(l to r) Interceptor Management’s Ella Papenfus; BMG execs Fiona McAuley and Andy Lloyd; A&R consultant Ollie Slaney; BMG’s Jo Power; Jay Kay; BMG’s Jamie Nelson and Anna Derbyshire; Interceptor’s Charlie Charlton; BMG’s James Farrelly and Zach Fox. Photo Credit: John Scott Blackwell
Now preparing to drop its ninth studio album – which will mark its first full-length project in nearly a decade – Jamiroquai has inked a global recording agreement with BMG.
The Bertelsmann subsidiary and the 34-year-old funk group formally disclosed their deal today. Having moved north of 26 million albums since arriving on the scene in 1992, Jamiroquai put out its most recent multi-track project, Automaton, via Virgin EMI back in 2017.
And while the act has yet to settle on a firm release date for a follow-up effort, the creative wheels have apparently been in motion for some time. Among other things, Jamiroquai debuted at least three fresh songs during last year’s Heels of Steel Tour.
(That comeback series is continuing into 2026 as well, and Jamiroquai has teed up a number of European festival performances for this summer.)
These and additional tracks are presumably set to release sooner rather than later via BMG, which touted Jamiroquai’s “success over many years,” creative evolution, and more.
“Jamiroquai’s success over many years is extraordinary,” said Jamie Nelson, BMG’s UK-based SVP of new recordings. “Pioneering and progressive in their output, they have continued to evolve while others have stood still. In Jay Kay, they have a truly global, iconic frontman who remains as creatively driven as ever, always pushing forward and bringing fans with him.
“We’re proud to welcome Jamiroquai to the label. Their ambition, originality and cultural impact make them a powerful addition to our broad and eclectic roster, and we’re excited about what’s ahead,” Nelson proceeded.
And in remarks of his own, Jay Kay praised BMG and more interestingly the new album, which “is up there with our very best work of the last thirty years.”
“Let me say how amazing it feels to find a home at BMG in 2026,” said Kay, who last year released a handful of singles via his house-focused De-Funkt Recordings. “It’s been humbling to navigate the interest in the new album from some great companies, but after working so hard on it for the last two years, I know that the super people at BMG are the right team for us.
“It’s important to feel comfortable and be able to keep a hand in the creative process, not only musically, but visually too,” the 56-year-old proceeded. “Jamie, with his huge experience and in-depth knowledge of my musical journey so far, definitely understands where I want to go – boldly into the future on what feels like an exciting new chapter.
“I’m exceptionally pleased to be working with him and all the BMG family worldwide on what I genuinely believe is up there with our very best work of the last thirty years,” concluded Kay.
Earlier in February, BMG finalized exclusive publishing deals with Take That founding member Gary Barlow and Loyle Carner, besides scoring a distribution pact with Sketch Music.
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