Michael Kiwanuka has shared full details of a new, self-produced album ‘FUDGE’, which he made prior to his health issues and “captures a sense of optimism, playfulness and freedom”.
READ MORE: Michael Kiwanuka – ‘Small Changes’ review: a homely, life-affirming listen
The singer-songwriter announced the new album yesterday (Wednesday September 23), confirming that more details would be arriving today, and also revealing that he suffered a stroke earlier this year and is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
“I’m very happy to be announcing to you my new album FUDGE,” he wrote on Instagram. “I’m especially happy because the last few months I’ve been battling some health problems which would heavily hinder and get in the way of me making music for the foreseeable future.”
Kiwanuka went on to share that he suffered a stroke a few months ago after a bleed on his brain, which he said was brought on by high blood pressure. He also added that the resulting brain injury was “quite severe” and that he still faces significant rehabilitation before he can contemplate a return to touring.
“It’s a long, tough journey ahead but I’m fighting to get better,” he said, adding that the past few months had been difficult but that he now feels he is making progress.
Now, he has announced more details about his new album – confirming that it will be his first self-produced album in 13 years.
Set for release on October 23, ‘FUDGE’ will be the fifth record from Kiwanuka, and was made before his health issues, but left pending for almost 12 months. It was written almost concurrently with the writing for 2024’s ‘Small Changes’, and sees him strip things back and let go of outside pressures and expectations.
“I had to do it differently from the last few records, otherwise there was no reason for this record,” he shared. “At some point in each song there had to be outpouring of something
that wasn’t overthought. It was almost like someone else was making it.”
The album will feature the seven-minute, heartfelt song ‘Love In My Heart’, which the singer said felt like the “eureka moment” when making the record, and also comes bookended by two songs – ‘Summer Clothes’ and ‘Swings and Roundabouts’ – which each explore his anxiety about working without the safety net of his long-time collaborators.
“It sounds like a break-up song,” Michael said of ‘Summer Clothes’. “It’s me knowing that the creative relationship I have isn’t going to last forever and I’m going to have find my own road. What do I do then? A lot of this record is working that out.”
As for the title, he shared: “When I think of fudge it’s playful and childlike, which is good for creativity… But also it’s a polite way to say I’m just going to do it.”
Visit here to pre-order, and check out the tracklist below.
The ‘FUDGE’ tracklist is:
‘Summer Clothes’
‘California’
‘Just Another Moment’
‘Drowning In Your Heart’
‘Love In My Heart’
‘Across The Sky’
‘Stars’
‘You Sent Me Flying’
‘Move In My Direction’
‘Steve’s Paradise’
Sing’
‘Swings And Roundabouts’
The announcement of his health struggles help explain Kiwanuka’s decision to cancel all of his remaining live shows last summer.
At the time, his team said that “continued illness” and advice from doctors meant he would be unable to perform at a number of planned festival appearances, including All Together Now, Sziget, Pukkelpop, We Out Here and Victorious. He was also forced to pull out of a run of North American shows supporting Mumford & Sons.
He has confirmed that all of his live commitments are still on hold indefinitely.
‘FUDGE’ will follow on from ‘Small Changes’, which arrived in November 2024 and saw him reunite with longtime collaborators Danger Mouse and Inflo.
Speaking to NME around the release of the album, Kiwanuka described the record as a deliberately more understated response to the expansive sound of its predecessor.
In a four-star review of ‘Small Changes’, NME praised its “heartfelt soul music” and wrote that “the softness of its approach does nothing to lessen the impact of Kiwanuka’s long-awaited return”.
