The long-awaited sophomore album from Róisín O, Courageous, was released Friday 29th April 2022 and it debuted in the Irish music charts at No 3. A musical autobiography charting the last few years of the singer-songwriter’s life – dealing with loss, heartache, breakups, letting go, and ultimately finding hope – this is an album that chronicles never before heard chapters from the life of one of Ireland’s most distinctive and talented female voices.
Having previously immersed herself in other successful collaborations as the lead singer of the band Thanks Brother and as part of Irish Women in Harmony (who achieved an Irish number 1 with ‘Dreams’ in 2020), this album sees Róisín’s triumphant return as a powerful and influential solo artist. Her recent signing to US Record Label Blix Street is an indication of how, yet again, she seems destined to make a mark as a performer in her own right.
Combining Róisín’s incredible vocals with her innate skill for composing indelible lyrics, this is an album that will allow the listener to accompany her on a journey of heartbreak and healing but, in true Róisín style, there are plenty of tracks that will also make you want to turn up the volume and dance!
Following the success of her 2021 singles ‘Heart + Bones’, ‘Still Gold’, and her top 20 hit ‘2023’, her most recent single ‘Stolen’ soared straight to No.1 on iTunes, having been co-written with international hitmaker singer-songwriter Gavin James. Now with the release of the album comes Róisín’s brand-new single ‘Better Now’.
If getting over a breakup took song form it would be ‘Better Now’ which cites the highs, the lows and ultimately the resolve to emerge from heartache stronger and more empowered. Produced by Danny O’Reilly (The Coronas), Cormac Butler (Gavin James, James Vincent McMorrow) and Lar Kaye (All Tvvins, True Tides) and mixed by Phil Magee (Kodaline, The Script), ‘Better Now’ evokes the epic chorus of Florence and the Machines’ ‘Dog Days Are Over’ with the sentiment of Beyoncé’s ‘Irreplaceable’. It shows that sometimes when the clouds of heartbreak clear, you are free, have clarity, and are healed – finally you are ‘Better Now’.
Róisín O said: “This record has been about eight years in the making. Since my debut album I’ve made a lot of different career moves but in 2021 I finally decided to come back to my solo career as Róisín O. Releasing a second album had always been a daunting thought, something I kept putting at arm’s length. After writing the first single ‘Heart + Bones’ in 2020, the songs just poured out of me and the time finally felt right to release my second album. The pandemic affected so many people in different ways and for me, it really gave me the time to take stock and reassess why I was doing this in the first place. I love performing, I love writing songs and I love seeing people connect with them or move them in some way. Every song on this album has an underlying theme of bravery and it has taken a lot of courage to finally get to this point in my career. I took the long road but I’m so proud to be releasing my sophomore album Courageous.”