English soul veteran Omar gave us a thrill last month when he dropped his single “Can We Go Out?” and announced that he would be releasing a new album this June. Now, he’s stoking our interest even further by giving us another preview of the set with its title track “Better The Days.”
“Better The Days,” which Omar wrote while the world was in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, taps into a bluesier side of the artist. A rolling bass line, horns and rhythm guitar set the scene and give the song a slightly somber tone, capturing the feeling many had in early 2020. They’re further amplified by Omar’s moody lyrics.
“This feels like a sentencing / Chains around my feet and my hands,” he sings on the opening verse. “Although there has been no crime / Life for many is so unkind.” However, though his mind might be on the ills of the world at the moment, the chorus shows that he still has hope for better days ahead as long as he has the love of his family.
“Music is what I live for,” Omar said of the song. “But so, too, are my children. ‘Brighter The Days’ just means something better is coming for all of us.”
Though we’re getting to hear “Brighter The Days” now, the song is part of a maxi-single that will also include the new track “Research” featuring Honey Larochelle and a Zed Bias remix of “Can We Go Out?” for our listening pleasure. The maxi-single is set to be released on Friday, March 28th, but you can pre-order it now via Bandcamp.
Before you do that, though, take a listen to Omar’s latest right here, and get ready for the full Brighter The Days album to drop on Friday, June 6th.
