Aurora (Yes album)

Aurora
Studio album by
Yes
Released12 June 2026 (2026-06-12)
Recorded2024–2025[1]
GenreProgressive rock
Length59:28
Labels
ProducerSteve Howe[2]
Yes chronology
Yessingles
(2023)		 Aurora
(2026)
Singles from Aurora
  1. "Aurora"
    Released: 10 April 2026 (2026-04-10)
  2. "Turnaround Situation"
    Released: 20 May 2026 (2026-05-20)

Aurora is the twenty-fourth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 12 June 2026 by InsideOut Music and Sony Music.

Yes started work on the album shortly after the release of Mirror to the Sky in May 2023. As with the band's immediate preceding albums, guitarist Steve Howe resumed his role as producer, and orchestral arrangements were provided. Unlike the last two albums, the orchestral parts of the album were provided by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. The album was released on CD, LP, Blu-ray, and digital platforms, with some editions containing additional artwork by long-time Yes cover artist Roger Dean.[3]

Aurora debuted at number 42 in the UK and number 8 in Germany.

Background and recording

During an interview in early 2024, Billy Sherwood confirmed work had begun on Aurora, telling Rolling Stone, "We're making a new album as we speak. When was the last time Yes made so many albums in a row in such a short period of time? That's driven by Steve's inspiration to produce it and to go forward".[4]

Once The Classic Tales of Yes tour finished in late 2024, the band started fully working on the album by developing ideas in home studios and then bringing them together through ongoing exchanges.[1]

Before this album, Billy Sherwood and Jon Davison lived full time in the United States, but they started living part time in the United Kingdom. Steve Howe said, “Jon and Billy have English partners now, which is very good. Of course, we still do a lot of file sharing, and I’ve a base that Jon comes to, but we don’t force people to be in the same room all the time just because they live here”.[5]

Jay Schellen, as the only member to not have residence in the United Kingdom, said of the recording process, "We've been doing this for the last three records. It's remote recording. Billy and I had many sessions together, here in Los Angeles, where we put forward quite a bit of material. Billy splits his time between Vegas and London. So he is here in the US and that's when we get together. In the UK, there's the studio where Jon, and Geoff rendezvous. Billy as well".[6]

In early 2025, Geoff Downes said, "It's a lot more progressive sounding than the last few albums. It's an album with attention to details and musicianship, which is what Yes is all about".[7] In another March 2025 interview, when asked what is going on with Yes, Downes replied, "We've been working on an album for the past six months".[8]

Davison described the album as, "very much part of a trifecta with the last two albums. There is a continuity from The Quest to Mirror to the Sky, then to Aurora. Just like we evolved from The Quest and did Mirror, we’ve gone another direction with Aurora. So there’ll be enough familiarity there".[9]

The album's title emerged early from the writing process, with Davison recalling that the name immediately resonated with Howe and helped spark visual inspiration for artist Roger Dean, who designed the album artwork alongside Freyja Dean.[1]

Release

Previously unknown information about the album was leaked a few days before its official announcement, with the names of album, tracks, and the album cover being leaked alongside photos of the physical cartridge and information about the deluxe physical edition.[10]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic72/100[11]
Review scores
SourceRating
PopMatters8/10[12]
Uncut7/10[13]
MusicOMHStarStarStarHalf star[14]
Record Collector6/10[15]

Rock Cellar Magazine described the title track as a "fittingly epic sonic experience".[16] Consequence of Sound said, "The piece showcases symphonic elements not seen since 2001’s Magnification, underscoring a spritely and bright piece of music befitting the Yes legacy".[17] PopMatters saw it as an improvement of the records Davison previously fronted: "Progressive rock needs to constantly evolve, in keeping with the genre’s title, to distinguish it from other blues variants. Yes continue to evolve; Aurora proves Davison is just getting warmed up as frontman."[12]

Track listing

Aurora track listing[18][19]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Aurora"Davison, Howe[20]7:25
2."Turnaround Situation"Davison5:48
3."Love Lies Dreaming"Davison, Howe6:24
4."Countermovement"
  • i. "Taro" [Howe]
  • ii. "Anytime Soon" [Downes/Howe]
  • iii. "Blink of an Eye" [Davison/Sherwood/Schellen]
iv. "Freedom's Edge" [Howe]"		Davison, Howe, Downes, Sherwood, Schellen13:44
5."Ariadne"Davison, Downes, Sherwood6:14
6."All Hands on Deck"Howe3:03
7."Outside the Box"
  • i. "Light" [Howe]
ii. "Outbox [Howe/Sherwood]"		Howe, Sherwood4:18
8."Emotional Intelligence"Davison3:30
Total length:50:26
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Jambustin'"Davison, Howe4:22
10."Watching the River Roll"Sherwood4:40
Total length:59:28

Personnel

Yes[21]

  • Jon Davison – lead vocals (tracks 1–3, 5, 8, 9), vocals (tracks 7i, 7ii), duo vocals (tracks 4ii, 4iii, 6, 10), electric rhythm guitar (track 1), organ (tracks 1, 2, 8), piano (tracks 2, 3, 8), acoustic rhythm guitar (track 2), synth (track 3), acoustic guitar (track 8)
  • Steve Howe – guitars,[a] mandolin (tracks 4ii, 10), Gibson F4 mandolin (track 4iii), autoharp (track 1), harmonica (track 4iii), duo vocals (tracks 4ii, 6), harmony vocal (track 2), vocal (track 7i), additional keyboards (track 1), additional synth (track 9), washboard (track 9)
  • Geoff Downes – synth (tracks 1, 2, 4ii, 9, 10), chorus organ (track 1), verse piano (track 3), organ (tracks 4i, 6, 8), piano (tracks 4ii, 4iii, 5, 9), Mellotron (track 4iii), string synths (track 4iv), lead synth (track 7ii)
  • Billy Sherwood – bass guitar (tracks 1–6, 7ii, 8–10), vocals (tracks 1, 2, 5, 7i, 7ii), duo vocals (tracks 4iii, 10), additional electric guitar (tracks 4ii, 5)
  • Jay Schellen – drums (tracks 1–6, 7ii, 8–10)

Additional musicians

Production

  • Steve Howe – producer
  • Curtis Schwartz – mixing, mastering
  • Roger Dean – cover art, logo
  • Freyja Dean – cover art[22]

Charts

Chart performance for Aurora
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[23] 20
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24]68
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[25]26
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[26] 27
French Albums (SNEP)[27]125
French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP)[28] 10
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29]8
German Rock & Metal Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[30] 5
Italian Physical Albums (FIMI)[31] 14
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[32]27
Japanese Rock Albums (Oricon)[33] 5
Norwegian Physical Albums (IFPI Norge)[34] 4
Norwegian Rock Albums (IFPI Norge)[35] 13
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[36]94
Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[37]5
Spanish Albums (Promusicae)[38]95
Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[39] 9
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[40]12
UK Albums (Official Charts)[41]42
UK Rock & Metal Albums (Official Charts)[42]3
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[43]36

Note

  1. ↑ Steinberger electric 12-string guitar (tracks 1, 4iii), Fender Telecaster (tracks 1, 4iii, 6), Gibson ES-175D (tracks 1, 2, 4iii, 6), Variax sitar guitar (tracks 1, 4iii, 6), Gibson Les Paul Junior (tracks 1, 2, 7ii), Williams pedal steel (track 2), Gibson Chet Atkins nylon-string guitar (tracks 2, 3), Steinberger GM4T electric guitar (tracks 3, 8), steel guitar (tracks 4i, 4iv), acoustic and electric guitars (tracks 4ii, 4iv), Fender steel guitar (tracks 4iii, 6, 8, 9), Martin MC38 SH acoustic guitar (tracks 4iii, 5, 9), Martin 0018SH acoustic guitar (track 4iii), Gibson Tennessean (track 4iii), Portuguese 12-string guitar (tracks 4iii, 10), electric Leslie guitar (track 5), acoustic Gibson ES-175D double-wah guitar (track 5), Martin J12-65M 12-string acoustic guitar (track 6), 6- and 12-string acoustic guitar (track 7i), Martin MC28 and 000-C acoustic guitars (track 7ii), Fender Stratocaster (track 9), Gibson ES-175D Leslie guitar (track 10)

References

  1. 1 2 3 "YES Announce 24th Studio Album 'Aurora' — Out June 12 via InsideOut Music/Sony". MGM. 10 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  2. ↑ "Full interview: Rock band Yes honors legacy with Roger Dean artwork". WGAL. 14 October 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  3. ↑ DeRiso, Nick (10 April 2026). "Yes Set to Release Third Album in Five Years With 'Aurora'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  4. ↑ Greene, Andy (14 January 2024). "This Prog-Rock Wizard Has Kept Yes Alive for the Past 30 Years". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  5. ↑ Lambe, Stephen (26 February 2026). ""We hope the combination of Roger Dean's artwork and these musicians really makes for something special": Steve Howe on Yes' new album, his solo career, and his honest take on those massive box sets". Louder Sound. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  6. ↑ "In conversation with Jay Schellen – 709". 20 February 2026. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Yamazaki, Tomoyuki (9 March 2025). "Asia is back. Geoff Downes talks about his outlook for their April 2025 Japan tour and his thoughts on John Wetton". Yahoo!. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Ling, Dave (28 March 2025). ""The haters won't stop us from doing what we do": Geoff Downes on Asia's new lineup and the band's future plans". Louder. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  9. ↑ Burns, Andy (28 March 2026), "Exclusive Interview: Jon Davison of Yes Discusses 'A Tribute to John Lodge: An Evening of Moody Blues Music'", BiffBamPop!, retrieved 9 April 2026
  10. ↑ "YES Ready To Release "Aurora"". 8 April 2026. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  11. ↑ Aurora by Yes, retrieved 2026-06-15
  12. 1 2 "Yes' Jon Davison Proves His Worth on 'Aurora'". 15 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Uncut Profile - Metacritic". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  14. ↑ Hogwood, Ben (2026-06-12). "Yes - Aurora | Album Reviews | musicOMH Yes - Aurora". musicOMH. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  15. ↑ "Record Collector Profile - Metacritic". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  16. ↑ "Yes Unveils 24th Studio Album: Preview 'Aurora' with Title Track; LP Due June 12 (Pre-Order)". Rock Cellar. 10 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "Yes Announce New Studio Album, Unveil "Aurora": Stream". Consequence of Sound. 10 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "Yes - Aurora Ltd. Deluxe - 2 CD + Blu-ray". Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  19. ↑ https://yesworld.com/discography/aurora/
  20. ↑ https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/935045960
  21. ↑ https://yesworld.com/discography/aurora/
  22. ↑ https://www.insideoutshop.de/products/yes-aurora-gatefold-black-2lp-lp-booklet
  23. ↑ "Longplay Charts vom 19. Juni 2026" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  24. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Yes – Aurora" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  25. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Yes – Aurora" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  26. ↑ "Lista prodaje 28. tjedan 2026. (06.07.2026. - 12.07.2026.)" [Sales list Week 28 2026] (in Croatian). HDU. 12 July 2026. Archived from the original on 22 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  27. ↑ "Top Albums (Semaine du 19 juin 2026)". Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  28. ↑ "Top Rock & Metal Albums (Semaine du 19 juin 2026)" (in French). Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  29. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Yes – Aurora" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  30. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts: Top 20 Rock/Metal-Charts – 19 Juni 2026" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  31. ↑ "CD, vinili e musicassette – Classifica settimanale WK 25" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  32. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2026-06-22" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  33. ↑ "Oricon Rock Albums: June 22, 2026" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  34. ↑ "Fysisk Albums 2026 uke 25" (in Norwegian Bokmål). IFPI Norge. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  35. ↑ "Rock Albums 2026 uke 25" (in Norwegian Bokmål). IFPI Norge. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  36. ↑ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 12.06.2026–18.06.2026 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  37. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 19/6/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  38. ↑ "Top 100 Álbumes Semanal-semana 25-2026". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 25, 2026". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  40. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Yes – Aurora". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  41. ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 19/6/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  42. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart on 19/6/2026 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  43. ↑ "Yes Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
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