Kool & the Gang are returning with a new album after more than a decade of laying low. The new record, called Perfect Union, will be out August 21 via Omnivore Recordings, according to Rolling Stone.
The legendary band has released a new single off the album, entitled "Pursuit of Happiness." The bright song also features a verse from rapper Keith Murray (a version without the rap will also appear on Perfect Union).
The song comes with an animated music video about a robot in a post-apocalyptic world who tries to make things better with the help of some future-envisioning glasses. As the lyrics, “We need more Lennons, Lincolns, more Kennedys, and Kings" play, the robot looks up to the sky to see constellations of the role models smiling above it.
Kool & the Gang’s Robert “Kool” Bell explained “Pursuit of Happiness” was penned by his late brother and group co-founder, Ronald Bell, during Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
“It was in some ways inspired by that time in history but, even more than that, my brother was inspired to voice the aspirations of so many of the people we meet during our travels to countries all over the world,” Bell said. “His co-writers are also the vocalists on the track, Balawah Muhammad and Walt Anderson. Keith Murray heard the track and added his rap and we all loved it.”
Perfect Union will be Kool & the Gang’s first album of all-new material since 2007’s Still Kool. The group also released a holiday record in 2013 called Kool for the Holidays that featured a mix of originals and seasonal classics. You can pre-order Perfect Union, which will include 10 tracks, off Omnivore Recordings' website.
Watch the music video for "Pursuit of Happiness" below.
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Article Image: Kool & the Gang at the 2014 Soul Train Music Awards. (kobbydagan via DepositPhotos.)
