“Charm School” – first Roxette album after 10 years out on February 11!

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The first Roxette album after 10 years will see the light of day on February 11, 2011. The album called “Charm School” contains 12 new songs, capturing everything that’s good about Roxette while still looking ahead!

Among the tracks:
“Way Out” – power pop, 1st track
“In My Own Way” – sensitive ballad, written in 1984
“She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio)” – newest song, written this autumn, extremely infectious groove
“No One Makes It On Her Own” – essential track, sung by Marie
“Sitting On Top Of The World” – bittersweet album closer

Here is the press release which was sent out by EMI and we received via Marie Dimberg:

Roxette back with a new album: ”Charm School”!

On February 11 the unlikely becomes reality. After 25 years as a world-famous act with 70 million albums sold, one of Sweden’s biggest pop groups steps back into the spotlight, a decade after their last studio album ”Room Service”.

They do it with ”Charm School”, a new album with twelve songs in a style that’s best described as “updated classic Roxette”, from the initial power pop fireworks of ”Way Out” to the bittersweet closer ”Sitting On Top Of The World”.

The chances that this would ever happen looked slim when Marie Fredriksson in the autumn of 2002 was diagnosed with brain tumour. But Marie managed to defeat the illness, and during 2009 the pieces gradually fell together.

First Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle were reunited on stage to perform ”It Must Have Been Love” and ”The Look” during Per’s ”Party Crasher” tour in Amsterdam. And before the fans knew it, Roxette made a full-scale comeback as headliners during the ”Night of the Proms” tour in front of more than 600 000 people in Holland, Belgium and Germany.

”By then we started to think ahead and plan for the possibility of making a new album – an album that captured everything that’s good about Roxette while still looking ahead”, says Per Gessle. Said and done. During the tour, the band’s hotel rooms were transformed into recording studios where a string of new Roxette songs took shape.

Back home in Sweden the work continued during the spring and autumn of 2010. Just as when the band recorded during their heyday there were lots of songs to choose from. The sensitive ballad “In My Own Way”, for example, is a rediscovered gem from 1984, when the dream of international recognition still was just a dream.

The newest song is the extremely infectious groove-master ”She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio)”, written this autumn. In-between there’s everything that has made Roxette one of the world’s most radio played pop groups; the clinging melodies, the passionate delivery, the humorous pop sense and the unique mix of Marie Fredriksson’s and Per Gessle’s voices. All wrapped up in a musical package that is unmistakably 2011.

”For me the starting point has always been to write songs for Marie’s voice. She got this ability to make you believe every word she sings, and that’s why she brings the stories to life. As a songwriter that’s an incredible gift to be a part of”, Gessle says.

The album is recorded in the south of Sweden and Stockholm with Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lundqvist as producers (together with Per and Marie). ”Charm School” is a magnificent return to form after ten years of trials and challenges. Or as Marie Fredriksson sings in one of the album’s quintessential tracks: ”No One Makes It On Her Own”. Hear the school bell ring on February 11.

23 thoughts on ““Charm School” – first Roxette album after 10 years out on February 11!”

  1. I hope it sounds better than it looks. Not very fond of the cover and title… I am not a fan of collages, in general (what does the fruit plate have to do there?)

  3. Sleeves are very “Party Crasher” alike. But this kind of sleeve is something new for Roxette. Still better than “Have A Nice Day” or “One Wish” sleeves.

  4. Much better than OW, HAND and RS. Not as good as Mazarin but still the best Roxette cover since CBB.

  7. I do like the HAND cover. Not a big fan of “Room Service”, music-wise, but the cover and the singles covers have been the finest Roxette have done ever.

  8. I like the single cover but the album looks quite busy. I’d prefer one strong image instead of that nine pieces. Looks a bit like some collection now. Love the fresh direction though! 🙂

  11. @ Sascha, that’s also my point of view. Reminds me last Gessle album artwork – She’s Got…/Silly Really, Charm School/Party Crasher. Otherwise Marie looks pretty cool on these pics.

  12. It’s like unwrapping a present at Christmas Eve. Who cares about the packing, all that counts is what’s inside 😉

  15. I was shocked when I saw the artwork and thought they could do better. However, it sort of grow in me, and now I’m loving it. Would love to see the bigger picture with Marie on guitar and what a pretty smile 🙂

  16. I thing both covers, single and album are really great. She’s got nothing on (but the radio) ist a nice reference to the Look Sharp times. And the album cover has great colours, good contrast to the other Roxette album covers. They did everything right! Now bring on the music, can’t wait!!!

  17. Yes, very special cover for Roxette. Don’t like it for the first time, but now it grow in me also. You can feel something new from this artwork. Can’t wait to hear music that is behind this cover. 69 days remains. 🙂

  20. For the first time since 1995 (or 1994?) Per is holding the guitar on a Roxette sleeve, am I right? I’ve always missed guitars on photos from HAND and RS era

  21. @abysmo: This site seems to be the only one that comes with this information, so I’m quite suspicious about this. On Roxette.se, there are still only 5 songs named in the tracklist… Anyway, Big Black Cadillac is a great title. I’m Glad You Called would probably be the same track as the bonus track from PC era

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