Carly Simon Announces New Album Comes In Waves For August 2026 Release, Shares Lead Single “Howl”

Carly Simon has announced her new album Comes In Waves.  On “Howl,” Simon sings from the perspective of someone comforting a heartbroken friend whose lover has walked out the door. Instead of telling the person to stay calm or act mature, Simon encourages them to let their pain out through crying, screaming and rage. The track takes heartbreak seriously, showing that betrayal can make someone feel wild before they are ready to heal.

The song’s chorus uses images of wind, rivers, rain, dogs and fire to turn sadness into something physical and almost animal-like. Simon tells the listener to “howl,” “roar,” “wail” and “shiver,” making the song feel like an emotional release. The lyrics suggest that sometimes a person has to fall apart before they can forgive, rebuild their defenses or move on.

Simon also connects the song’s anger to betrayal, as the lyrics tell the listener to burn the letters where a former lover promised they would never leave. This makes “Howl” less about hiding pain and more about admitting that love can feel false after someone breaks trust. Even with that anger, the song points toward release, showing heartbreak as something that must be voiced before it can disappear.

Carly Simon has defended Sabrina Carpenter against the backlash over her Man’s Best Friend album cover by comparing the criticism to the reaction Simon herself received for her 1975 album Playing Possum, suggesting that female artists have often been judged harshly when they use sexuality or provocative imagery in their work. At the same time, Simon does not fully dismiss every concern, because while she thinks Carpenter’s cover is not especially outrageous compared to other famous covers like The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers, she still admits that the detail of Carpenter touching the man’s knee felt like it went slightly over the line.

According to Rolling Stone, the song will appear on Comes In Waves alongside:

1. “Howl”
2. “Maybe I Never Loved You”
3. “Peaches”
4. “Love Has No Ending”
5. “Mother of Pearl”
6. “Slowly”
7. “Four in the Morning”
8. “The More I Look for You”
9. “Love the Way I Do”
10. “The Father Daughter Dance”
11. “Share the End”
12. “Do It Anyway”