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Alone (The Cure song)

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"Alone"
Single by the Cure
from the album Songs of a Lost World
Released26 September 2024 (2024-09-26)
GenreGothic rock
Length6:48
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)Robert Smith
Producer(s)
The Cure singles chronology
"Disintegration (live)"
(2019) 		"Alone"
(2024) 		"A Fragile Thing"
(2024)

"Alone" is a song by English rock band the Cure. Released on 26 September 2024, it was the first new studio recording of original material from the band in 16 years and their first new studio recording of any kind in a decade, since their appearance on 2014's The Art of McCartney. It is the lead single from the band's record Songs of a Lost World (2024), their first studio album since 4:13 Dream in 2008.

Background

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A new album had been hinted at since 2019, with its release date slipping out to five years.[1] The album's title was announced in early 2022, and its associated tour – during which "Alone" was performed live for first time – began later that year.[2][3]

Robert Smith explained "It's the track that unlocked the record; as soon as we had that piece of music recorded I knew it was the opening song, and I felt the whole album come into focus," and further stated that "I had been struggling to find the right opening line for the right opening song for a while, working with the simple idea of 'being alone', always in the back of my mind this nagging feeling that I already knew what the opening line should be."[4] He took inspiration from the 1902 posthumous poem "Dregs" by Ernest Dowson.[5]

Reception

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Alexis Petridis wrote in The Guardian that "[t]he overall message of 'Alone' to [singer Robert Smith's] audience seems to be: abandon hope all ye who think the Cure's best song is 'The Love Cats' or 'Friday I'm in Love'. But for those who ultimately prefer the Cure when they're wreathed in misery and despair – as you suspect Smith does – 'Alone' is quite the appetiser."[6]

Éamon de Paor of The Irish Times observed, "The lead single had already created a buzz among Cure fans, with a feeling that the band might be back to their best following 4:13 Dream, their going-through-the-motions let-down from 2008." He further commented that "here Smith is at his most epically introspective – that's when he finally turns up, cresting a crestfallen riff at three minutes and 30 seconds. It's slow, sad and brilliant, while the lyrics offer a signpost to the angst to follow as Smith declares, 'This is the end of every song we sing. The fire burned out to ash, the stars grown dim with tears.'"[7]

Sam Walker-Smart of Clash regarded the song as "some of the best material since the early nineties. While Bloodflowers is nothing to sleep on, there's already a drive, a longing apparent on this Songs Of A Lost World cut that elevates things to another level. This is a stunning return that makes us more excited for the whole package", and rated the song a 9/10.[8]

Year-end lists

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Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Consequence 200 Best Songs of 2024 12 [9]
The Guardian The 20 Best Songs of 2024 11 [10]
The Independent 20 Best Songs of 2024 6 [11]
NME The 50 Best Songs of 2024 19 [12]
Paste The 100 Best Songs of 2024 47 [13]
Pitchfork The 100 Best Songs of 2024 15 [14]
Stereogum The 50 Best Songs of 2024 11 [15]

Charts

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Chart performance for "Alone"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australia Digital Tracks (ARIA)[16] 31
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[17] 22
UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[18] 26
UK Singles Sales (OCC)[19] 27
US Rock Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[20] 15
US Alternative Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[21] 10

References

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  1. ^ Doyle, Patrick (30 March 2019). "The Cure's Robert Smith on Rock Hall Induction and 'F-cking Great' New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  2. ^ "The Cure Debuted New Songs "Alone" And "Endsong" At European Tour Opener". Stereogum. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  3. ^ Teeple, Alice (3 March 2022). "Robert Smith Reveals title of New Cure Album "Songs of a Lost World"". Post-Punk.com. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  4. ^ Trendell, Andrew (26 September 2024). "The Cure share epic and emotional single 'Alone' and announce long-awaited new album 'Songs Of A Lost World'". NME. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  5. ^ Paul Brannigan (26 September 2024). ""It's the track that unlocked the record." The Cure introduce their long-awaited new album Songs Of A Lost World with gorgeous, haunting new single Alone". louder. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  6. ^ Petridis, Alexis (26 September 2024). "The Cure: Alone review – majestically wreathed in misery and despair". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  7. ^ "The Cure: Songs of a Lost World track by track review – Majestically desolate, gorgeously grim". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  8. ^ Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; ClashMusic (26 September 2024). "First Take: The Cure - 'Alone' | Reviews". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 12 October 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "200 Best Songs of 2024 | Consequence". 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  10. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Snapes, Laura (6 December 2024). "The 20 best songs of 2024". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  11. ^ "The 20 best songs of 2024, ranked". The Independent. 18 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  12. ^ NME (2 December 2024). "THE 50 BEST SONGS OF 2024 | NME.com". www.nme.com. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  13. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2024". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  14. ^ Pitchfork (2 December 2024). "The 100 Best Songs of 2024". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  15. ^ "The 50 Best Songs Of 2024". Stereogum. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  16. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 7 October 2024". The ARIA Report. No. 1805. Australian Recording Industry Association. 7 October 2024. p. 9.
  17. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart". Official Charts Company. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Official Singles Sales Chart". Official Charts Company. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  20. ^ "The Cure Chart History (Rock Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  21. ^ "The Cure Chart History (Alternative Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
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