Norah Jones announces her ninth studio album 'Visions'

WASHINGTON: American singer-songwriter and pianist Norah Jones announced her ninth studio album 'Visions' and released a music video for the lead single 'Running', reported People. In a statement, the Grammy winner opened up about the inspiration behind the 12-song record.

"The reason I called the album Visions is because a lot of the ideas came in the middle of the night or in that moment right before sleep," said the 44-year-old singer-songwriter, "and 'Running' was one of them where you're half asleep and kind of jolted awake."

'Visions' was largely crafted alongside producer and multi-instrumentalist Leon Michels, who shared a special collaborative bond with Jones throughout its creation. "We did most of the songs in the same way where I was at the piano or on guitar and Leon was playing drums and we were just jamming on stuff," added the musician.

"I like the rawness between Leon and me, the way it sounds kind of garage-y but also kind of soulful, because that's where he's coming from, but also not overly perfected." Trumpet Player Dave Guy, bassist Jesse Murphy, and drummers Brian Blade and Homer Steinweiss all contributed to the album, which is Jones' first full-length release since 2021's 'I Dream of Christmas'.

According to People, 'Visions' is set for a March 8 release via Blue Note Records, and Jones will embark on a North American tour in support of the album in May. Ticket information is available on her website. In a 2022 People interview, Jones pondered on her debut album 'Come Away with Me', which was released 20 years ago. The project was a smash hit at the time, winning five Grammy Awards in 2003 and later getting diamond-certified for over 10 million records sold. Jones said the experience ranged from "slightly stressful and anxiety-inducting" to "crazy fun," but she never let it put pressure on her future endeavours.

"Trying to stay on top can be exhausting, and I never wanted that for myself," she recalled at the time. "I think if you focus on making music from your heart, hopefully you can get through whatever obstacles come around." "I sort of just told myself, 'You know what? This is bananas. You're never going to match it, so just play the music you want to play. Don't try to recreate your first album because that's going to backfire,'" added Jones -- who's since earned four more Grammys for her subsequent releases, reported People.