Blue Electric Light is the twelfth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz. It was released on May 24, 2024, by Roxie Records with distribution handled by BMG Rights Management. The album was preceded by the release of the lead single "TK421" on October 13, 2023.
Background Blue Electric Light is Kravitz' first album since Raise Vibration (2018). Kravitz recorded the album in his studio in the Bahamas and played most of the instruments himself with frequent collaborator Craig Ross contributing.
The album was originally scheduled to be released on March 15, 2024. However, Kravitz moved the release date to May 24, 2024, due to his commitments to honoring the legacy of Bayard Rustin.
Singles The album's lead single, "TK421", was released simultaneously with the album announcement alongside its music video.
"Human" was released on March 22, 2024. It premiered on The Tonight Show.
The songs "Paralyzed", "Honey" and "Let It Ride" were also released as singles, to keep promoting the album during the first legs of the accompanying tour.
Critical reception
Paul Moody of Louder Sound called the album "A typically diverse collection pulsating with positive energy". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic mentioned "Stylistically, Kravitz may not be trying anything new, but his decision to prioritize good vibes above all else generates an unusually satisfying record from the rocker." Greg Simms Jr. of WYSO commented, "It's the funkiest album I've ever heard from him. While Kravitz doesn't go full D'Angelo, he does give us a collection of songs that lean more towards modern pop and R&B than his usual fare. This LP is also a dedication to Prince (the two men were close friends). You can hear Kravitz's nods to His Royal Badness in several cuts on the album, like the ballad "Stuck in the Middle"." Nina Athanasopoulos of The Daily Illini wrote, "Overall, Kravitz's latest album is a generally predictable, yet fun project. While the album is lacking self and social awareness, Kravitz continues to strut his leather pants and open shirts, and one can't help but love him for his consistency."
Track listing
Personnel
Musicians Lenny Kravitz – lead vocals, backing vocals (all tracks); bass (tracks 1–5, 7–10), strings (1–3), Moog (1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10–12), 11), timpani (1), drums (2–4, 8, 9), rhythm guitar (2, 3, 7–11), claps (2, 9, 10), electric guitar (3–5, 12); electric piano, Mellotron (3); bongo drums, maracas (4); synthesizer (5, 6, 8–12), drum machine (5, 7, 10–12), cowbell (5, 8); chimes, Fender Rhodes piano (5); drum programming (6), piano (7, 9); Hammond B3 organ, sitar (7); solo guitar (9), lead guitar (10); castanets, claves (11); programming (12) Craig Ross – rhythm guitar (tracks 1, 2, 10), electric guitar (1, 4), lead guitar (1, 8, 10), programming (1, 11), drum machine (1), solo guitar (5, 9), drums (6); 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar, tambura (11) Alex Alvarez – programming (tracks 1, 3–11), synthesizer (2) Harold Todd – saxophone (tracks 2, 3) Michael Sherman – saxophone (track 3) Trombone Shorty – trombone, trumpet (track 10)
Technical Lenny Kravitz – production, engineering Craig Ross – engineering Alex Alvarez – engineering Adam Grover – mastering Bernie Grundman – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Blue Electric Light Chart (2024) Peakposition Australian Albums (ARIA) 84 Croatian International Albums (HDU) 19 Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon) 19 Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan) 62 Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 4Swiss Albums (Romandy) 1
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for Blue Electric Light Chart (2024) Position Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 99
Release history +Release dates and formats for Blue Electric Light Region Date Format(s) Label Various May 24, 2024 Citations concerning Blue Electric Light release formats:
References