Wrabel Announces New Album ‘up above’ Out February 2026; Releases Title Track
August 27, 2025 BY Emma Orland
Acclaimed singer-songwriter WRABEL continues his bold new chapter with today’s release of “up above,” the ethereal and emotionally expansive title track from his forthcoming third full-length album, up above, due out February 13, 2026 via Nettwerk.
The new LP marks a significant creative milestone for WRABEL as the first album he has co-produced, alongside longtime friend and collaborator Austin Ward, with additional production and final mixing by Damian Taylor—renowned for his work with Björk, Frou Frou, The Prodigy, The Temper Trap, Arcade Fire, and more.
Much of up above was written at WRABEL’S coffee table and reflects a shift from the deeply personal storytelling of his 2023 album based on a true story. This time, he explores surreal imagery and bigger existential questions, influenced in part by Annie Jacobsen’s book Nuclear War: A Scenario.
The album also features “future,” the luminous first single released earlier this summer. With its message of looking forward and finding hope beyond past heartbreak, it set the thematic and sonic foundation for up above.
The accompanying visuals, directed and photographed by Dana Trippe (Weyes Blood, Janelle Monáe), lean into dreamlike, otherworldly textures that echo the themes of surrender and searching found throughout the music.
With the release of the album’s title track, WRABEL offers the clearest window yet into the emotional and philosophical scope of up above. A sweeping, slow-building song that dissolves in and out of form, “up above” captures the disorientation and transcendence that inspired the album’s larger arc.
WRABEL explains, “The song really contextualized the album as it was when Drew Pearson and I wrote it, and opened my mind and heart up to the endless layers of our existence. How we find meaning… what matters… who matters… looking for the light in the dark. Diving into the bittersweetness of our life, existence, and all that comes with it. For me, this album explores the balance between existential meaning and beauty, and existential dread and impending doom. If you knew the world was ending tomorrow, how much more would the person you love matter today?”
Now, with “up above,” WRABEL lifts the curtain on a project that embraces contradiction, surrealism, and radical acceptance, with empathy, vulnerability, and wonder at its core.
About WRABEL:
One of modern pop’s most prolific and emotionally resonant songwriters, WRABEL has amassed over 4 billion streams across platforms as both a solo artist and collaborator, with credits including Kesha, Teddy Swims, Celeste, Ellie Goulding, Madi Diaz, and more. His breakout solo release “The Village” became a defining LGBTQ+ anthem, praised for its raw empathy and enduring impact—continuing to resonate with listeners nearly a decade later. His 2023 sophomore album, based on a true story, showcased his gift for introspective storytelling, gut-punch lyrics, and unshakable melodies. Now, with a sharpened artistic vision and a more hands-on creative approach, WRABEL enters his most dynamic and experimental era yet.
