Arooj Aftab has announced a new album, Night Reign, and a tour. Ahead of the Vulture Prince follow-up, you can hear the single “Raat Ki Rani.” The actress Tessa Thompson made her directorial debut with the video, which is set between a photo shoot and a fleeting romantic liaison. “Interaction with the queen of the night feels unthinkable,” Aftab said in a press release. “Sometimes we must be content with an exchange of glances.” Watch the video and check out the live dates below. Night Reign is out May 31 via Verve.
Tessa Thompson’s father, Marc Anthony Thompson, also makes an appearance on the album. Other guests include Moor Mother, Cautious Clay, and Aftab’s returning collaborators Petros Klampanis and Maeve Gilchrist. Since Vulture Prince, Aftab has won her first Grammy Award and released Love in Exile, her album with Vijay Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily.
All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Night Reign:
01 Aey Nehin
02 Na Gul
03 Autumn Leaves [ft. James Francies]
04 Bolo Na [ft. Moor Mother and Joel Ross]
05 Saaqi [ft. Vijay Iyer]
06 Last Night Reprise [ft. Cautious Clay, Kaki King and Maeve Gilchrist]
07 Raat Ki Rani
08 Whiskey
09 Zameen [ft. Marc Anthony Thompson c/o Chocolate Genius Incorporated]
Arooj Aftab:
06-28 Antwerp, Belgium – Live Is Live
06-28-30 Somerset England – Glastonbury Festival
07-13 Rotterdam, Netherlands – North Sea Jazz Festival
07-22 Chicago, IL – Millennium Park Summer Series
07-23 Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse
07-24 New York, NY – TBD
07-25 Saugerties, NY – Opus 40
08-09 Helsinki, Finland – Flow Festival
08-13 Uppsala, Sweden – Uppsala Konsert & Kongress
08-15 Oslo, Norway – Oslo Jazz Festival
08-17 Biddinghuizen, Netherlands – Lowlands Festival
08-19 Zurich, Switzerland – Zürcher Theater Spektakel
09-19 Boston, MA – Paradise
09-23 Washington, D.C. – The Anthem *
09-24 Washington, D.C. – The Anthem *
10-02 St. Louis, MO – The Factory *
10-03 St. Louis, MO – The Factory *
10-09 New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre *
10-10 New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre *
10-12 Manchester, England – Factory International
10-19 Berlin, Germany – Heimathafen Neukölln
10-20 Hamburg, Germany – Mojo Club
10-21 Heidelberg, Germany – Enjoy Jazz Festival
10-22 Cologne, Germany – Kulturkirche Köln
10-23 Lille, France – L’Aéronef
10-25 Paris, France – Le Trianon
10-26 Nantes, France – Le Lieu Unique
10-28 Lisbon, Portugal – Teatro Tivoli BBVA
10-29 Barcelona, Spain – Sala Apolo
10-30 Madrid, Spain – Madrid International Jazz Festival
11-01 Bristol, England – Beacon Theatre
11-02 Glasgow, Scotland – Queen Margaret University
11-03 Leeds, England – Project House
11-06 Brighton, England – Mutations Festival
11-07 London, England – Pitchfork Festival at Roundhouse
11-08 Den Bosch, Netherlands – November Music Festival
11-12 Copenhagen, Denmark – Vega
01-20 Vancouver, British Columbia – Hollywood Theatre
01-21 Seattle, WA – Washington Hall
01-22 Portland, OR – Aladdin Theatre
01-24 San Francisco, CA – August Hall
01-25 Stanford, CA – Bing Concert Hall at Stanford Live
01-26 Los Angeles, CA – Fonda Theatre
* with Khruangbin
