The adored gothic band, The Cure, released their 14th studio album on November 1st, Songs Of A Lost World. The Cure’s last album was 4:13 Dream, released in 2008, meaning fans have gone 16 years without new music. From the 80s to the present day, The Cure has connected with listeners through whimsical yet dark instrumentals and Frontman Robert Smith’s storytelling lyrics that break generational gaps. It is no surprise that the release of Songs Of A Lost World has only created vast amounts of excitement for new and longtime fans.
The Cure kickstarted their career in 1979 with the release of their first studio album: Three Imaginary Boys. Their next album, Seventeen Seconds, boosted their popularity, containing the hit song “A Forest” which gained attention because it broke the traditional verse and chorus pattern of songs. In the following years, the band would twist the definition of their genre, switching from Goth to Pop over the next few albums. Their seventh, eighth, and ninth albums were their most expansive work, containing classics such as “Friday I’m in Love,” “Pictures Of You,” and their most popular song to this date “Just Like Heaven.” The Cure would continue to shift their genre with each album, presenting a cycle of creating a dark sickly album followed by a playful imaginative album up until 2008 with 4:13 Dream. After their hiatus, The Cure released Songs Of A Lost World in 2024.
Frontman Robert Smith had been teasing his fans about the arrival of the new album for years prior to its release. The Cure’s most recent tour, Shows of A Lost World, lasted from October of 2022 to December of 2023. Before the tour, Smith stated that their new album was almost complete and would be released before the tour. A few unreleased songs from Songs Of A Lost World were played on the tour but other than that, the album would not be released until a year later.
Promotional efforts for the album only began earlier this year. In September fans who signed up on the Cure’s mailing list were sent postcards with a message that read “November 1st.” The band also changed their layout on Spotify to a newly refined logo, marking the beginning of a new era. The single “Alone” was released on September 26 followed by “A Fragile Thing” on October 9.
The official tour for the album may never return, but since the album’s release came after the tour, The Cure plans to play more shows in the future to allow fans to enjoy the music to its fullest after the album release. In an interview with Matt Everett, Smith mentioned the future of The Cure: “We will start up again next year… the next time we go on stage will be autumn next year.” The Cure is big on providing live music to the public, an activity they have found immense joy in for the past few years. Smith discussed his passion for playing live shows: “I’ve loved it, the last 10 years of playing shows have been the best 10 years of being in the band…it pisses all over the other 30 odd years.”
In the future, fans of The Cure anticipate another album and even more live shows. Smith told NME in 2022:“ We recorded two albums in 2019. I’ve been trying to finish two at the same time—pretty much impossible. One is nearly ready to go.” One of those albums was Songs Of A Lost World, but information about the other album remains ambiguous. 2025 is anticipated to be an exciting year for The Cure, loaded with buzz around their new album and future live show plans.
