Lovin' You

For an artist who hadn’t released a new album of original material in seven years, Richard Ashcroft couldn’t have asked for a better reintroduction to the masses than opening for his old mates Oasis on their 2025 reunion-tour stadium takeover. But the former Verve singer didn’t just turn up to peddle ’90s nostalgia. He opened his sets with “Lover”, a joyous, R&B-inspired bop that sets the uplifting, genre-bending tone for <i>Lovin’ You</i>, a collection of life-affirming anthems, unabashedly romantic serenades and playful dance detours that showcase Britpop’s most soulful voice in all its ageless wonder. It’s the work of a rock veteran who’s got an ear tuned in to the contemporary pop conversation: “I’m a Rebel” is a slinky, French touched workout (courtesy of guest collaborator Mirwais) that sees the singer push his falsetto to ecstatic new heights, while the title track suggests his stormy solo signature “A Song for the Lovers” given a rap remix. But we also get Ashcroft in familiar <i>Urban Hymns</i> acoustic-troubadour mode on late-night reveries like “Find Another Reason” and “Live with Hope”, which aim for the symphonic splendour and gospel grandeur of classic early-’70s Stones ballads. Whether Ashcroft is playing to the club or the church, <i>Lovin’ You</i> is unified in its mission to make life feel a little less bitter and a lot more sweet.