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Back in June, the legendary Mavis Staples released a cover of Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed.” Now, that extra stirring rendition has itself a proper home as part of Staples’ upcoming 15th solo album, Sad And Beautiful World, due out November 7th via ANTI-.
The 10-track album (her first since 2019’s We Get By) was produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, and Nathaniel Rateliff) and is said to span “seven decades of the American songbook — a range nearly as vast as Mavis’ career — and includes reinventions of timeless songs as well as original music,” according to a statement. Across this musical journey, Staples is joined by suite of friends and fellow legendary talent, including Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy, Derek Trucks, Katie Crutchfield, MJ Lenderman, and Justin Vernon.
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No matter the guest, though, Sad And Beautiful World is Staples at her most beguiling and compelling. The statement goes on to say that it’s Staples accomplishing “what only she can do…embracing vulnerability, she sings close and deep here, drawing the listener into a circle filled with her unforgettable presence.”
It’s also very much a record not just about indulging the vital songs of the past, but confronting present-day troubles as Staples “stands side-by-side with us in the face of dangers she knows all too well, at a time when more and more people have reason to wonder who and what could be lost.”
For his part, Cook tried to keep the focus solely on Staples’ vocals; the statement said that each song “began with spare skeleton recordings, just drum and piano…to never to overshadow or undermine the framework [Staples had] established.” He likened the process to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Will the Circle Be Unbroken with “a group of artists coming together to celebrate community — in this case, one centered on Mavis.”
In addition to the aforementioned “Godspeed,” Sad And Beautiful World features a cover of Kevin Morby’s 2020 single “Beautiful Strangers.” In Staples’ more than capable hands, the song takes on new life as she sings lines like “If you ever hear the gunshot… think of mother / I am a rock” with maximum personal warmth and power. Listen to it below.
In a statement, Morby described Staples as among the “most important vocalists and cultural figures of both the 20th and 21st century,” and that her corresponding cover is a personal and professional high.
“Hearing Mavis sing ‘Beautiful Strangers’ is hands down the greatest moment and highest honor of my career,” Morby said. “Far beyond any kind of accolade or acclaim — having one of my biggest heroes sing something I wrote is the most validating and flattering thing that could ever happen to me as a songwriter and person. Thank you, Mavis. Mavis also wields that extremely rare power to take a song somebody else wrote and make it entirely her own. As the person who penned ‘Beautiful Strangers’ I feel I have every right to say; her version is better.”
Despite the deeply personal nature of Sad And Beautiful World, the record almost never came to pass. Staples, who is now 86 years old, nearly retired in 2023. Ultimately, she decided not to in the name of the eternal optimism she’s always championed via her music.
“You have to stay hopeful and have faith that things are going to get better,” Staples said via the statement, adding, “I just have to deliver the compassion I feel. I want to share the song the way I feel it.”
In addition to the album news and single, Staples has expanded her current tour schedule to include 2026 dates. Following a handful of shows in September and October of this year, she’ll play the Chicago Theatre, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and New York’s Beacon Theatre in January and February 2026. The full itinerary is below. Get tickets here.
Sad And Beautiful World Tracklist:
1. Chicago
2. Beautiful Strangers
3. Sad And Beautiful World
4. Human Mind
5. Hard Times
6. Godspeed
7. We Got To Have Peace
8. Anthem
9. Satisfied Mind
10. Everybody Needs Love
Mavis Staples 2025/2026 Tour Dates:
09/06 – Lone Tree, CO @ Lone Tree Arts Center
09/11 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
09/13 – Napa, CA @ Blue Note Summer Sessions
10/01 – Stoughton, WI @ Stoughton Opera House
10/02 – Stoughton, WI @ Stoughton Opera House
10/04 – Memphis, TN @ Mempho Fest
10/09 – Tucson, AZ @ Fox Theatre
10/11 – Prescott, AZ @ Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center
11/12 – Chandler, AZ @ Chandler Center for the Arts
01/10 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre *
01/24 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
02/28 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre #
* = w/ Nathaniel Rateliff
# = Allison Russell
English (US) · 