Hope Is a Drug

*This article is about the album. You may be looking for the tour.*

***Hope Is a Drug*** is the fourth studio album by Charlie Simpson, released on 22 April 2022. Regarding its title, Simpson shared, "Everyone has been touched by the feeling of hope. It's fascinating how the human psyche has the endless capacity for optimism as a mechanism for overcoming adversity. The effects of hope are like a powerful drug, and it's inspired me to return to the theme time and time again in my lyrics."

## Synopsis

A heartfelt, lockdown-shaped fourth record from the Busted frontman.

## Background

The record was announced on 16 November 2021 along with its tour, becoming available for pre-order. Initially scheduled to be released on 11 March, the record was pushed back. In his public statement, he shared:

> I have taken the difficult decision to postpone the 'Hope Is A Drug' album and tour by a few weeks. Covid continues to impact manufacturing supply chains, therefore delivery of the physical formats have been delayed. As a lifelong music fan, being able to get my hands on a physical album is something I treasure, and I feel very passionate about continuing this tradition by releasing all formats at the same time. The new album will now be released on April 15th, and as with all touring cycles, naturally I want you to have the new album before my upcoming shows, so the tour has been pushed back to May, with the exception of both London shows remaining on April 18 and 19. All tickets will remain valid and of course if the the new dates no longer work for you, you will be entitled to a full refund. On a happier note, I'm delighted to announce @iamkidrain as support, and new music will still be coming out in March, so stay tuned. Thank you for you patience and understanding. Much love, Charlie. X
>
>

He told *Virgin Radio*, "I think [the album is] relationship driven." It was added of wanting to begin the record in late 2019, though COVID-19 delayed these plans. He continued, "I just basically decided to build my recording studio and sort of really learn the production side of stuff and I did have collaborators that I worked with, but it's was very much mainly done by me. I did like mixing engineering courses and sound engineering courses. I was just like beavering away. [...] I've taken on all these new skills and knowledge over the last three years." Differing from his previous artistry of anything acoustic, he wanted to "make a more intimate sounding record" and "explore the different ranges of my voice, you know, get to do a bit more than falsetto stuff". A majority of the tracks were written on the piano, and he purposefully avoided the guitar in favour of a different instrument.

In an exclusive interview with *NME*, he revealed that he "started writing it in 2019" and wanted to be "more stripped-back and showed my more vulnerable side". He expressed that the album dove into exploration of his past relationships, which he "never used to write about my feelings or relationships". It was named as his "most self-reflective record".

## References

1. ↑ "Charlie Simpson - Hope Is a Drug". 22 November 2021.
2. ↑ "Charlie Simpson". *Twitter*. 16 November 2021.
3. ↑ Rogers, Jack (16 November 2021). "Charlie Simpson Has Announced the Details of His New Solo Album 'Hope Is a Drug'".
4. ↑ "Charlie Simpson". *Instagram*. 28 February 2022.
5. ↑ "Charlie Simpson on his 'most vulnerable' album yet: 'I don't have any regrets'". 20 April 2022.
6. ↑ Ryan, Gary (14 April 2022). "Does Rock 'N' Roll Kill Braincells?! – Charlie Simpson". *NME*.