Album art featuring the phrase 'Kings of Leon O My Beloved' written with one word per line, centered over a stylized image of puffy white clouds on the horizon of a blue body of water.

Kings of Leon have been at the apex of rock ’n’ roll and still are when they choose to be. They’ve earned platinum records, won Grammy awards and headlined sold-out arenas and stadiums around the globe. On their 10th studio album O My Beloved, which was released Nov. 6, the band takes a wistful and grateful look back at their journey to the top of the rock world.

As they reflect on a career that now spans more than a quarter century, the Followills — brothers Nathan, Caleb and Jared and cousin Matthew — lean into the two things that set them apart from the start. Those are their heartfelt songwriting and Caleb’s voice, which is one of the most memorable in rock history. 

O My Beloved opens with a guitar-vocal song snippet (“Intro”) that provides the album’s title. From there, the record moves through a dozen songs that represent the band’s most sophisticated songwriting to date. Informed by vivid memories and emotions, it includes some of the most beautiful love songs the band has ever recorded. “Feel the Love” and “Rose” will fill up your heart, while “Pretty Thing” will break it. One of the singles, “Cold Blue Dawn,” is a remembrance of a romance that couldn’t withstand the “rock ’n’ roll fantasies and dreams” with a woman who “wanted more than I could give.”

Musically, this is a mellow record by the Kings’ standards, featuring more acoustic guitar and embracing their Southern roots more than their previous work. Rhythmically, it’s unrushed and has a gentle sway to it that allows the songs and Caleb’s voice to be the focus.

O My Beloved is the group’s first self-produced album, and the care they put into recording it can be heard throughout. (Liam O’Neil, a multi-instrumentalist and touring member of the band, was also heavily involved in this record as well, with credits as recording engineer and co-producer.) During their climb to rock’s mountaintop, Kings of Leon have made a number of truly special albums — and this is one of them.

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