Peter Gabriel Releases Meditative New Single “What Lies Ahead” From Upcoming Album o\i

Peter Gabriel has released “What Lies Ahead,” the third single from his forthcoming album o\i, timed to today's blood/worm moon on March 3. The track follows “Been Undone” (January 3) and “Put the Bucket Down” (February 1) in Gabriel's full-moon release strategy — the same approach he used to roll out his 2023 comeback album i/o.

Opening with calming choral chants from the Swedish choir Orphei Drängar, “What Lies Ahead” is a deliberate, meditative piece buoyed by strings and cello. “You see the world now all connected / Flowing as a brain / You see the world the way it will be / Unfolding in your hands,” Gabriel sings over the track's unhurried arrangement.

The song has a long history. Gabriel first performed an instrumental, wordless version during his 2014 “Back to Front” tour, where it was presented as a work in progress. Its core melody originated with his son, Isaac.

“On the Back to Front tour, along with Playing for Time, it was one of the songs that was played without words, as a work in progress,” Gabriel said in a statement. “The song actually began with a melody that my son Isaac was playing with, and I thought, oh, that's really nice — I could build that into something.”

The recording features contributions from Swedish singer-songwriter Jennie Abrahamson and cellist Linnea Olsson, both of whom toured with Gabriel. John Metcalfe handled additional orchestral arrangements during sessions in 2022. The decision to open the track with the Orphei Drängar choir came at the suggestion of Brian Eno.

“I've always liked spiritual, inspirational music because sometimes people get to a different place when they remove themselves and are just present with this feeling of something else out there,” Gabriel explained. “Although I'm not religious myself, I definitely have the feeling for it, and that's what I was hoping we would have with the choir at the front, that you go straight away into this other world.”

At its heart, Gabriel says “What Lies Ahead” is about the creative process — specifically the experience of inventors. “My dad was an electrical engineer, inventor, and I saw him go through the frustrations of not only trying to realise an idea, which has to normally go through so many iterations, but then to sell it, both to the people who've got the money and then to the outside world,” he said. “So, I've always been curious about the creative process and how that applies to inventors.”

The single's accompanying artwork is Judy Chicago's 1982 piece Birth Tear / Tear. Gabriel drew a connection between the pain of birth and the struggle of bringing ideas into the world: “Birth Tear / Tear shows the pain of birth and, clearly, no man will ever have an understanding of what that really is, but giving birth to an idea has many (less painful) parallels.”

He also quoted Chicago's observation that “truth can be found in the ignored, the forgotten, and the left out,” connecting it to his concern about a retreat from open-minded thinking. “It seems our society is backing away from open-minded thinking,” he said. “The creative arts and universities too, have been preserves for exploring ideas and debate, and I hate the moves toward shutting all that down.”

Today's release is the “Bright-Side Mix” by Mark “Spike” Stent. A “Dark-Side Mix” by Tchad Blake — of the previous single “Put the Bucket Down” — is expected later this month to coincide with the new moon. The dual-mix concept continues from the i/o era, giving listeners two distinct sonic interpretations of each track.

o\i is being released through Real World Records, with further details on the album's full release expected later this year. Gabriel intends to continue unveiling one new track per full moon throughout 2026.

“What Lies Ahead” is available now on all major streaming platforms.