More than two decades after Kate Hudson’s Oscar-nominated turn as Penny Lane in Almost Famous, the beloved groupie (sorry, Band-Aid) has become the rockstar.
On Tuesday, Hudson delivered on her years-long promise to launch a music career by releasing her debut single, “Talk About Love.” The shimmering pop song finds Hudson singing to a lover about letting loose and not being afraid of heartbreak: “Take my hand and let me guide you out into the endless night / But why we chasing all these butterflies? / Let them go now,” she sings.
Per a press release, “Talk About Love” was co-written by Hudson with Linda Perry and Hudson’s musician fiancé, Danny Fujikawa. The actress has inked a deal with Virgin Music Group to release her as-yet-untitled debut album, due later this year.
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In a statement about the single, Hudson said, “You only have one first single,” she explains, “and I wanted it to be something delicious and sexy and all the things that I believe in. I wanted it to be open and seeking, searching to find something powerful. But I also wanted the music to be the rock, the pop, the dance music and even a bit of the alternative records I love. It was a lot to put into one song, but thankfully, I had some wonderful people working with me. And so, here we are!”
Hudson’s new song comes after a string of recent Instagram posts teasing the release. She previously unveiled the glamorous cover art—which features her wearing a furry coat and dramatic cat-eye makeup—and spoke in a video about her foray into the music world.
“I have always had a room for my piano, ever since I began living on my own. And I’ve been caught up writing and witnessing life in songs since I was a child,” she says in a clip featuring behind-the-scenes footage of her in the recording studio. “But, you know, it always comes down to the moment and the ability to make sure you can be there for the music, and that was really important to me, and have it come from that really authentic place and focus. So finally for me, that time is now.”
Hudson, 44, first revealed her plans to dive into music in an April 2022 Instagram post showing her rocking out at a microphone. “Finally realized it’s time to say f#%! it and saaaannngg!!!!!” she wrote at the time.
And though it doesn’t look like Hudson will be leaving Hollywood behind anytime soon—just last week, it was announced she’d be starring in Mindy Kaling’s next comedy series at Netflix—she insists she’s fully committed to being a musician. During an interview on Today earlier this month, she said, “For me, it was like, if I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna really do it. Like, I’m gonna commit to the process.”
“There’s nothing half-assed about my relationship with music,” she added, “so it’s the most vulnerable I think I’ve ever been creatively.”
