“Everything’s gonna figure out”: The first track on Haim’s new album includes an as yet uncleared George Michael sample and was inspired by Beyoncé

Haim
(Image credit: Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images)

Haim have released a new single, Relationships - their first new material since 2023 - with the promise of an as-yet-untitled new album to follow.

A breezy slice of summery R&B pop, Relationships quickly settles into a groove before breaking into a completely different one for its second half, essentially giving you two songs for the price of one. How’s that for value?

HAIM - Relationships (Official Video) - YouTube HAIM - Relationships (Official Video) - YouTube
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More intriguing still is the revelation - made in an interview with i-D - that the opening track from Haim’s next long player, a song called Gone, features a sample of the gospel chant from George Michael’s Freedom ‘90.

The only slight snag is that, as things stand, the sample hasn’t yet been cleared, but if Haim were confident enough to play the song to a journalist, we’re guessing that they must be pretty sure that all the relevant paperwork will be signed, sealed and delivered in due course. “Everything’s gonna figure out,” says Alana Haim, either manifesting the outcome or armed with the knowledge that it’s a done deal.

There’s another interesting piece of backstory to Gone, too: “I was listening to the Beyoncé album, and I was really inspired by all the different samples,” says Danielle Haim. So that’s another influence to listen out for.

The new Haim album will be the follow-up to 2020’s critically acclaimed Women In Music Part III, which earned the band a Grammy nomination. They also featured on Taylor Swift’s No Body, No Crime, a song that was included on her 2020 album, Folklore, and contributed Home to the Barbie soundtrack in 2023.

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Ben Rogerson
Deputy Editor

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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