Last week, Sir Paul McCartney unexpectedly announced the upcoming release of his 18th album, “McCartney III,” on Dec. 11. It’s been over two years since the release of his last album, “Egypt Station,” and now McCartney is set to complete the trilogy of his self-titled solo albums, following “McCartney” (1970) and “McCartney II” (1980). 

After serving as bass player and vocalist for The Beatles throughout the 1960s, McCartney has released a handful of albums as a solo artist and with Paul McCartney and Wings in the 1970s. With a mix of romantic ballads, hard rock anthems and laid back acoustics, McCartney has been viewed as a musician with remarkable versatility and success. To this day, his music never fails to grab the attention of fans around the globe, and each new release is a surge of excitement.

Earlier this month, fans began to spot many clues relating to an impending release. On Spotify, whenever listeners played a song off “McCartney” or “McCartney II,” a die would roll onto the screen with the number three facing upwards. Likewise, a few images were posted to McCartney’s social media containing various items in sets of three. Several fans who have previously shopped on McCartney’s online store reported receiving a package from Capitol Records containing a mini drawstring bag with three dice. 

McCartney took to social media this past week to give fans a sneak preview of the album and a release date confirmation. Simultaneously, a set of multiple vinyl presses of the album were released for fans to pre-order, with a limited availability in different colors. With a rapid sell-out, the buzz behind “McCartney III” has created quite the stir among fans as they begin to prepare for this December.

Similar to previous releases by McCartney, this album contains instrumentals recorded by only himself. During the height of quarantine earlier this year, McCartney began to work on recording several tracks in Sussex, England. Like many of us, he has used this time of social isolation to put his creativity to good use. Recently, McCartney has described the daily routine of piecing together each track, unbeknownst to the idea of the finished product becoming a full LP.

“Each day I’d start recording with the instrument I wrote the song on and then gradually layer it all up; it was a lot of fun,” McCartney said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “It was about making music for yourself rather than making music that has to do a job. So, I just did stuff I fancied doing. I had no idea this would end up as an album.” 

Despite the unforeseen circumstances and unplanned album release, McCartney has given us a promising look toward the end of a chaotic year. Both die-hard fans and casual listeners alike are sure to enjoy the new tunes McCartney has up his sleeve. Those interested in purchasing “McCartney III” are currently able to place pre-orders as a vinyl, CD and digital copy.

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