Russ drops new album ‘W!LD’ — Here’s what all you need to know

Two years on from his last album, SANTIAGO, Russ has officially dropped his new album W!LD on streaming platforms. News about the project had been teased by the singer a few weeks ago through a trailer released in May, and the excitement about the forthcoming launch had been growing in the last couple of weeks. The album has now been released, and it contains 19 songs altogether.

The artwork for Russ' album W!LD symbolizes him leaving his safe sanctuary and embracing the unknown. The album cover shows a wolf-like creature in an open setting, looking backwards, representing reflection and transition. This also keeps in line with the trailer Russ had released previously, which showed him being caged in the wilderness before being rescued by (possibly) his inner self.

W!LD is going to be Russ' sixth complete album, and the singer had also previously hinted about the direction the album was going to take with a series of posts on X. In the post, he was quoted as saying:

"The title ‘W!ld’ represents my evolved perspective on life’s inherent unpredictability and the transitional phase between resisting life’s challenges and embracing them. It just as easily could’ve been called 'The Unknown.' After I got external success, my focus naturally shifted inward, realizing that there was a whole world I hadn’t explored yet. My internal one. At this point of my journey I’m really interested in navigating the "wild" of my internal landscape so that I can engage with my external experiences with a renewed healthier and more grounded mindset. This album isn’t about me naively or arrogantly entering the unknown, but confidently proceeding, newly armed with the understanding that both joy and hardship are integral to the journey."

He then went on to add:

"I used to think that once you achieve external success, there would be no more problems. Smooth sailing from here on out LOL. But holding grief in one hand and gratitude in the other simultaneously is just how this sh*t (life) goes. I previously struggled with resisting that thought and kind of had a 'fetal position' mentality, but now I excitedly (hence the exclamation point) embrace the 'wild' adventure into the unknown, knowing that growth and self-discovery await, and that I’ll be okay regardless of the ups and downs.The absence of clutter or distractions emphasizes my pursuit of clarity and liberation, both internally and externally. There’s a rawness and loneliness about this art too which mirrors my own internal landscape as I go into a new phase of my life."

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The complete tracklist of Russ' W!LD album

Russ had already given fans a glimpse into W!LD by releasing a few tracks from the said album, which included songs such as Movin', April 7, Crazy, and Pent Up in a Penthouse. These songs were received well by fans, and with the release of the full tracklist, fans will now be treated to the thematic journey of Russ, the singer.

Here's the full tracklist for W!LD:

User Guide

Go Up

Movin

La La La

April 7

Crazy

Pent Up In a Penthouse

Gettin' To It (feat. DJ Lucas)

Trying

Superman

How’d You Do It

Tell Me Who

Worried

Embrace

Right Now

Forever

Cyclone

West

Lonely Road

The release of the album has also been accompanied by wide fanfare on social media, where the fans are already in the process of selecting favorites on the album. W!LD's release also comes almost two years after Russ' previous full-length project. Such a hiatus has allowed him to mature as a person, as well as an artist, and could lead to his most mature effort to date.