Chrissie Hynde has announced the new album Duets Special.
The Pretenders frontwoman will team up with a host of music stars for 13 extraordinary duets on the new record that will be released on October 17.
Chrissie’s new album features collaborations with k.d. lang, the late Mark Lanegan, Dave Gahan, Cat Power, Brandon Flowers, Debbie Harry, Shirley Manson, Alan Sparhawk and many more.
The record’s first single, Always On My Mind featuring Rufus Wainwright, was released on Wednesday (13.08.25).
Discussing the origins of the album and the new track, Chrissie said: “I never thought about doing a Duets album before.
“I think the idea came about in 2023. I was talking to Jörn, Rufus Wainwright’s husband, on the phone. I think we were recommending novels to each other and for some reason I said hey, maybe Rufus and I should do something, and quickly scribbled out 10 songs off the top of my head.
“So Jörn asked Rufus, who was up for it, and that’s how it started. A spontaneous and what I thought would be a fun thing.”
The artists who perform with Chrissie, 73, on Duets Special celebrate 13 uniquely distinct voices through stripped-down, intimate arrangements and minimal, refined instrumentation.
The tracks are all connected by the theme of great melodies.
Hynde was one of the founding members of The Pretenders in 1978 but confessed earlier this year that she doesn’t regard herself as a “great musician” despite her long and successful career in the business.
The Don’t Get Me Wrong singer said: “I’m not going to be self-effacing, but I’m not a great musician, I know that.
“Well, because when I first started playing, I was too shy to go with the guys in the art room and play so I just had this foresight, like most people who end up writing songs, just to be on my own and write something.”
Duets Special Album Tracklist:
1. Me and Mrs Jones ( feat. k.d. lang)
2. Can’t Help Falling In Love (feat. Mark Lanegan)
3. Sway (feat. Lucinda Williams)
4. Dolphins (feat. Dave Gahan)
5. First Of The Gang To Die (feat. Cat Power)
6. Always On My Mind (feat. Rufus Wainwright)
7. Every Little Bit Hurts (feat. Carleen Anderson)
8. I’m Not In Love (feat. Brandon Flowers)
9. It’s Only Love (feat. Julian Lennon)
10. Try To Sleep (feat. Debbie Harry)
11. County Line (feat. Alan Sparhawk)
12. Love Letters (feat. Shirley Manson)
13. (You’re My) Soul And Inspiration (feat. Dan Auerbach)