Guy Sebastian’s brand new studio album ‘T.R.U.T.H’ is finally out now! The project has been years in the making and represents a personal comeback for Guy after a tough period where he took a break from writing new music.
If you’re wondering what ‘T.R.U.T.H’ stands for, Guy has said it’s not an acronym but rather a stylistic choice. (The sceptic in me can’t help but wonder if perhaps this is a polite way of avoiding the question). The album delivers everything you might expect from Guy Sebastian, from epic gospel-infused ballads to uptempo pop tracks perfect for radio.
It’s uncommon to have five singles released from an album before its release, and it almost makes it feel like a greatest hits collection with Australian Top 10 hits ‘Choir’ and ‘Standing With You’, as well as ‘Before I Go’, ‘Let Me Drink’ featuring The HamilTones and Wale, and the latest single ‘Love on Display’.
I usually can’t pick one single favourite track on an album but ‘In A World’ featuring Zimbabwean-American artist Shungudzo is my absolute standout track. The lyrics are devastatingly beautiful and truly encapsulate what a parent would wish for their children. It was written for Guy’s youngest son Archie, and features wife Jules and both of their two sons on backing vocals. Many artists have had appearances from their young kids on their albums, but Guy’s is one of very few where it actually sounds amazing and fits the song so organically.
Some of the songs feel like throwbacks to Guy’s previous work; the closing track ‘Fantasize’ could have easily fit on 2016’s ‘Part 1’ EP (and the lyric about his thousand thread count sheets took me straight back to ‘Stay In Bed’ from the 2017 ‘Conscious’ album). ‘Who I Love’ reminds me of the ‘Armageddon’ era, and the phenomenal pre-release track ‘If He Won’t’, which has quickly become a fan favourite, is reminiscent of his writing style on the 2014 ‘Madness’ album.
After a live performance of ‘Believer’ from his ‘Ridin’ With You’ tour was featured in the Channel 9 documentary ‘Guy Sebastian – The Man The Music’, viewers anticipated its release, and the studio version doesn’t disappoint at all. The stunning love song, which was written for Guy’s wife Jules, feels inspired by ‘You Are The Reason’ by Calum Scott and Leona Lewis, except ‘Believer’ is a far superior song in my opinion, and definitely one of the standouts on the album.
Longtime fans may also be familiar with ‘I’m Your Man’ which was performed at Guy’s ‘You Me Us’ regional tour back in 2016, and I’m so happy it’s finally seeing the light as it’s a gorgeous track. It marks the first song not written by Guy on one of his albums since the 2007 cover album ‘The Memphis Album’.
After seventeen years in the industry, Guy continues to deliver meaningful music that touches people’s lives and it’s clear there’s so much more to come.
National tour dates have been announced for November and December 2021 in support of the album, and tickets are on sale now. $1 plus GST per ticket sold will be donated to The Sebastian Foundation.