Peter Gabriel has released A Hard Lesson, a new single timed to the blue moon on May 31, 2026. The track arrives as the Bright-Side Mix and offers another preview of his forthcoming album o\i.
In the announcement, Gabriel described the song as one of the oldest pieces connected to the project. Its origins reach back to his time in Senegal in the late 1980s or early 1990s, where he was exploring polyrhythms and different musical traditions.
A Hard Lesson brings together elements of old R&B, folk textures, and rhythmic ideas that developed across many years. Gabriel noted that the track changed shape over time, with contributions from several musicians and producers helping it grow into its final form.
The single also continues the visual approach tied to the o\i project. Its artwork uses still images from Cuentos Patrióticos, a film by Francis Alÿs and Rafael Ortega. A Dark-Side Mix of the song is expected to follow on the next new moon.