The Kid LAROI has announced his third studio album Before I Forget, set for release on January 9th via Columbia Records.
The announcement arrives alongside LAROI’s new R&B-tinged single “A Perfect World”, marking a significant shift in direction for the Australian artist. Listen below.
The album represents a complete creative overhaul for LAROI, who scrapped an entirely different record that was already completed and ready for submission. In terms of the sound and lyrics, “it was extremely different than this one,” he explained to Variety. “It didn’t flow as well and I felt as if I grew out of it really quickly. I didn’t feel comfortable releasing it.”
This creative pivot led to what LAROI describes as a more introspective body of work. “Sonically, [it’s] a sadder, more emotional sounding album, I’d say. Something about it also feels a bit nostalgic,” he revealed.
The majority of Before I Forget was created in approximately three months. “I would say the biggest difference with this album process versus the scrapped one is that this one was made in much shorter time period with a lot more direction, and with a lot of the same crew,” he noted. “I knew exactly what I wanted to say and how I felt. The scrapped album sounded like I was unsure. And I was. I was a bit confused, I think.”
Only one track from the previous sessions survived the creative purge: “I’m So in Love with You”. This sole survivor joins new compositions including lead single “A Perfect World”, where LAROI explores themes of romantic nostalgia and reconciliation. The track finds him fantasising about reuniting with a former partner, continuing the emotional vulnerability showcased in his previously released single “A Cold Play”.
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The creative process involved an extensive collaboration network, with LAROI’s younger brother Auz serving as co-producer and co-writer alongside industry veterans including Dopam!ne, Sean Phelan, Andrew Aged, Vegyn, Zack Sekoff, Jack Karaszewski, FNZ, Khaled Rohaim, Omer Fedi, Daniel Aged, Devin Workman, K Beazy, Billy Walsh, Eddie Benjamin, Matt Cenere, and Nick Weiss.
The Kid LAROI’s “A Perfect World” is out now. Before I Forget is out January 9th via Columbia Records.
