Michael Kiwanuka will release his new album, Fudge, on October 23 via Polydor. The record is his first self-produced effort since his 2012 debut, Home Again, according to a press release, and was written "almost concurrently" with the songwriting sessions for 2024's Small Changes.

The announcement carries weight beyond music. Kiwanuka suffered a stroke several months ago and is on the path to recovery. In a written note posted to Instagram, he explained that the stroke resulted from bleeding in his brain due to high blood pressure. "The brain injury I suffered was quite severe so there's a lot of rehab to be done," he wrote. "It's a long, tough journey ahead, but I'm fighting to get better."

For Fudge, Kiwanuka stepped away from his usual production collaborators, Danger Mouse and Inflo, and took the reins himself. He worked with producer Dom Monks and his longtime strings collaborator Rosie Danvers.

That decision had an unlikely catalyst: an interview with jazz pianist Chick Corea. "You have to learn to be certain about what you like, not what you think sounds good to someone else… Whatever you think is beautiful, that's what's beautiful, and you have to pursue that," Corea said in the interview Kiwanuka stumbled upon.

The 12-track album spans these songs:

01 Summer Clothes 02 California 03 Just Another Moment 04 Drowning in Your Heart 05 Love in My Heart 06 Across the Sky 07 Stars 08 You Sent Me Flying 09 Move in My Direction 10 Steve's Paradise 11 Sing 12 Swings and Roundabouts

Fudge follows Small Changes, Kiwanuka's 2024 album reviewed by Habib Sabet for this site. With his recovery ongoing and a first self-produced record in over a decade on the way, October 23 will mark both a musical and a personal milestone for the London songwriter.