Michael Stipe has shared a new song from his upcoming solo album. The track, called “Hum Desiderata,” premiered on the sound platform Joyfully Waiting. It blends Stipe reciting the poem “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann from his ICA Milan installation with an instrumental by Stipe and Andy LeMaster. Elizabeth Hatmaker adds backing vocals. You can stream it at joyfully-waiting.ch.
Stipe told Stephen Colbert in April that his solo album will arrive at the end of 2026. He also played another new song on the show, “The Rest of Ever,” with Colbert’s house band Louis Cato and The Great Big Joy Machine. In March, Stipe released “I Played the Fool,” produced with Andrew Watt. That song is the theme for HBO’s series Rooster. Fans have a lot to look forward to as the solo album nears release.
