Kele Okereke has opened up about a new Bloc Party album and teased that it will be “very personal and confessional”.
In a new interview with Billboard, the musician opened up about his recently released solo album ‘The Singing Winds Pt. 3’ which marked the third instalment in Okereke’s series called ‘The Elements’, a string of solo albums by the Bloc Party frontman that originated in lockdown.
Previous releases in the series include ‘The Waves Pt. 1’ in 2021 and ‘The Flames Pt. 2’ in 2023. Speaking to the outlet, Okereke discussed the vulnerability within the album and revealed how that emotion will make its way onto Bloc Party’s next project.
“There are moments of vulnerability in this record, and throughout my career I’ve always written from an emotional place, but in the past things would be hidden in abstraction and just glimpses of my personal life; for the most part I’ve been quite guarded in things,” he began.
He continued: “With this next Bloc Party record, it’s very personal and confessional, and I’ve never really done that as a songwriter. I’ve always preferred an element of distance. But in the past year I’ve been through quite an unbelievable time and had some very difficult relationships with people, and this is the only place to put all of that.”
“This next [Bloc Party] record I’m making will be about the study of a fleeting relationship from start to finish. And it’s going to be incredibly personal, but I’m excited about that because it’s something I’ve never really done before. I’ve never really spoken directly, and this time I will.”
The musician went on to tell Billboard that Bloc Party’s forthcoming release will revolve around a relationship he had “someone that wasn’t honest and I think I need the world to see that.” He explained that the “record is going to come from a place of necessity. We’ve written everything and we’ll be recording soon, and hopefully will be out in 2026. The only thing I will say is that ‘heartbreak’ is a term that people keep bandying around about these songs. It’s going to be emotional, for sure.”
Bloc Party’s last release was 2022’s ‘Alpha Games‘. In a three-star review of the album, NME shared: “‘Alpha Games’ sees Bloc Party still championing the ’00s scene that they came up in, but there’s not a hint of nostalgia in sight. With a renewed vigour and the desire to keep things moving, this sixth album could soundtrack a new generation of indie discos.”
In other news, Gordon Moakes – the former bassist of Bloc Party – recently formed a new band, The None, and announced their new EP ‘Care’.
