Peter Gabriel has unveiled 'What Lies Ahead,' the third track from his forthcoming album o/i, on March 3, 2026, coinciding with the blood/worm moon. The song, produced by Gabriel, explores themes of invention inspired by his father's experiences. It marks the latest in a series of monthly releases tied to lunar cycles.
Peter Gabriel released 'What Lies Ahead' on March 3, 2026, aligning the digital launch of its Bright-Side Mix—handled by Mark 'Spike' Stent—with the blood/worm full moon. This track serves as the third single from his anticipated album o/i, following a pattern established with his previous release, 2023's i/o, where new songs dropped with each full moon. The full o/i album is slated for completion by the end of 2026, featuring both Dark-Side and Bright-Side mixes by Tchad Blake and Stent, respectively.
Gabriel described the song's origins in a statement: 'The song actually began with a melody that my son Isaac was playing with and I thought, oh, that’s really nice – I could build that into something.' An instrumental version was performed as a work in progress during his Back to Front tour. The final recording incorporates cello by Linnea Olsson from the tour's Scandinavian ensemble, additional orchestral elements by John Metcalfe from 2022 sessions, and the Orphei Drängar choir, whose opening was suggested by Brian Eno to evoke a 'spiritual, inspirational' mood.
Thematically, 'What Lies Ahead' focuses on inventors and the creative process. Gabriel reflected on his father, an electrical engineer: 'My dad was an electrical engineer, inventor and I saw him go through the frustrations of not only trying to realize an idea, which has to normally go through so many iterations, but then to sell it, both to the people who’ve got the money and then to the outside world.' The accompanying artwork features Judy Chicago's 1982 piece 'Birth Tear / Tear,' which Gabriel connected to the 'pain' of birthing ideas, noting Chicago's quote: 'truth can be found in the ignored, the forgotten, and the left out.'
A Dark-Side Mix of another track, 'Put the Bucket Down,' is scheduled for later in the month on the new moon.
