Take That – Dreamers
2026 could go down in the history books as a fantastic year for Take That. In addition to the long-awaited Netflix documentary “Take That” in January and the hugely successful “The Circus Live Summer 2026 Tour” at various stadiums in England and Ireland last summer, it is now time for the release of the new album “Dreamers”. On Friday, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald will release Take That’s tenth studio album, “Dreamers”.
The standard version of this album features 12 tracks, with “Wonderkids” as the opener. The album’s intro is orchestral and feels almost cinematic, after which the song takes on a slightly electronic character further along. “Wonderkids” allows the listener to drift away pleasantly and would also be perfect for a large cinema auditorium. Last September, Gary, Mark and Howard of Take That gave a select group of 750 people the opportunity to listen to eight tracks from this album in advance at the Zoopalast in Berlin (the writer of this review was one of the lucky attendees that evening). The “Album Pre-Listening Event” by Take That kicked off in screen 1 of this Berlin cinema with “Wonderkids” already blasting through the speakers, allowing the audience to drift away blissfully. This track is equally enjoyable to lose yourself in when listening through speakers or headphones.
“You’re A Superstar” was released as the first single from this album and could be heard after the third and final episode of the Netflix documentary about Take That. With this single, Take That introduces a new sound that feels worthy of a stadium and gives you a good feeling; it is fresh and uplifting. During last summer’s stadium concerts in England and Ireland, “You’re A Superstar” was given a place on the setlist and was sung along to enthusiastically by the fans. Take That also manages to maintain this new sound very well on the subsequent single, “Sweet July”, with a great groove and a strong chorus. “Sweet July” is short but very powerful.
Take That enjoys experimenting with new styles, which is also clearly audible on the tracks “Best Heartbreak” and “Higher”, both of which sound funky and have a disco feel. This funky disco outfit suits Take That perfectly too. Gary Barlow’s voice fits “Best Heartbreak” very well, and it also has a wonderful bass groove and a catchy chorus. Howard Donald came up with the idea of writing a song around a sample of “Brazilian Rhyme (Beijo Interlude)” by Earth, Wind & Fire, and that is how “Higher” came about. Howard’s lead vocals sound very infectious and invite you to dance.
The slightly calmer “Who Do You Think You Are” is very pleasant to listen to. A strong song in which Gary’s voice really shines. Further down the tracklist, “Change Of Seasons”, sung by Howard Donald, also provides a pleasant balance on this album. It sounds very laid-back. There are also several songs on the album “Dreamers” that are reserved for Mark Owen. The song “Dreamers” is great fun and has a very catchy chorus. “Dreamers” suits Mark’s voice very well and could easily have featured on one of his solo albums. Mark Owen also takes the lead vocals on “My Love Is Yours”. It is lovely to hear both Mark Owen and Howard Donald featuring more frequently on this album.
With the third single, “Feel My Love”, Take That offers a little surprise for European fans. It is a collaboration with Michael Patrick Kelly, also known as Paddy from the Kelly Family. In terms of style, “Feel My Love” is once again slightly different from what people are used to from Take That, but the song is easy on the ear and the voices of Michael Patrick Kelly and Take That complement each other very well. This collaboration sounds very fresh. During the Q&A session at the Zoopalast in Berlin, Gary explained that he had heard an unfinished version of “Feel My Love” from a songwriter friend and had immediately become enthusiastic about it. The name Michael Patrick Kelly rang a bell for Gary: after all, in the 1990s, Take That and the Kelly Family were impossible to ignore on European stages and in the charts. They subsequently continued writing “Feel My Love” together, resulting in what can be described as a beautiful and interesting collaboration between Take That and Michael Patrick Kelly.
Towards the end of this album, “Saint” gradually raises the tempo a little further with its interesting build-up, incorporating subtle dance influences that culminate in a wonderful chorus. Secretly, this is one of the gems of the album, with Mark Owen’s voice being a perfect fit. In addition, this song once again allows the listener to drift away pleasantly. “Masterpiece” brings this new Take That album to an end. As the title suggests, this is secretly also something of a masterpiece, like the ones Gary Barlow has written on several occasions in the past. For this ballad, Take That collaborated with Tom Odell, who took care of the piano parts. A beautiful song in which the strings in the background add extra strength, making the vocals sound even more intense. A beautiful and powerful finale.
The new Take That album “Dreamers” is a very strong album with plenty of energetic tracks and optimistic lyrics, perhaps one of the best Take That albums in years. The songs on this album allow the listener to drift away blissfully. Not only a must for Take That fans (and perhaps a few Michael Patrick Kelly fans here and there), but also highly suitable for music lovers with a passion for pop music. (9/10) (EMI)
