The Cure share snippet of intimate new single ‘A Fragile Thing’

6 October, 2024

The Cure's Robert Smith

The Cure have shared a snippet of another song from their upcoming new album in the form of ‘A Fragile Thing’ – check out the clip below.

The post-punk legends have in recent weeks been preparing for the release of ‘Songs Of A Lost World’, their first album in 16 years, and have now shared a taster of its second single via the group’s fans WhatsApp channel and mailing list.

The snippet gives a glimpse into the track’s intimate, introspective lyrics, with frontman Robert Smith singing: “There’s nothing you can do to change it back, she said / Nothing you can do but sing / This love is a fragile thing”. Trademark intricate guitar parts and dark production lend the track a sense of emotional weight; listen here:

On September 26, the band also released the epic lead single ‘Alone’, their first new studio material since 2008 album ‘4:13 Dream’, while confirming that ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ will be released on November 1. Smith has said that ‘Alone’ was inspired by the Ernest Dowson poem Dregs.

That song was also previewed with a short taster on the private WhatsApp channel ahead of its full release. It was also one of many new tracks previewed on the band’s 90-date, 33-country ‘Shows Of A Lost World’ tour in 2022.

NME caught one of that tour’s dates at London’s OVO Arena Wembley, where they also gave ‘A Fragile Thing’ an early airing. In the four-star review of the show, NME noted: “The ticking clock piano rhythms and rolling bass of ‘A Fragile Thing’ accompany the promise that there’s ‘nothing you can do to change the end’.”

The profoundly moving tone of ‘A Fragile Thing’ may be influenced by the passing of Smith’s mother, father and brother, which he revealed in 2019 was the source for some of the new record’s “darkness”.

The full tracklist for ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ has yet to be revealed, but the album is available to pre-order now here.

The band have been discussing ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ for some time, telling NME after their 2019 Glastonbury headline set that the record would be “merciless” and “express the darker side of what I’ve experienced over the last few years”.

“I don’t think I’ve ever changed much particularly,” he said, comparing himself at the time to the songwriter who made ‘4:13 Dream’. “The core of who I am remains the same. Just like everyone, I have good days and bad days. I think I’m generally more of a balanced individual than I was 10 years ago. I’ve experienced more of life’s darker side, for real.”

Speaking to NME backstage at the BandLab NME Awards 2022, Smith revealed that the band were working on two albums – describing ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ as “relentless doom and gloom” and the second one as “upbeat”.

Since its official announcement, Smith has shared his thoughts on why the record has taken so long to see the light of day: “I don’t think there was really a kind of an official beginning to this album because it’s been kind of drifting in and out of my life for like an awful long time. I mean if I have one regret is that I said anything at all about it in 2019 because I really shouldn’t have done that,” he said.

Meanwhile, The Cure have announced they’ll be playing two shows for the BBC at the end of this month. You can enter a ballot for tickets to the first show on the BBC’s website until 9pm BST October 9. The band have been teasing another song, ‘Endsong’, too.

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