Dream pop stalwarts Cigarettes After Sex have announced their third album, X’s, due out July 12th via Partisan Records. They’ve also announced an extensive arena tour in support of the impending release.
X’s is Cigarettes After Sex’s first album in five years, and finds vocalist and principal songwriter Greg Gonzalez touching on the sounds of ’70s and ’80s slow-dance pop ballads. As with previous Cigarettes After Sex albums, the lyrics revolve around romance and intimacy, and Gonzalez explores the rise and fall of a four-year relationship throughout.
“The record feels brutal,” Gonzalez says in a statement. “I could sit and talk about this loss to someone, but that wouldn’t scratch the surface. I have to really write about it, sing about it, have the music, and then I can start to analyze and learn from it. Or just relive it—in a good way. I don’t have that Eternal Sunshine-thing of wanting to forget.”
In support of X’s, Cigarettes After Sex will embark on a massive world tour stretching until spring of 2025. They’ll play Bonnaroo in June, before properly kicking off the trek with on August 31st in Montreal. The band will then play major arenas in Toronto, New York, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles, with the first leg concluding in Mexico City on October 15th. The band’s European dates take place shortly after, and their dates in Asia, South Africa, and Australia/New Zealand will kick off in 2025. More dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
An artist-presale for Cigarettes After Sex’s 2024-2025 tour will begin on Tuesday, March 5th at 10:00 a.m. local time via the band’s website. A Live Nation pre-sale is then set to begin on Wednesday, March 6th at 10:00 a.m. local time (use access code ENERGY). After that, tickets will go on-sale for the general public on Friday, March 8th at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.
Once tickets are on-sale, fans can also look for deals or get tickets to sold-out dates via StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.
Get Cigarettes After Sex Tickets Here
Cigarettes After Sex have also revealed “Tejano Blue,” X’s first single. With gentle, dreamy guitars over a modest trot, the band offers their usual minimalist, reverb-heavy sonic style. Gonzalez writes that he was inspired by Cocteau Twins as well as some of the Latin influences he heard while growing up in El Paso, Texas — mainly Selena’s Como La Flor. While “Tejano Blue” certainly evokes Cocteau Twins more than the latter influences, it is signature Cigarettes After Sex, complete with yearning lyrics and a fortress of hazy atmosphere. Stream the song below.
X’s is Cigarettes After Sex’s first album since 2019’s Cry. Revisit Greg Gonzalez’s 2019 appearance on Kyle Meredith With…, where the frontman discusses his influences, songwriting style, and why he hopes to score films one day.
X’s Artwork:
X’s Tracklist:
01. X’s
02. Tejano Blue
03. Silver Sable
04. Hideaway
05. Holding you, Holding me
06. Dark Vacay
07. Baby Blue Movie
08. Hot
09. Dreams From Bunker Hill
10. Ambien Slide
Cigarettes After Sex 2024-2025 Tour Dates:
06/15 — Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
08/31 — Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell
09/01 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
09/03 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
09/04 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
09/06 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
09/10 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
09/11 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
09/13 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center
09/14 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
09/17 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
09/18 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
09/20 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
09/21 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena
09/23 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/24 — Saint Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
09/27 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
09/28 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
09/30 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
10/02 — Greenwood Village, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
10/03 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Center
10/05 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
10/07 — San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
10/08 — Phoenix, AZ @ Desert Diamond Arena
10/11 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
10/15 — Mexico City, MX @ Palacio de los Deportes
10/25 — Athens, GR @ OAKA Indoor Arena
10/28 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
10/29 — Brussels, BE @ Forest National
11/01 — Milan, IT @ Forum
11/03 — Vienna, AT @ Wiener Stadthalle
11/05 — Warsaw, PL @ COS Torwar
11/07 — Berlin, DE @ Uber Arena
11/09 — Basel, CH @ St Jakobshalle
11/10 — Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena
11/12 — London, UK @ The O2
11/16 — Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
11/17 — Lyon, FR @ Halle Tony Garnier
11/20 — Madrid, ES @ WiZink Center
11/21 — Lisbon, PT @ Altice Arena
01/09 — Hong Kong, HK @ Asia World-Expo, Hall 5
01/11 — Kuala Lumpur, MY @ Sunway Lagoon
01/14 — Manila, PH @ MOA Arena
01/17 — Jakarta, ID @ Beach City International
01/21 — Bangkok, TH @ Impact Exhibition Hall 5
03/05 — Cape Town, ZA @ Grand Arena at GrandWest
03/07 — Pretoria, ZA @ SunBet Arena
03/12 — Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
03/14 — Sydney, AU @ ICC Theatre
03/17 — Brisbane, AU @ Brisbane Entertainment Center
03/19 — Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena
