They'll be opening for Muse and then going on a massive co-headliner tour with Interpol later this year; did you really think Bloc Party weren't going to do anything special until then?
Today, the UK indie rock band Bloc Party behind Silent Alarm announced Anatomy Of A Brief Romance, their upcoming new album, out September 11 via cOnTAGIOUS LTD/Virgin Music Records. They also shared their first single "Coming On Strong," accompanied by an official music video.
Listen to "Coming On Strong" below:
On their seventh studio record, the band find themselves dissecting modern relationships — a semi-biographical tale penned by lyricist Kele Okereke about sex, connection, and intimacy. It comes after the singer-songwriter, just broken off with his long-term boyfriend, found himself in the cycle of dating again, shocked to connect with a new person. "Every lyric you’re hearing on this record was something that actually happened to me," he says via press release. "I had to tell the story, from start to finish."
The lyrics of the record focus on bodies, the hosts of fleeting attractions, charged moments, and yes, brief romances. On the new album, Okereke notes, he wanted to specifically focus on the act of sex, commenting he's "“less prudish about sex and connection and intimacy" than he used to be. "I have no qualms talking about it," he adds, "because that connection is important."
"Coming Up Strong," then, chronicles the beginning stages of a romance, when flirting is strong and often provocative. "He shows me creep shots he took of me / Before we’d even been introduced," Okereke plainly sings before continuing, "He likes the cut of my jib / He likes my extra skinny fit / And on the C10 bus I realise it’s love."
On the new track, Okereke comments: "I like the fact that harmonically and musically it feels dark, sinister, like something is creeping up."

Anatomy Of A Brief Romance is out September 11 via cOnTAGIOUS LTD/Virgin Music Records. Pre-order here. Official tracklist:
- 22.01.22
- Coming On Strong
- Love Bombs
- Pigwig
- Lagoon Blue
- Muscleworks
- Clark Kent
- Worst Birthday Ever
- Not Your Problem
- Now We Can’t Be Friends
- Rotherhithe
- Stories
- Moving On
- Eulogy
Co-headliner tour dates:
11/10 Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena ^
11/11 Berlin, DE @ Uber Arena ^
11/12 Hamburg, DE @ Barclays Arena ^
11/14 Dusseldorf, DE @ PSD Bank Dome ^
11/16 Paris, FR @ Le Zénith ^
11/17 Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS Live ^
11/18 Brussels, BE @ Forest National ^
11/20 Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena ^
11/21 Cardiff, UK @ Utilita Arena ^
11/23 Manchester, UK @ Aviva Studios ^
11/24 Manchester, UK @ Aviva Studios ^
11/26 Brighton, UK @ Brighton Centre ^
11/27 Brighton, UK @ Brighton Centre ^
11/28 Sheffield, UK @ Utilita Arena ^
11/30 Dublin, IE @ 3Arena ^
12/02 Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro ^
12/04 London, UK @ Olympia ^
12/05 London, UK @ Olympia ^
^ = w/ Interpol
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