Neil Diamond is returning with Wild At Heart an album crafted with longtime collaborator Rick Rubin that showcases his timeless artistry. The collection combines close arrangement with Diamond’s authoritative vocals and lyricism to produce an introspective and deeply entertaining experience. Coming as a result of his highly acclaimed works during the past twenty plus years the album confirms Diamond’s long-term influence on rock and popular music.
A press release from Neil Diamond’s management revealed that Wild At Heart is due out on May 8th.
Wild at Heart is Neil Diamond’s final entry in his universally praised collaboration with producer Rick Rubin. Recorded initially at sessions for Diamond’s chart-topping Home Before Dark, this collection of ten songs features his signature passionate vocals and powerfully incisive lyrics surrounded by urgent yet stripped-down arrangements.
Diamond initially teamed up with Rubin for 2005’s 12 Songs, hailed as “one of the most entertaining, satisfying albums Diamond has ever released.” The partnership went so well that Diamond was eager to work with Rubin again. 2008’s Home Before Dark was a tremendous popular success (his first-ever Number One album on the Billboard charts) and garnered widespread critical praise. PopMatters’ James Bassett echoed many of his colleagues’ sentiments when he hailed Home Before Dark as “an album of rare beauty, grace, and eloquence that captures Diamond in all his plain-spoken and big-hearted glory. And it is easily the most intensely personal release of his esteemed career.”
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“My work with Rick was a labor of love,” Neil shares, “and I’m so gratified that these songs will finally be set free into the world to complete our trilogy of work.”
Recently revisiting this material, Diamond spent time fleshing out nine new songs to be released for the first time and closed the set with an alternate take of “Forgotten,” which initially appeared on Home Before Dark.
The unique set of songs on Wild At Heart (simultaneously archival and brand-new) will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital platforms via Capitol/UMe on May 8, 2026. Limited edition colored vinyl and 2CD versions will also be available.
In anticipation of Wild At Heart’s release, digital Deluxe Editions of 12 Songs and Home Before Dark are now available and include the debut of bonus tracks previously available on limited physical releases. Listen to 12 Songs HERE and Home Before Dark HERE.
Diamond immensely enjoyed collaborating with Rick Rubin and the all-star quartet he assembled for the Home Before Dark sessions: keyboardist Benmont Tench and guitarist Mike Campbell (both from Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers), along with ace session guitarist Smokey Hormel and guitarist Matt Sweeney (co-founder of the NYC indie rock group Chavez) and frequent Will Oldham cohort. “Working with these guys and having Rick’s ear made it a great deal of fun,” Diamond told Billboard in 2008. “It was magic.”
Revealing the spare but emotional resonance that are hallmarks of his work with Rick Rubin, Wild At Heart has marvelous cohesiveness drawn from material recorded over a handful of years ago. Accompanying his soul-baring lyrics and commanding yet vulnerable vocals, Diamond’s guitar, which he had rarely played on recordings, leads the unadorned arrangements, which involve mainly subdued guitars and keyboards.
Watch the video for the lead track “Wild At Heart”:
Wild At Heart finds Diamond in a reflective, philosophical mood, but it is conveyed on a very human scale, so the songs come across as deeply personal. On “Shine On,” the singer advises his son to “never doubt in yourself” and “sing what you feel inside.” The terrific “You Can’t Have It All” remains presciently relevant today as Diamond asks: “What’s the matter with the world? Can’t everyone take care?”
A well-known master of love songs, Diamond adds several more to his canon with “The Secret You” and “You Still Look Good To Me,” while “Talking It To Death” and “Forgotten” explore the rockier side of love that is on the rocks. “You’re Getting To Me,” “You’re My Favorite Song,” “You Never Know,” and the title track contains classic Diamond hooks; however, the performances hold a warm intimacy that feels like he’s playing in your living room.
Neil Diamond’s illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has seen him sell over 130 million albums, placing him among the best-selling rock musicians ever. He has had 18 Top 10 albums and scored nearly 40 Top 40 singles, with ten reaching #1. His 1969 hit “Sweet Caroline” has continued its unbridled grip on pop culture and has become a permanent fixture at sporting events and a TV and film soundtrack favorite.
A GRAMMY ® Award-winning artist, Diamond is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He also has received two of the highest honors bestowed upon songwriters: the Johnny Mercer Award and the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award.
Additionally, Diamond has garnered the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award, NARAS’ MusiCares Person of the Year Award, and the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime of contributions to American culture. His achievements include a Golden Globe Award, 13 GRAMMY nominations, an American Music Award, an ASCAP Film and Television Award, and a Billboard Icon Award.
Diamond, who starred in the 1980 film The Jazz Singer, has seen his life and music turned into the hit Broadway musical A Beautiful Noise. The show debuted in New York City in 2022, and with over 650 performances and was one of the longest-running new musicals on Broadway since the pandemic. Beautiful Noise launched its first tour in 2024 and continues to tour across America with performances set to open in Australia in August, 2026. Listen to the Original Broadway Cast Recording of A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical, HERE.
In addition, Focus Features released Song Sung Blue on December 25th, a musical drama starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. Directed by Craig Brewer and based on a true story, the film follows two down-on-their-luck musicians who form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band. The movie has been a huge success, with Hudson receiving Oscar, SAG Actor Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations, and will be released via international streaming in late Spring.
Wild At Heart Tracklisting
Side A
1. Wild At Heart
2. You Can’t Have It All
3. Talking It To Death
4. Shine On
5. The Secret You
Side B
1. You Never Know
2. You’re Getting To Me
3. You Still Look Good To Me
4. You’re My Favorite Song
5. Forgotten