Sufjan Stevens is celebrating Pride Month a little early this year, dropping a surprise EP with some decidedly soul-warming themes. They mark Stevens’ first new tunes since 2018 singles “Tonya Harding” and “Lonely Man Of Winter.”
“Love Yourself,” an understated electronic track, comes with a lo-fi sketch of the song from 1996 that A Sun Came fans should find a nostalgia trip, as well as a short reprise at the EP’s close. “With My Whole Heart,” meanwhile, has some serious Age Of Adz vibes, with drum machines and call-and-response vocals forming the spine of a thoroughly starry-eyed pop-ballad. Per a press release, Stevens wrote it as a personal challenge to “write an upbeat and sincere love song without conflict, anxiety or self-deprecation.”
Listen to and/or purchase the songs here, knowing that a portion of the proceeds will benefit two organizations serving LGBTQ and homeless children in America—the Ali Forney Center in Harlem, NY and the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit, MI. A limited edition 7-inch vinyl will also be available come June 28. Finally, Stevens has designed a Pride t-shirt that can be purchased on his new Sufjamz webstore.