Paul McCartney announces new single I Don’t Know/Come On To Me

Paul McCartney has announced a double a-side single, ‘I Don’t Know’/‘Come On To Me’, to be released on 20 June 2018.

It comes ahead of an official announcement of McCartney’s forthcoming 17th studio solo album, widely believed to be titled Egypt Station.

Here’s the full press release for the new single:

PAUL McCARTNEY TO RELEASE ALL-NEW DOUBLE A-SIDE SINGLE
‘I DON’T KNOW’/’COME ON TO ME’
AVAILABLE WEDNESDAY 20th JUNE on CAPITOL RECORDS

Following a whirlwind week that saw his Instagram presence rebooted as he played one of the most intimate gigs of his storied career, Paul McCartney is done keeping the world in suspense: ‘I Don’t Know’ and ‘Come On To Me’, will be released tomorrow as a double A-Side single.

The first tastes of Paul’s brand new studio album due out later this year on Capitol Records, the two A-sides are polar opposites: ‘I Don’t Know’ being a plaintive, soul-soothing ballad as only Paul can deliver, and ‘Come On To Me’ a raucous stomper that fans that first spark of chemistry into a rocking blaze.

Worldwide speculation about a new Paul McCartney album instantly reached fever pitch as his Instagram account whited out last week—only to ratchet higher as Paul was spotted taking selfies at landmarks in Liverpool the same day. The evening’s climactic event was a surprise gig at the tiny Liverpool Philharmonic Pub, during which ‘Come On To Me’ made its live debut alongside a set of classics spanning Paul’s career.

Paul’s new album is slated for fall 2018 release on Capitol Records. Further details will be announced shortly.

Come On To Me was the only new song performed at McCartney’s surprise show at Liverpool’s Philharmonic pub on 9 June.

The artwork for ‘I Don’t’ Know appears to contain elements previously seen in a 1988 painting by McCartney, also titled Egypt Station. Here’s McCartney’s description of the piece:

My original inspiration was similar to a picture we were talking about the other day, with Egyptian symbols and shapes I got from looking at a reference book on Egypt. I was interested in the way they drew sunflowers, so two appear on the left and on the right. It was a nice shape, so I took that and then I also love the way they symbolize trees. I like the way they reduce a tree to just some very simple symbols.