corinne bailey rae the heart speaks in whispers zip deluxe

“I wanted an elemental place - rocks, desert and the sea - and Fuerteventura has all this black lava because it’s a volcanic island,” says Rae.

In the video, Rae, dressed like some kind of future-funk astronaut, is shown striding across the sun-strafed, desolate landscape of Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands, where the album’s artwork was also shot. The tone is set by first single “Been to the Moon,” a slinky song about budding romance hidden behind lyrics about space travel. But there are also buoyant funk-soul grooves, splashes of Latin rhythm, and an overall beatific mood - songs about love, sex and self-discovery. And there are indeed a handful of the thoughtful, dulcet ballads (“Do You Ever Think of Me?,” album closer “Night”) that Rae’s fans have come to expect. The result is The Heart Speaks in Whispers (out May 13 on Virgin) - a title that sounds, yep, like a shy person’s record. Not that she hasn’t been busy: Since 2010, Rae has scooped up two Grammys, performed at the White House, remarried and logged endless hours in recording studios on both sides of the Atlantic.

Corinne bailey rae the heart speaks in whispers zip deluxe