The White Album

The White Album is the eleventh studio album by British recording artist Alesha. It was first released by Fusion Records on October 10, 2016. Alesha experiments with a variety of musical influences on The White Album, which is considered one of her most diverse records. The album explores modern, electronic styles, drawing inspiration from such subgenres as dream pop and neo-psychedelia. Inspired by Alesha's experiences filming Exile in Nashville (2016), the record also incorporates folk rock, soul and even country influences.

Lyrically, The White Album has been perceived simultaneously as Alesha's most personal and most political work to date. More introspective songs discuss loneliness, selfishness and identity crisis, while politically charged tracks touch on climate change, exploitation of natural resources, immigration and poverty. Having permanently relocated to the United States, Alesha became "consumed" by the 2016 presidential election.

Development
Alesha released her tenth studio album afterhours in 2015. Inspired by the counterculture of the 1980s and early '90s, afterhours drew inspiration from varying synthpop trends, including New Wave and house music. Lyrically, Alesha placed herself in the historical context, creating a concept album that focused on acceptance, equality, sexuality and social stigma. The album's lead single "In Love Today" sold over a million copies, becoming Alesha's first diamond-certified single. Alesha embarked on the Cruising World Tour, which launched in London on New Years Eve 2015 and culminated in San Juan, Puerto Rico on June 30, 2016.

In April 2016, Alesha told Mexican newspaper El Universal that she had not yet begun recording her eleventh studio album, stating that she was focused on her current show and was "not there yet." At this time, Alesha had composed just one song for the album, "Fire + Jade". However, she had completed work on a soundtrack project for the film Exile in Nashville (2016), directed by Gus Van Sant. Alesha said that it took her a long while to conceptualize a studio album, with afterhours having been "such a labor of love."

After living between Britain and the United States for years – namely London and New York, Alesha and her family permanently relocated to the States. In a presidential election year, Alesha became more aware of U.S. politics, denouncing Republican nominee Donald Trump. The volatile political climate influenced Alesha to create her most political album yet and, according to an interview with Rolling Stone, "the album I've always wanted to make." Alesha began recording the album at Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, California, located in the High Desert. She continued recording in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, as well as at Dreamland Recording near the site of Woodstock in upstate New York.

Music and lyrics
Most of The White Album employs modern soundscapes rooted in electronica, moving away from the 1980s and '90s-inspired sound of afterhours. Alesha incorporated influences from subgenres as varied as dream pop, funk, neo-psychedelia and synth pop. The White Album also bears influences of Alesha's extended exposure to the music of the Southern United States whilst filming Exile in Nashville. Frequent smoke breaks with her driver, a Nashville, Tennessee native, resulted in her introduction to bluegrass and "outlaw country". Alesha developed an appreciation for the country genre, praising what she described as the immediacy of the themes and the straightforward narrative structure of many of the songs she listened to. During a stint in Las Vegas, Alesha became infatuated with the Southwest, as well as desert rock and Americana music.

Themes on the album include escapism, loneliness and renewal, while also touching on political issues such as climate change, exploitation of natural resources, immigration and poverty. The White Album has been labeled Alesha's most personal album, even when compared to Buried Underneath (2005), Bigger Than God (2009) and The Martyr (2011). Like those albums, Alesha offers lyrical introspection and outward observation as she strays from mainstream pop to explore alternative styles. Alesha aimed to create her "most textural" record by incorporating a wide variety of influences and fashioning cohesive, textured soundscapes. The album is sequenced in such a way that each song flows seamlessly into the next.

Singles
"Petroleum"