Cape Town to Cairo: PJ Morton Announces New Album Out June 14th
Fully Written & Recorded In a 30-Day Journey Through South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana & Egypt
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From Cape Town to Cairo, and now to fans, stages and screens around the world: today, PJ Morton officially announces the release of the new album he has been eagerly alluding to, fully made in the motherland. Out June 14th on his own Morton Records / EMPIRE, Cape Town to Cairo is a collection of songs that he created in 30 days throughout 4 countries in Africa — South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt. Described as the best trip of his life, this transformative journey began as just the seed of an idea last fall, but instantly grew into his most sonically-sprawling and immediately-inspired record to date. With no music, lyrics or preconceptions, he stepped foot onto the continent with two thoughts: a wild dream to write and record his next LP in less than a month, and a mission to immerse himself in as many different cultures, stories and communities as he could.
Surrounded by featured collaborators like Fireboy DML, Mádé Kuti, Asa, Ndabo Zulu, and Soweto Spiritual Singers, as well as additional producers including P.Priime and The Cavemen., his own live band and local musicians, PJ Morton used music as his common language. Always his greatest way of communicating, he expressed his feelings and experiences of Africa through songs he and others were forming together on the spot, side-by-side in different studios, cities and towns for the very first time. None of the tracks were written before he arrived or after he left, and the arrangements showcase both the countries' native genres as well as the innate, stylistic instincts that have made Morton a 5x GRAMMY-winner and 20x GRAMMY-nominee, whether it be his soul, R&B and gospel roots, or the pop prowess he has further honed as a member of Maroon 5.
Cape Town to Cairo is available to pre-order this Friday, April 26th, alongside the release of "Simunye (We Are One)" feat. Soweto Spiritual Singers, in honor of South Africa's 30th Year of Freedom Day. Pre-save it HERE, and watch the new music video for lead single "Please Be Good"
"When you've been in music as long as I have, you're constantly looking for inspiration,"says PJ Morton. "And you're looking for the things that made you want to do it in the first place. I've made albums every type of way you can think, so I wanted to try something I hadn't done before. As a Black American who had never been to South or West Africa, I knew there was something there waiting for me. So I put a little pressure on myself to make a full record in a month, but I also said, 'If I'm gonna go to Africa, I want to see Africa.' We made music, but we also formed connections. We made new friends, and this is just the start."
ESSENCE adds, "This trip is not just a physical move, it's a spiritual return…The soul of Africa pulses through every note he plays and every word he sings," and VIBE adds that "the multi-faceted artist is fully embracing a new phase in his life." Cape Town to Cairomarks PJ Morton's first album since 2022's Watch The Sun, which featured collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Nas, JoJo, Wale, Jill Scott, Alex Isley and more. Since then, Morton has become the first Black composer to write an original song for a Disney attraction, having just finished making the music for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, opening soon at Disneyland and Disney World. He also won his latest GRAMMY earlier this year, worked with Samara Joy on "Why I'm Here" for Regina King's Netflix film Shirley, and landed a cover of his song "Don't Let Go" as the soundtrack to Apple’s iPhone 15 commercial.
PJ Morton recently returned from headlining his debut shows in Asia, New Zealand and Australia, and today announces the extensive Cape Town to Cairo Tour for North America this summer and fall. Following upcoming performances at New Orleans Jazz Fest, The Kennedy Center, Roots Picnic and Newport Jazz Fest, Morton will embark on a run of more than 25 dates across the country, including New York City's Beacon Theatre, Chicago's Chicago Theatre, Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, Los Angeles' The Wiltern, and dozens of others.
Tickets to the Cape Town to Cairo Tour are on sale at 10am local time this Friday, April 26th, with an Artist Presale beginning at 10am local time on Thursday, April 25th. Find the list of tour dates below, and sign-up for early access at pjmortonmusic.com/#shows
On the heels of his headline tour and Maroon 5's Las Vegas residency, PJ Morton will publish a life-spanning new book titled Saturday Night, Sunday Morning. Arriving November 12th via Worthy Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, the memoir sees him recounting and reflecting upon a trailblazing path that continues to defy expectations and straddle the tensions of music and faith, race and culture, expression and identity. As the son of two pastors and gospel artists, Morton grew up grounded by the sound of the Church, but soon found himself drawn to R&B, pop and soul, writing songs that the industry, his family and community struggled to understand. In the face of mounting pressure, rejection and constant miscategorization, he committed himself to a steadfast path of independence: making music on his own terms, launching his own record label, joining one of the biggest bands in the world while staying true to his New Orleans roots. The risks he took paid off, and through his transformation from preacher's kid to the busiest man in showbiz – performing everywhere from his local congregation to the Super Bowl, collaborating with everyone from his father to Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Jon Batiste and Lil Wayne – he hopes to encourage readers and listeners to overcome obstacles as they seek their dreams.
Pre-order Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, and watch PJ Morton discuss the book and more on the Tamron Hall Show
Cape Town to Cairo Tracklist
Smoke & Mirrors
Count On Me feat. Fireboy DML
Please Be Good
Who You Are feat. Mádé Kuti
Thank You
I Found You
All The Dreamers feat. Asa & Ndabo Zulu
Home Again
Simunye (We Are One) feat. Soweto Spiritual Singers
PJ Morton Tour Dates
5/4 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
5/12 - Washington, DC - The Kennedy Center
6/2 - Philadelphia, PA - Roots Picnic
6/15 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center
7/10 - London, UK - indigo at The O2
7/11 - Paris, FR - Alhambra
7/12 - Rotterdam, NL - North Sea Jazz Festival
7/30 - Cincinnati, OH - Memorial Hall*
7/31 - Detroit, MI - Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre^
8/2 - Newport, RI - Newport Jazz Festival
8/3 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre*
8/4 - Philadelphia, PA - The Met*
8/7 - Richmond, VA - Dominion Energy Center*
8/9 - Atlanta, GA - Coca-Cola Roxy*
8/10 - Orlando, FL - Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts*
8/11 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - The Parker*
8/14 - Baton Rouge, LA - Raising Cane's River Center Arena*
8/15 - Houston, TX - 713 Music Hall*
8/17 - Dallas, TX - Winspear Opera House^
8/18 - Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre^
8/20 - Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theatre*
8/21 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant*
8/23 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre at Old National Centre*
8/24 - Chicago, IL - The Chicago Theatre*
8/26 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium*
8/27 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC Theatre*
8/29 - Charlotte, NC - Knight Theater*
8/30 - Raleigh, NC - Joseph M. Bryan Jr. Amphitheater
10/18 - Chandler, AZ - Chandler Center for the Arts^
10/20 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern^
10/23 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater^
10/24 - Sacramento, CA - Crest Theatre^
10/26 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre^
10/27 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre^
11/29 - New Orleans, LA - Orpheum Theatre
*w/ The Cavemen.
^w/ Kenyon Dixon
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