Ahead of his return to the stage, Barry Manilow has released What a Time, his first non-concept album of new, mostly original material in years. And he says for him, the project is a “full-circle” moment.
Barry writes in an Instagram post that the album is “a collection of songs that feel really alive to me right now. They reflect where I’ve been, where I am… and a lot of what I still want to say.”
He goes on to say that the songs also reflect “all the different styles I’ve loved working in.” That’s because, he notes, he wanted the album to feel like “a journey. Not just one sound, not just one lane… but a mix of moments.”
Barry explains, “That’s how I used to make records in the beginning… just following the music wherever it wanted to go. Letting each song be its own thing, but still part of something bigger.”
While making What a Time, he says, “I kind of realized… I was doing that again. Same freedom, same curiosity… same love for it. So yeah… in a way, this album really does feel like things have come full circle.”
Barry says he’s “really proud of these songs,” which he describes as “a little bit of the past, a lot of right now… and still looking ahead.”
The entertainer is set to start his brief U.K. arena tour June 9 in Glasgow, Scotland, and wrap up June 17 in London. These will be his first major shows since undergoing surgery for lung cancer.
“I’m terrified, and I’ve never felt that way about going back on stage,” he told US Weekly. “I really don’t know what’s about to happen. I’ve never been in this situation, so I’m really very nervous about it.”
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