Peter Gabriel has released his new single titled ‘Been Undone (Dark Side Mix)’, from his first new album in 21 years ‘o/i’, dropping gradually throughout this year.
‘Been Undone’ is a quietly powerful reminder that artistic reinvention doesn’t require spectacle — it requires intention. The song unfolds patiently, anchored by a hypnotic rhythmic pulse that feels both organic and meticulously shaped. Rather than rushing toward a hook, Gabriel allows atmosphere and texture to lead, creating a sense of gradual immersion. The production is rich but restrained, letting each sonic element arrive with purpose. His voice, weathered yet emotionally precise, carries a sense of lived experience that makes the track feel less like a performance and more like a confession whispered over time.
What makes ‘Been Undone’ especially compelling is its emotional ambiguity. The song doesn’t explain itself; instead, it invites reflection. Lyrically, Gabriel explores themes of unravelling, reckoning, and quiet transformation — not with dramatic declarations, but through suggestion and tone. There’s a subtle tension throughout, as if the music itself is grappling with the idea of being pulled apart and reassembled. The arrangement mirrors this idea, layering and peeling back sounds in a way that feels deeply intentional. It’s a song that rewards attention, revealing more meaning with each listen rather than giving everything away at once.
Ultimately, ‘Been Undone’ stands as a confident statement from an artist who understands the value of restraint and depth. It doesn’t chase relevance or nostalgia; instead, it exists comfortably in its own space, bridging Gabriel’s exploratory past with a present-day sense of clarity and focus. The track feels meditative without being distant, complex without being indulgent. As a standalone single, it’s absorbing and thought-provoking — and as a signal of what’s ahead, it suggests a project driven by curiosity, emotional honesty, and a refusal to simplify ideas that deserve time to unfold.
“The songs are a mix of thoughts and feelings. I have been thinking about the future and how we might respond to it. We are sliding into a period of transition like no other, most likely triggered in three waves; AI, quantum computing and the brain computer interface. Artists have a role to look into the mists and, when they catch sight of something, to hold up a mirror.
These are my lumpy bits – i/o: the inside has a new way out and oi: the outside has a new way in. We are not, and have never been, the exclusively self-determining, independent beings that have been given the run of the world. We are something else, a part of nature, a part of everything and feeling a connection, shaking our booty and giving and receiving some love can help us find our place – and put a big smile on our faces”.
Peter Gabriel
About Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel is best known as a musician. He started his solo work in 1975 after leaving his old school group: Genesis. He has released eleven solo albums and written soundtracks for three films.
In 1980 he founded WOMAD which has presented 170 festivals in over 30 countries. The festival became the inspiration for Real World Records, which he launched in 1989 with the aim of providing talented artists from around the world with access to state-of-the-art recording facilities, and help get their music better known around the world. Artists released by the label includes Hukwe Zawose, Ayub Ogada, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Papa Wemba, Totó La Momposina, Sheila Chandra and more recently The Gloaming and Loney dear.
Actively involved in human rights campaigning he has participated in many benefit concerts, notably Amnesty International’s 1988 Human Rights Now! Tour. It was on this tour he saw first hand how video can transform a human rights activist’s chances of achieving justice and change, and in 1992 proposed the creation of an organization to pioneer the use of video in human rights work, Witness.org. Around 2000 he co-founded the Elders.og, with Richard Branson, to bring together a small group of highly respected global leaders, launched with Nelson Mandela in July 2007, and currently chaired by Kofi Annan. Peter is now writing and recording, and working on a plan to create a streaming service for digital medicine and an Interspecies Internet.
Featured image by Nadav Kander.
LINKS:
https://petergabriel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/PeterGabriel
https://www.instagram.com/itspetergabriel/
https://www.youtube.com/user/itspetergabriel
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7C4sUpWGlTy7IANjruj02I