Rag’n’Bone Man Starts A Fresh Chapter With A New Album

Rag’n’Bone Man is ushering in a fresh chapter. Yet, not without pausing to acknowledge the road that brought him here.

The British singer-songwriter recently completed a five-date Australian tour. Thus, he marked his return Down Under for the first time since the explosive success of “Human.” The show served as a long-awaited reunion with fans and as the stage for something new. That was a live debut of his upcoming track “Time to Love,” produced by none other than Danger Mouse.

“It’s a real banger,” Graham shared in a conversation with Rolling Stone Australia/New Zealand. “I would say it’s slightly underground. It’s not necessarily a big pop song, but it really has heads nodding in the audience.” Australia, he noted, was the first to hear it live.

Thus, reflecting on the deeply personal material in that album, Graham admitted, “It really helped me through trauma. It’s not easy to lose people and family. At first, performing those songs live, I thought, ‘There’s no way. I’d just be a mess.’ But I got over that. It was a remedy.”

Rag’n’Bone Man and His Rise to Fame

Rag’n’Bone Man’s ascent began in earnest with 2016’s genre-defying anthem “Human.” Thus, the song spent seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 74 in May 2017. Since then, its music video has pulled in over two billion views on YouTube. Also, it still racks up over 380,000 views daily—a testament to its staying power. The track found its way into pop culture, soundtracking everything from Jack Ryan to Mass Effect: Andromeda.

“That couple of years was f—ing wild,” Graham recalled. “My friend who had moved to Melbourne called me and said, ‘You’re on the f—ing radio every single day over here, mate.’ Something was really happening. Europe, the U.S., everywhere. It became this monster of a song.”

So, now 40, Graham speaks with wisdom and wry humor about the whirlwind rise and the lessons learned along the way. “Would I change anything? No way. I think I did alright,” he said. “I don’t regret anything. Maybe drink a little less, but that’s about it. It hurts a little bit more when you’re 40.”

As he hints at new music on the horizon with “Time to Love,” Rag’n’Bone Man stands at a crossroads of reflection and reinvention—a seasoned artist ready for the next round, scars and all.