THIS IS A PRE-ORDER: We expect this to ship on or around MAY 29th, 2026. Any items ordered with this will be held until they can ship together. If you need other items faster please place a separate order for those items.

Record Kicks proudly presents the 10th anniversary vinyl reissue of Late Nights & Heartbreak, the breakthrough album by Hannah Williams & The Affirmationshome to the song that became the emotional backbone of Jay-Zs landmark album 4:44.

Originally released to critical acclaim in 2016, Late Nights & Heartbreak has since become a modern soul classic. Its legacy was sealed when Jay-Z famously built the title track of 4:44 entirely around Hannah Williams original recording. Used as a raw confession of infidelity, the song served as Jay-Zs response to his wife Beyoncs Lemonade, introducing Hannahs unmistakable voice to a worldwide audience.

Recorded at Quatermass Studio in Londonthe home base of cult heroes The HeliocentricsLate Nights & Heartbreak captures Hannah backed by her newly formed band, The Affirmations. The album was produced by Malcolm Catto, renowned for his work with artists such as Mulatu Astatke, Orlando Julius, Floating Points, Quantic, DJ Shadow, and Madlib. Mixed fully analogue and mastered to tape, the record delivers a sound that is raw, punchy, and deeply immersive.

Across 13 tracks, Late Nights & Heartbreak explores visceral, heavy-hitting soul infused with a subtle psychedelic edge. From the haunting first single Tame in the Water to the relentless eight-minute groove of Still in My Head, the album showcases the sheer power and control of Hannahs voice at its most electrifying. Woman Got Soul delivers five minutes of infectious, hard-driving funk, while deeper cuts like Another Sunrise and Your Luck Can Change provide lush, emotional backdrops for themes of love, lust, longing, anger, and vulnerability. All songs are original compositions written by the Bristol-based collective surrounding The Affirmations, led by musical director James Grahamexcept for a stunning, monster psychedelic-soul reinterpretation of Dazed and Confused, heavily inspired by the original version by Jake Holmes.

Blessed early on by the late Sharon Jones, Hannah Williams first burst onto the soul scene with her debut album A Hill of Feathers in 2012. The single Work It Out became an independent radio hit, setting the stage for a career steeped in modern soul mythology. Raised in a musical household, Hannah sang in her church choir from the age of six and could read music before she could properly read words. Today, she stands as an unstoppable forcean artist of rare, once-in-a-generation talent.

Ten years on, Late Nights & Heartbreak returns on vinyl in this special anniversary reissue, reaffirming why Hannah Williams & The Affirmations remain among the most powerful voices in contemporary soul.

street date 5/29/2026