Robert Smith talks The Cure’s ‘Songs of a Lost World’: “If I have one regret, it’s that I said anything about it at all in 2019”

The Cure officially announced Songs of a Lost World, their first album in 16 years, on Thursday, and with it shared the album’s first single and opening song, “Alone.” As anyone who saw The Cure perform it on their Shows of a Lost World tour knew, it’s got strong Disintegration vibes and with its lengthy and dramatic intro — swirling synths, a very Cure bassline — it’s a real grand entrance of a song. If you haven’t heard it yet you can listen below.

In a new interview video short posted to The Cure’s socials, Robert Smith talks about the new album and how “Alone” was central to it’s creation. “Key, I think, in the history of the band,” Smith muses while sitting in front of a studio mixing board, “if I know what the opening song is, and I know what the closing song is, I think the album is halfway done.”

Robert also talks about what seemed like a very long birth for this record. “If I have one regret, it’s that I said anything about it at all in 2019,” he admists (and he talked about it a lot that year). “I really shouldn’t have done that, we’d only just started creating it.” He also says that for various reasons, things got pushed back, but we’re here now. Watch that video below.

Songs of a Lost World is out November 1 and you can preorder it in the BV shop.