Singer-songwriter Ryan Adams performs at Music Is Universal (Getty)
Ryan Adams is preparing to release his 16th studio album in 2017, entitled Prisoner, via his own label, Pax-Am. Fans have been treated to two new songs by the acclaimed songwriter, but there are plenty of other reasons why we should be getting excited for this upcoming release.
Here, we take a look at five facts about Ryan Adams’ new album, Prisoner, ahead of its Feb. 17, 2017 release date.
1. He Released the Record’s Second Single, ‘To Be Without You,’ Right Before the Holidays
Just ahead of the 2016 holiday season, the acclaimed singer-songwriter shared a brand new track, “To Be Without You,” via his YouTube and social media accounts. Fans of Adams and his prolific catalog of varying talents in music composition will listen to this new track and be reminded of his recent self-titled record from 2014, and even his older sounds, akin to Cardinology, Cold Roses, and Easy Tiger. It sounds like Prisoner is going to be another great addition to the future Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s collection of work.
Only a few years ago, it seemed like fans of Adams were going to have to wait quite some time for the musician to get back in the saddle to get back on his run of hit-making, heartbreaking writing. Our fears were quelled thanks to his metal album Orion and his B-sides record, III/IV.
These departures from his usual americana style were welcomed by listeners, but 2011’s Ashes & Fire, followed by some touring and festival appearances, reinvigorated his followers’ hopes. It all led to this new record, Prisoner.
2. Highs & Lows in his Professional and Personal Lives Influenced the Making of This Album
Adams was married to Mandy Moore for six years. Their divorce was finalized in 2016, a year after Adams released his 15th studio album: a full-album cover of Taylor Swift’s Grammy-winning record, 1989. He went full-throttle with more touring and just recently announced Prisoner, which is available for pre-order right now.
According to the most recent accounts of his assets, Adams’s net worth is around $12 million. But we’re more than positive that his new record, new touring schedule and residual assets from his Taylor Swift cover album will have a positive effect on his net worth the next time these figures are released to the public.
We’re also sure that his divorce from Moore could be having some negative effect, according to a number of tabloid stories claiming the This Is Us TV star had asked for $37,000 a month from the recording artist. Tabloid news will tell you some different stories, but we’re sure this one isn’t as true as we’re being led to believe.
3. Limited Box Set Purchases Get a Special
Straight-to-Vinyl Version of the Album’s First Single, ‘Do You Still Love Me?’
“To Be Without You” is the second track to debut off of Prisoner ahead of the album’s actual release. The first of which was “Do You Still Love Me?,” which premiered the first week of December. He also recorded another version of this song straight to vinyl at the legendary Electric Lady Studios’ all-in-one recording booth. He’s preparing to “hide” some of these recordings in random box set orders so that a number of fans will have quite a surprise.
Information regarding the Pax Am Exclusive Prisoner Box Set is limited. As the official February 17 album release date approaches, more details are sure to be revealed. Since we already know that there is a slim chance of getting this rare recording in a box set purchase, expect more surprises from the fun-loving singer-writer.
No matter the version of his lead single, “Do You Still Love Me?,” we know that this was and probably still is an emotional project for Adams. Due to his very private lifestyle, we never knew much about his life or struggles that weren’t made public in the past. But that just hasn’t been the case for Adams in recent years, has it?
4. Adams Recently Revealed That His ‘Very Public’ Divorce from Mandy Moore Heavily Influenced ‘Prisoner’
Actress Mandy Moore attends the 74th Annual Golden Globe (Getty)
As you can tell from the titles of the first two singles, we’re in for a classic Adams record that embodies the emotions of a talented, tortured artist. In a recent interview with The Japan Times, the 42-year-old singer opened up about the songwriting process for Prisoner, which was heavily inspired by his “very public divorce.”
“To be me and to go through that the way that I did was destructive on a level that I can’t explain,” he revealed to the Japanese publication, according to Consequence of Sound. “So a lot of extra work went into keeping my chin up and remembering what I did and what I loved about who I was.”
Adams’ busy tour schedule allowed him to announce his upcoming release while overseas, but he’s back in the States as we speak finishing up his music and working on even more projects. A great way to keep up with Adams and his work is though his Instagram account, of course.
5. ‘Prisoner’s Tracklist is Full of Dark Song Titles: Is This Adams’ Darkest Album Yet?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BO7_fA5jNaY/?taken-by=misterryanadams
Exploring the tracklist for Prisoner, provided just below, you can tell that this album is going to be rough – but isn’t that why we love Ryan Adams?
Prisoner Tracklist:
01. “Do You Still Love Me?”
02. “Prisoner”
03. “Doomsday”
04. “Haunted House”
05. “Shiver And Shake”
06. “To Be Without You”
07. “Anything I Say To You Now”
08. “Breakdown”
09. “Outbound Train”
10. “Broken Anyway”
11. “Tightrope”
12. “We Disappear”
Obviously, we’re not going to start to guess the song content and/or anything like that just from the tracklist of titles. Fans of Adams understand his mix of storytelling, musical hooks and even some cheeky references make for a complete package of rock & roll enjoyment.
His debut solo record, Heartbreaker, came of 17 years ago. We’d say that, since then, he’s been active, impressive, and interesting in the ways he’s handled his career. More music from Ryan Adams seems like a big win, and a great way to help start off the new year.
While Adams’ new album is about to hit shelves, he’s also working on a double album with alt-rocker Liz Phair, as we speak! Read more on this news here.