The Script enter a new era by sharing new single, ‘Man In The Arena', the first taste of their new album, The User’s Guide To Being Human - out on August 14.
The skyscraping ambition of ‘Man In The Arena’ lives up to its title, with a hard-hitting R&B groove suddenly bursting into a classic Script mega-chorus built for the biggest of stages: a rousing Danny O’Donoghue delivers a typically charismatic vocal, with lyrics that affirm that the person who dares to put themselves in the spotlight is infinitely braver than anyone who criticises from the sidelines. Its lyrics are taken, in part, from a famous speech by American President Theodore Roosevelt.
Danny explains, “He talks about how honours don’t belong to the critics. They don’t belong to the people sitting on the couch, laughing at the person in the ring stumbling and falling around. The honours belong to the one who gets in there and whose face is marred with dust and blood. I remember reading it and being like: that needs to be in a tune, the energy in it is beautiful.”
Listen to ‘Man In The Arena’ on Red Devils Records.
The User’s Guide To Being Human follows 2024’s Satellites. It was a record that saw vocalist Danny O’Donoghue attempt to process the grief that followed the tragic passing of his bandmate and friend Mark Sheehan in 2023. The record was followed by a global arena tour in which every show paid tribute to Mark.
After the tour ended, Danny found himself energised and inspired. Within a week of finishing, he was writing and recording new material with Andrew Frampton, Steve Kipner and Jimbo Barry, who between them had previously contributed to many of The Script’s huge hits, including ‘Hall Of Fame’, ‘The Man Who Can’t Be Moved’ and ‘Breakeven’. Recorded in Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, the result is an album in which Danny has established a powerful sense of purpose and direction for the next stage of the band, full of the real, emotional, soul-deep connection that their fans have come to love.
Danny says, “The title is what this album is about. If you need something to remind you of the spectrum of feelings and emotions that make you feel human, this is it.”
The Script will follow the album with a huge UK and Ireland arena tour which starts in October, with further global touring also confirmed – adding to the 4.5 million tickets they have sold in their career.
In the meantime, The Script will play to an audience of 1.3 million this summer with a run of fifteen UK stadium shows as special guests to Take That next month, followed by five dates as special guest to Luke Combs including Slane Castle in Ireland.
