In a recent discussion with Phil Aston of Now Spinning Magazine, Glenn Hughes, the celebrated vocalist and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, opened up about his upcoming album Chosen, due out on September 5, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl. The former Deep Purple member described the accompanying tour as a fresh spark in his musical journey.
“I’m hoping this tour for me is a rekindle of a burning desire to continue. I don’t want it to be the last thing I do. In today’s age, you never know what’s gonna happen tomorrow. ‘Cause I’ve been doing the Purple setlist for quite a while now, and I’m done with that. I think there’ll only be one Purple song in the show. So for me, doing this particular show with three songs from Chosen will be a dramatic piece of work.” (as transcribed by Blabbermouth)
When asked about Chosen’s place in his discography, Hughes shared an introspective take on his future in music: “I can give you an exclusive. I think this will be the last rock album I make, but it might not be the last album I make. I’m not saying I’ve got plans, but I am thinking about things that won’t be too far away from what I’ve been doing. And if you like albums like Feel and First Underground Nuclear Kitchen, you’ll know what I’m hinting at. It’ll be more for the vocals than heavy guitar. But at some point — I think you might understand me here — it’s always been about that voice, and when you take away disrupting instruments so you can hear that voice…”
He recalled a pivotal moment that influenced how he sees his legacy as a vocalist: “When I did the Jon Lord tribute at the Albert Hall, when you had myself and you had a 73-piece orchestra and that was it, and no drums and no guitar, that’s what I consider to be the pure Glenn Hughes voice. And as I close out my career, whenever that’s going to be, I want my voice to be… The only thing you wanna hear, if you’re coming to see Glenn, is that voice. I’m not being disrespectful to anybody I’m working with, but this voice [which] has been given to me is really a humbling gift sent to me. It’s not really me. I’m just portraying what God has given to me.”
He also emphasized that Chosen was carefully crafted to highlight his voice. “In the production quality of the Chosen album, Søren [Andersen], my guitar player, helped me do it. But he also understands the predicament we’re in right now, realizing my age, and how many years have I got left to do this? I think what I and the people around me want to portray is that we’ve got this voice.”
Reflecting on how fans view his continued presence in music, Hughes added: “People say, ‘Is Glenn the last man standing from his peer group?’ I can’t say that myself. I have a lot of good friends, and you know who they are in my age group. But if I am the last man standing, please just listen to that voice. I’m talking in the third person. I’m not saying anything about how good it is or bad it is, but let’s just take a listen to the voice.”
Explaining his vocal influences, he said, “When we talk about the stratospheric voice, and if you understand R&B music and black music like I do, if you think about Smokey Robinson or Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder and Prince, for example, those guys use their voice in the same kind of fashion. They just sing R&B falsettos. And that’s the way I do it. But it’s something I only do feel when I feel it necessary in the moment. And by the way, each night I sing live, I might be doing it in places I never did it before. But I don’t really think about those moments. All I’m only thinking about is delivering the song. The people know the melody. I never change the melody. I never change the lyric. But I really do enjoy being Glenn.”
This fall, Hughes will take The Chosen Years tour across Europe and South America. The run begins September 2 in Zoetermeer, Netherlands, and wraps on November 29 in Bogota, Colombia.
A long-respected figure in rock history, Hughes has carved out a unique space by merging hard rock with soul and funk elements. His unmistakable voice has earned accolades from peers and legends alike — Stevie Wonder once called him his favorite white singer.
Chosen marks his return to solo work after nearly a decade and is described as one of his most hard-hitting records yet. From songwriting to production, the album represents Hughes at full force — and possibly for the last time in the hard rock realm.
