Soul Icon Al Green Returns to Music with a Surprise 2026 EP
Al Green steps back into the spotlight
Soul Icon Al Green Returns to Music in 2026 with a surprise four-track EP, and your girl DJ Ms. Hypnotique had to tap in and talk about it. The legendary Memphis singer kicked off the year with To Love Somebody, a digital drop that reminds everybody why his voice still cuts through time, trends, and timelines.
For music heads, hip-hop lovers digging in the crates, and streamers always on the hunt for a mood-setting vibe, this move feels like a smooth but powerful reset. When a soul legend like Al Green steps back into the booth and the tour circuit, the culture needs to pay attention.
What’s on the new EP “To Love Somebody”?
Al Green’s new EP To Love Somebody arrives with four reimagined covers that showcase his signature falsetto, gospel warmth, and grown-folk storytelling. The project features new versions of the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody,” Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” with British singer-songwriter RAYE, The Velvet Underground’s “I Found a Reason,” and his recent rendition of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts.”
Released via Fat Possum Records, the EP pulls together work he has been building since his 2023 and 2024 single drops, including “Perfect Day” and “Everybody Hurts,” now housed in one cohesive body of work. Production comes from Matthew Johnson and locks in the classic Hi Rhythm Section band: Reverend Charles Hodges on organ, Leroy Hodges on bass, Archie “Hubbie” Turner on piano, Will Sexton on guitar, and Steve Potts on drums.
Why this comeback matters in 2026
This is not just a random nostalgia drop; this is a calculated return that lines up with a renewed touring presence and a wave of love for classic soul. In 2025, Al Green was already back on the road, hitting stages like Ravinia in Illinois, proving that his live show still delivers raw energy, no backing tracks, and real-time soul.
Now in 2026, Soul Icon Al Green Returns to Music with fresh material, reminding younger listeners where the blueprint for modern R&B, neo-soul, and even melodic hip-hop came from. For Memphis heads and Southern music fans especially, seeing him reconnect with his Hi Rhythm crew and step into secular songs again feels like a full-circle moment.
If you are a fan, the first step is simple: stream To Love Somebody on your go-to platform and run it all the way through. Then circle back to the classics—“Let’s Stay Together,” “Tired of Being Alone,” “I’m Still in Love with You”—and hear how his 2026 work carries that same DNA with added maturity.
If you are a DJ, host, or streamer, work this EP into your sets, reaction videos, or live breakdowns of vocal performance, arrangement, or songwriting. Soul Icon Al Green Returns to Music is a narrative your audience will respond to, because it is rare to see a legend move with this much intention, humility, and timeless flavor in a new era.
