Fraser T Smith Announces Debut Album ’12 Questions’ With Features From Stormzy, Ghetts, Kano & More!
12 Aug 2020
World renowned producer, songwriter and musician Fraser T Smith has today announced details of his debut album 12 Questions by Future Utopia that with be released via Fraser’s own label 70Hz on the 23rd of October!
12 Questions is set to feature an incredible array of guest features including Stormzy, Dave, Kano, Ghetts and Dan of Bastille, as well as artists Es Devlin and Katrin Fridriks, poets Simon Armitage, Arlo Parks and Alysia Nicole Harris and former Black Panther, Albert Woodfox – insane!
The album is based on a series of twelve universal, human and urgent questions, each of which is posed by Fraser to a different collaborator. The questions are born of Fraser’s own anxieties concerning topics such as faith, freedom, race, gender, wealth, equality and ecology. The album runs as a continuous composition, with clear delineation between each of its twelve questions.
Speaking about the album, Fraser says: ‘I made this record not because I could but because I had to – there was no other way to progress. It’s the most ambitious, exciting and terrifying thing I’ve ever done. Creatively, it’s a colourful musical playground – the culmination of everything I’ve learned over my career, from 70’s progressive rock to hip hop. Culturally, it’s a celebration of humanity, whilst shining a light on some of the cruel injustices in the world. I’m so proud and humbled by the hugely diverse group of collaborators who have spoken their truths on the album. I hope the answers will enlighten the listeners and stir debate’.
The first single to be released from the album, Do We Really Care? Pt.1 is out today! The track features Tom Grennan and breaking Londoner Tia Carys on vocals, intertwined with threads of clarinet and saxophone that transition into an expansive, haunting choral version of Lovin’ Spoonful’s 1966 classic Summer in the City.
You can listen to Do We Really Care Pt.1? here.
Whilst we wait for the rest of the music to roll out you can view the full tracklist for 12 Questions below!
Fear Or Faith Pt.1 feat. Alysia Nicole Harris
Promised Land feat. Mikky Ekko
Fear Or Faith Pt.2 feat. Idris Elba
How Much Is Enough? feat. Kojey Radical
Million$Bill feat. Kojey Radical, Easy Life
Do We Really Care? Pt.1 feat. Tom Grennan, Tia Carys
Do We Really Care? Pt.2 feat. Simon Armitage
What’s In A Name? feat. Dan of Bastille
Why Are We So Divided, When We’re So Connected? feat. Es Devlin
Children Of The Internet feat. Dave
How Do We Find Our Truth? feat. Stormzy, Beatrice Mushiya
What’s The Cost Of Freedom? feat. Albert Woodfox
Freedom feat. Kano
Mountain Girl feat. Ruelle
Is It Too Late To Save The Planet? feat. Katrin Fridriks
What Happens Next? / Way Back When feat. Lafawndah
Nature or Nurture? feat. Jelani Blackman, Ghetts
What Matters Most? feat. Arlo Parks
Stranger In The Night feat. Arlo Parks
What Is Love? feat. Duckworth
Fear or Faith Pt.3 feat. Alysia Harris