For decades, the biggest mystery surrounding Carly Simon wasn't the meaning of life, but who exactly was so vain. She famously confirmed one line of her 1972 hit was aimed at Warren Beatty, leaving the rest to a rotating cast of characters. Classic.
After years of living a life far quieter than her iconic lyrics, the Grammy winner just dropped some news that’s anything but subtle. Simon, now 81, announced she’s releasing her first new album in 18 years. Oh, and also, she has Parkinson’s disease. Because apparently, that’s where we are now: monumental musical comebacks paired with profoundly personal health revelations.
A New Album, a New Chapter
Simon first noticed her health shifting, a quiet alarm bell ringing until doctors at the Mayo Clinic delivered the Parkinson's diagnosis. She describes the feeling with a vivid, almost poetic bleakness: "You can find yourself lying there like a starfish drying in the sun, arms pointing in all directions, while nothing inside is telling you to get up, read, watch, write, sing, call someone, or do much of anything at all."
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Start Your News DetoxIt’s not just a case of the blues, she explains. It’s “as though the part of the brain that sends out invitations to participate in life has temporarily misplaced the guest list." Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying. During this period, she also had skin cancer removed, because when it rains, it apparently pours everything.
But through it all, she found her way back to the studio, crafting her new album, Comes in Waves. Music, she says, gave her "shape" and a reason to keep moving. The woman who once told us nobody does it better is now reminding us that even when the world throws everything at you, you can still find your rhythm.
"I am still writing, singing, imagining, laughing, worrying, remembering, and occasionally getting trapped in an overstuffed chair," she quipped. A testament to enduring spirit, and perhaps, the perils of particularly plush furniture.
Her new album is set to arrive on August 14, 2026. Because some things, like a good melody and the human will, are simply unstoppable.
