Photo: Lucas Creighton

Ryan Beatty has shared details for his forthcoming third studio album Calico.

Due for release 28 April, the album will be led by the new single Ribbons, which is out this Friday (18 March).

Described as a “warm and delightful listen” that showcases Ryan’s emotive vocals over a “delicate piano melody”, Ribbons includes the lyric “It’s brace to be nothing to no one at all,” which he refers to as the “proverb of Calico”.

On social media, the U.S. singer-songwriter said – and we’re presuming these are lyrics from Ribbons: “what started as a night became a morning under the southern sun became a citrus kiss became a crickets click became a cows howl behind the slaughterhouses door you spun the car keys took your shirt off chewed two apples to the core turning red turning west tipping the switchblade to roswell trucking through tucson my california called us in the distance i saw your shadow i held your cross i felt your heart i tasted your tongue in my teeth and it became the perfect carnage of my feelings for you.”

Calico is the follow-up to Ryan’s lauded sophomore studio album Dreaming of David. Co-produced by the star with Ethan Gruska, Calico was recorded over two years and “matches Ryan’s lyrical revelations with a luminously detailed sound that inspires endless fascination despite its great subtlety.”

A press release described the album as a “timeless ands transportive body of work” that provides “abundant space for the transformation and healing that led to its creation”.

 

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Recorded at Valentine Recording Studios and at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La in L.A., Ryan worked with musicians such as guitarist Dylan Day, drummer Matt Chamberlain, saxophonist Sam Gendel, string arranger Rob Moose and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, who contributed to the production and instrumentation.

As for the visual aspect, Ryan collaborated with Belgian artist Peter De Potter.

The 27-year-old is best known for his various collaborations with Brockhampton. After signing to Benny Blanco’s label at Interscope Records in 2018, he released his debut album Blue Jeans and worked on Kevin Abstract’s third album Arizona Baby and Tyler the Creator’s fifth album Igor (both 2019).

He released Dreaming of David the following year.

Listen to one of our favourite tracks from the album below.