Robert Pattinson and his band of merry men are set to release their new album, Watercolors, on October 12th. The record is the follow-up to 2013’s High Life, which debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200. To celebrate, the Twilight actor has decided to drop by the UK to perform a mixture of headline shows and headline-free intimate gigs. As part of his UK visit, Pattinson will play four shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall on October 13th, 15th and 17th. The former Sexiest Man Alive will then move on to Newcastle on October 15th and Glasgow on October 17th for similarly intimate gigs.
A Bit Of Everything
Watercolors marks the return of Robert Pattinson to full-blown music-making. The album features collaborations with high profile musicians such as Sia, Tinashe and Labrinth. It will also showcase the versatile voice of the Twilight actor.
“It’s a bit of everything,” he tells Variety about Watercolors. “I wanted to make sure that people came away from the album with a better sense of who I am. I think my acting has helped people get to know me, but I also feel like making music has given me the opportunity to grow and evolve as a person. It’s just been such a fun process.”
The album’s first single, “Too Good (to Be True)”, was released earlier this year and features a guest appearance from Sia. It’s the perfect song to showcase Pattinson’s amazing falsetto voice.
Pattinson grew up listening to musical legend The Beatles, whose influence can be heard throughout the album. The British band wrote the title track for their 1965 album, and it’s been covered by artists such as the Darkness. The album also includes a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Sister Free”.
With his versatility and ability to effortlessly merge his strong singing voice with other instruments, it’s safe to say that Watercolors will appeal to music fans of all genres.
Different Vibes
The album features a much wider range of musical styles than its predecessor. While High Life was mostly comprised of dance-friendly pop songs, Watercolors is a more eclectic collection. It opens with a reggae-tinged track called “I Won’t Change”, before transitioning into a bossa nova groove with the title track. Elsewhere, the record veers between indie rock and folk music. It seems that, much like his acting career, Pattinson is always interested in exploring new genres and creating new sounds.
In an effort to bring some variety to his shows, Mr Pattinson has invited a host of famous guest musicians to join him on stage. “It’s been such a blast working with so many different people,” he says. “I’ve been really fortunate to have worked with some incredible singers, songwriters and producers. It’s something I look forward to every day.”
The guest musicians’ involvement certainly makes Watercolors a more entertaining album. But it’s the work of the album’s main producer, Greg Kurstin, that truly defines it. The musician, who has also worked with the likes of Adele and Bruno Mars, helped bring the album to life with his cinematic production. Watercolors is the result of a year-long collaboration between Kurstin and Pattinson. They started out simply emailing each other ideas for songs but soon decided to work together as a team. The producer then took complete charge of the project, working with the star to make every song exactly as they envisioned it.
Kurstin is quite the perfectionist and spent a lot of time crafting each note and recording the album with the utmost care. The end result is a lush, cinematic pop album that shows off the versatility of its main artist. It’s no wonder that Watercolors has already been deemed by many to be the best album of the year. In 2020, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album.
On October 17th, the Twilight actor will play Glasgow’s City Halls. The show will be his first visit to the city in seven years, since the band’s 2005 world tour. It will also be the first time he’s performed in Northern Ireland. In 2013, Pattinson cancelled the rest of his European tour due to the then-ongoing Ebola outbreak. As a precaution, he didn’t want to put other fans at risk of contracting the infection. Since then, the epidemic has been brought under control, but the cancellation served as a stark reminder of the disease’s unpredictability and risks.