The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde Announces New Album Duets Special For October 2025 Release, Shares Lead Single “Always On My Mind” With Rufus Wainwright 

The Pretenders’ lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Chrissie Hynde announced a new album on Wednesday,  titled Chrissie Hynde & Pals – Duets Special, set to release Oct. 17. Hynde released the lead single of the album the same day, titled “Always On My Mind”, featuring Rufus Wainwright. 

Hynde’s Duets Special has 13 tracks, including “Always On My Mind”, each featuring an array of artists like k.d. Lang, Mark Lanegan, Dave Gahan, Cat Power, Brandon Flowers, Debbie Harry, Shirley Manson, Alan Sparhawk and more. Each artist brings a unique voice to intimate arrangements, intricate melodies and refined instrumentation. 

Following The Pretenders’ latest album, Relentless, and Summer 2024 tour with the band,  her fourth solo LP presents a shift in Hynde’s career as a creative artist. According to Hynde, Duets Special was a result of spontaneous ideation with Rufus Wainwright’s husband, Jorn. 

“I never thought about doing a Duets album before. I think the idea came about in 2023,” Hynde said. “I think we were recommending novels to each other, and for some reason, I said, ‘Hey, maybe Rufus and I should do something,’ and quickly scribbled out 10 songs off the top of my head. So Jorn asked Rufus, who was up for it, and that’s how it started.” 

The title song of the album, “Always On My Mind”, is a display of calming organ and piano, which slowly adds drums, bass and guitar against Hynde and Wainwright’s passionate vocals. Hynde and Winwright’s voices contribute to the album’s note on the collaboration between impressive vocalists.  

Duets Special Track List:

1. Me & Mrs Jones (feat. k.d. lang)

2. Can’t Help Falling In Love (feat. Mark Lanegan)

3. Sway (feat. Lucinda Williams)

4. Dolphins (feat. Dave Gahan)

5. First Of The Gang To Die (feat. Cat Power)

6. Always On My Mind (feat. Rufus Wainwright)

7. Every Little Bit Hurts (feat. Carleen Anderson)

8. I’m Not In Love (feat. Brandon Flowers)

9. It’s Only Love (feat. Julian Lennon)

10. Try To Sleep (feat. Debbie Harry)

11. County Line (feat. Alan Sparhawk)

12. Love Letters (feat. Shirley Manson)

13. (You’re My) Soul And Inspiration (feat. Dan Auerbach)