Six years after his last album, Dev Hynes, better known as Blood Orange, announces Essex Honey, set for release on August 29th, 2025. The album, written, produced, and recorded entirely by Hynes, is a deeply personal project. It serves as both a soundtrack to his journey through grief and a reflection on growing up in Essex, just outside London.
Essex Honey continues Hynes’ tradition of rich collaborations. The lineup includes familiar voices like Lorde, Caroline Polachek, and Daniel Caesar, alongside newcomers such as author Zadie Smith, making her singing debut. The list also features Mustafa, Turnstile’s Brendan Yates, and actors Naomi Scott and Amandla Stenberg, blending music, literature, and film into Hynes’ signature sound.
Few artists have a career as varied as Hynes’. From his early punk days in Test Icicles to producing for Mariah Carey and ASAP Rocky, his influence stretches across genres. He’s won a Latin Grammy, been nominated for a classical Grammy, and even saw his 2011 track “Champagne Coast” go gold in 2024 thanks to TikTok. Beyond his own music, he’s directed Harry Styles’ Grammy performance, scored films and fashion shows, and performed his classical compositions worldwide.
Lyrically, Essex Honey is introspective, weaving Hynes’ experiences with those of his closest friends. The album nods to his musical roots (Elliott Smith, The Replacements) while pushing his sound forward. It’s an album about grief, but also about moving toward acceptance, arriving at a time when that emotion feels universal.
To celebrate the release, Hynes will play four nights at London’s Alexandra Palace Theatre in November, with additional shows in Bristol and Manchester, the latter alongside Lorde.
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