Cigarettes After Sex have just announced that they will be releasing their brand new album, X’s, on July 12th via Partisan Records. It is their first studio album since 2019’s critically lauded Cry.
Filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slowburn pop songs, Cigarettes After Sex band-leader Greg Gonzalez has managed to capture every emotion a romantic arc inspires. However, while previous albums have drawn from an amalgam of relationships, for the most part, X’s centralizes on just one relationship that spanned four years.
“The record feels brutal,”admits Gonzalez. “I could sit and talk about this loss to someone, but that wouldn’t scratch the surface. I have to really write about it, sing about it, have the music, and then I can start to analyze and learn from it. Or just relive it—in a good way. I don’t have that Eternal Sunshine-thing of wanting to forget.”
Today also marks the release of the record’s first single, “Tejano Blue,” a nod to the music of Gonzalez’s Texas childhood, resulting in the most instantly memorable version (and liveliest tempo) yet of the band’s signature sensual, timeless, love songs.
Gonzalez explains: “I grew up in El Paso & Tejano music is huge there. You could go to a lot of the bars in the city & hear artists like Selena, Los Ángeles Azules & La Mafia playing over the speakers. It was in the atmosphere around me back then, but I always rejected it & gravitated towards anything else I was attracted to really.
“Years later when I was living in New York City I finally started listening to Selena’s ‘Como La Flor’ at the same time that I was also listening to a lot of Cocteau Twins. I had the idea then to try to combine both of their sounds somehow, which felt a bit strange, but also felt like it was coming from a genuine place of rediscovering & finally connecting with the music that I heard around me in my youth.”
Listen to “Tejano Blue” below and head here to pre-order X’s.
On top of the album announcement and single release, Cigarettes After Sex have also announced a lengthy world tour, kicking off later this year.
Tickets will be available starting with an artist presale beginning Tuesday, March 5 at 10am local time for North American dates only. Additional presales, including international promoter presales, will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, March 8 at 10am local time here.
All announced tour dates — as well as artwork and track-listing for X’s — can be found below.
Artwork:
Cover Photo Credit: Min Byung Hun,
2010 / Gallery Kuzo
Track-listing:
- X’s
- Tejano Blue
- Silver Sable
- Hideaway
- Holding you, Holding me
- Dark Vacay
- Baby Blue Movie
- Hot
- Dreams From Bunker Hill
- Ambien Slide
Tour dates:
North American Dates
15 JUN 2024 / US / Manchester, TN / Bonnaroo
31 AUG 2024 / CA / Montreal, QC / Centre Bell
01 SEP 2024 / CA / Toronto, ON / Scotiabank Arena
03 SEP 2024 / US / Philadelphia, PA / Wells Fargo Center
04 SEP 2024 / US / Boston, MA / TD Garden
06 SEP 2024 / US / New York, NY / Madison Square Garden
10 SEP 2024 / US / Columbia, MD / Merriweather Post Pavilion
11 SEP 2024 / US / Raleigh, NC / PNC Arena
13 SEP 2024 / US / Orlando, FL / Kia Center
14 SEP 2024 / US / Atlanta, GA / State Farm Arena
17 SEP 2024 / US / San Antonio, TX / Frost Bank Center
18 SEP 2024 / US / Houston, TX / Toyota Center
20 SEP 2024 / US / Austin, TX / Moody Center
21 SEP 2024 / US / Fort Worth, TX / Dickies Arena
23 SEP 2024 / US / Chicago, IL / United Center
24 SEP 2024 / US / Saint Paul, MN / Xcel Energy Center
27 SEP 2024 / CA / Vancouver, BC / Rogers Arena
28 SEP 2024 / US / Seattle, WA / Climate Pledge Arena
30 SEP 2024 / US / Portland, OR / Moda Center
02 OCT 2024 / US / Greenwood Village, CO / Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
03 OCT 2024 / US / Salt Lake City, UT / Delta Center
05 OCT 2024 / US / Oakland, CA / Oakland Arena
07 OCT 2024 / US / San Diego, CA / Viejas Arena
08 OCT 2024 / US / Phoenix, AZ / Desert Diamond Arena
11 OCT 2024 / US / Los Angeles, CA / Kia Forum
15 OCT 2024 / MX / Mexico City / Palacio de los Deportes
EU/UK Dates
25 OCT 2024 / GR / Athens / OAKA Indoor Arena
28 OCT 2024 / NL / Amsterdam / Ziggo Dome
29 OCT 2024 / BE / Brussels / Forest National
01 NOV 2024 / IT / Milan / Forum
03 NOV 2024 / AT / Vienna / Wiener Stadthalle
05 NOV 2024 / PL / Warsaw / COS Torwar
07 NOV 2024 / DE / Berlin / Uber Arena
09 NOV 2024 / CH / Basel / St Jakobshalle
10 NOV 2024 / DE / Cologne / Lanxess Arena
12 NOV 2024 / UK / London / The O2
16 NOV 2024 / FR / Paris / Accor Arena
17 NOV 2024 / FR / Lyon / Halle Tony Garnier
20 NOV 2024 / ES / Madrid / WiZink Center
21 NOV 2024 / PT / Lisbon / Altice Arena
Asia Dates
9 JAN 2025 / HK / Hong Kong / Asia World-Expo, Hall 5
11 JAN 2025 / MY / Kuala Lumpur / Sunway Lagoon
14 JAN 2025 / PH / Manila / MOA Arena
17 JAN 2025 / ID / Jakarta / Beach City International
21 JAN 2025 / TH / Bangkok / Impact Exhibition Hall 5
South Africa Dates
5 MAR 2025 / ZA / Cape Town / Grand Arena at GrandWest
7 MAR 2025 / ZA / Pretoria / SunBet Arena
AU/NZ Dates
12 MAR 2025 / AU / Melbourne / Rod Laver Arena
14 MAR 2025 / AU / Sydney / ICC Theatre
17 MAR 2025 / AU / Brisbane / Brisbane Entertainment Center
19 MAR 2025 / NZ / Auckland / Spark Arena
