"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
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
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]
