A New Album by Paul Simon Has Just Been Released
A while back, my Swedish friend Ricardo started releasing his own tunes on Spotify.
Instead of putting out an album, he released a song a month—each accompanied by a painting that doubled as the single’s cover.
This got me thinking about how we release music in 2023. It really isn’t how it used to be.
Now, Paul Simon has released a new album. I first found out about it while listening to a podcast I subscribe to called Broken Record. Without it, I wouldn’t have known—at least not today.
Halfway through the episode, I realised I should probably stop listening to Paul talk about the album and instead, go listen to the actual music…
So, I head over to Spotify and find one track called Seven Psalms. But wait—it’s just one track. Where are all the individual songs?
Oh well. I guess I’ll listen to that one track, and when prompted to “buy the rest”, I won’t—because there are so many other things I can get for free, right?
So why am I writing this blog post? If I haven’t even heard the album properly, can this really be about Paul Simon’s new release?
Well, it turns out Paul has done the opposite of what Ricardo did—he’s released the entire “album” as one continuous track.
And honestly? I think that’s genius. It means you have to listen to it as a whole. And if you want more, you’ll need to buy it. Even though you’ve already been given everything.
Not that it matters to Paul Simon—he doesn’t exactly need the money. But by releasing it this way, he controls the experience. Everyone gets to hear it, and he still holds something back. I find that interesting.
As mentioned, in 2023 you can release music however you want. There are no rules—just do whatever you dream up.
So, what about the album itself? Well, first of all, you should find out for yourself. It’s not exactly difficult—just click the link or check the playlist above, I’ve included it!
I can tell you this much: it’s based on one acoustic guitar, so how could it be anything but amazing?!?
Paul Simon’s Seven Psalms Sounds Twice as Good on Tidal—Here’s Why
Fast forward a few months, and I’ve discovered Tidal. The difference, particularly for Seven Psalms, between Tidal and Spotify is genuinely incredible.
I’d go as far as saying it sounds twice as good on Tidal. There’s something in the guitar that sounds distorted on Spotify.
By now, they’ve turned Seven Psalms into individual tracks on Tidal—so I guess the experiment didn’t quite work out.
Still, it was a bold move, and it got me thinking: what can you dream up for your own release?
As you ponder that, go listen to Seven Psalms on Tidal. You won’t regret it.
Seven Psalms | Related Pages
The perfect marketing plan
My Swedish friend Ricardo Ausin stumbled upon a concept that made me think: this might just be the perfect marketing plan for your music in 2023!
The times are a-changing, can you roll with the punches and come up with something that cuts through?
