‘Dippin My Feet’, which puts an invigorating twist on Rick’s signature style. Rich with scorching, mid-summer vibes, the song sees Rick putting his own feel-good spin on both the Memphis soul tradition and Stax Records’ old-school R&B. The song has just received its first play from Zoe Ball on Radio 2.
Rick adds, “It’s not Americana, but the tag-line at the start of the chorus is: ‘Dipping my feet in the Mississippi River…’ It’s definitely not country, but I’ve never twanged a guitar as much as I have in the past couple of months. And there’s a bit more emotion with those guitar parts. I just think spending five months in America has retuned my ear a little bit.”
Listen to ‘Dippin My Feet’ – BELOW:
As with ‘50’ and ‘Beautiful Life’, the album was entirely written, recorded and produced by Rick at his home studio in southwest London. He performed almost everything you hear throughout the record, the only exceptions being brass, keyboards and some backing vocals. As a result, ‘Are We There Yet?’ shows that Rick is still pushing to reach even greater musical heights, in the process guaranteeing entertainment and joy on record, on stream, on radio and on stage.
In addition to the new tour dates and Glastonbury, Rick is also confirmed to play Standon Calling (July 23rd), Kendal Calling (July 29th), Paloznaki Jazzpiknik in Hungary (August 3rd), Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen (August 11th), Carfest South (August 25th), The Big Feastival (August 27th) and Radio 2 Live in The Park (September 17th).
‘Are We There Yet?’ tracklist:
1. ‘Dippin My Feet’
2. ‘Letting Go’
3. ‘Golden Hour’
4. ‘Never Gonna Stop’
5. ‘Close (Your Shoes)’
6. ‘High Enough’
7. ‘Forever and More’
8. ‘Driving Me Crazy’
9. ‘Maria Love’
10. ‘Take Me Back To Your Place’
11. ‘Waterfall’
12.‘Blue Sky’
Headline tour dates:
2023
Wednesday 01 November London Royal Albert Hall
Thursday 02 November London Royal Albert Hall
2024
Thursday 22 February Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Friday 23 February Newcastle Utilita Arena
Saturday 24 February Leeds First Direct Arena
Monday 26 February Cardiff International Arena
Tuesday 27 February Glasgow OVO Hydro
Thursday 29 February Bournemouth International Centre
Friday 01 March Birmingham Resorts World Arena
Saturday 02 March Manchester AO Arena
RICK ASTLEY will be joined by very special guests BELINDA CARLISLE (except London) + THE FEELING (London only)
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