"Been Undone" is a song by English musician Peter Gabriel, released through Real World Records. Written and produced by Gabriel,[1] it is the lead single from his forthcoming eleventh studio album O\I. Like all songs from O\I and the preceding I/O (2023), the release of "Been Undone" corresponded with the lunar cycle and also received multiple mixes, including a Bright Side mix by Mark "Spike" Stent and a Dark Side mix by Tchad Blake.[2][3]
| "Been Undone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Peter Gabriel | ||||
| from the album O\I | ||||
| Released | 3 January 2026 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Length | 7:40 (Dark-Side Mix) 6:48 (Bright-Side Mix) | |||
| Label | Real World | |||
| Songwriter | Peter Gabriel | |||
| Producer | Peter Gabriel | |||
| Peter Gabriel singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song's Dark-Side mix was released on 3 January 2026 to coincide with the Wolf Moon.[2] The song's Bright-Side Mix was released on 18 January 2026 on its corresponding new moon and is 52 seconds shorter than the Dark-Side Mix.
Background
editAspects of "Been Undone" were taken from a chord progression and series of guitar riffs by David Rhodes on a demo titled "Sit", which had been created roughly 30 years prior to the release of "Been Undone".[2] Gabriel had developed the chord sequence of "Been Undone" in the Writing Room of Real World Studios.[4] Gabriel revisited "Been Undone" with Rhodes, Tony Levin, and Manu Katché at Real World Studios in 2025, where it was the final song developed for O/I.[2] Stereogum described the song as having a "pleasant, loping groove and lyrics that reference mitochondria and the Mandelbrot set."[2] Gabriel also recorded parts of "Been Undone" at The Beehive in London.[5]
Gabriel said that there were "many songs as possible first candidates" as the first release from the 'O\I album. He ultimately settled on "Been Undone" to fulfill this role.[4]
The cover art for the single is Ciclotrama 156 (Palindrome) by Brazilian artist Janaina Mello Landini. Commenting the artwork in a press release, Gabriel said that unravelled rope in the artwork resembled "fractals or tree trunks" and expressed his belief that it "looks like the brain in some ways too". Gabriel also mentioned that Landini would create a different piece of artwork specifically for the track.[6]
Personnel
editPersonnel adapted from Gabriel's website:[7]
Musicians
- Peter Gabriel – piano, synthesizer, rhythm programming, lead and backing vocals
- Manu Katché – drums
- Tony Levin – bass
- David Rhodes – electric guitar
- Richard Evans – acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin
- Faye Dolle – rhythm programming, additional synthesizer, percussion
- Charles Hughes – percussion
- Ged Lynch – percussion
Technical
- Peter Gabriel – words and music, production
- Tchad Blake – mixing ("Dark-side" mix)
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing ("Bright-side" mix)
- Matt Colton – mastering
- Faye Dolle, Katie May, Dom Shaw, Richard Chappell, Ben Findlay – engineering
- Xav Sinden, Charles Hughes, Maisy Preece – assistant engineering
- Recorded at Real World Studios (Wiltshire), The Beehive (London)
Packaging
- Cover art – Ciclotrama 156 (Palindrome) by Janaina Mello Landini
Charts
edit| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Sales (OCC)[8] | 31 |
References
edit- ↑ Ewing, Jerry. "'I have been thinking about the future and how we might respond to it.' Peter Gabriel announces surprise new album and single". Louder. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Lapatine, Scott (3 January 2026). "Peter Gabriel Announces New Album 'o\i'". Stereogum. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ↑ Moderelli, Rob (5 January 2026). "Peter Gabriel Unveils New Album 'o/i' with "Been Undone (Dark-Side Mix)"". Relix Media. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- 1 2 Full Moon Update November 2023. Peter Gabriel. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ↑ Richards, Sam (2 January 2026). "Peter Gabriel announces new single and album". Uncut. Archived from the original on 2 January 2026. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
- ↑ Jones, Damian (3 January 2026). "Peter Gabriel announces new album 'o\i' and looks to the future on new single 'Been Undone'". NME. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ↑ "Been Undone". petergabriel.com. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ↑ "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 January 2026.