Watch Cynthia Erivo bring deep soul to her new single 'Alive'

The song hails from her upcoming album Ch. 1 vs. 1, and EW has your first look at the music video.

Cynthia Erivo can slay just about any song you can think of — but it just hits different when it's one she wrote.

The singer has just unveiled her new single "Alive," and EW can exclusively debut the music video, which features Erivo giving a powerful performance within the gorgeous Beckett Mansion in Los Angeles. The single is off her upcoming album of entirely original music, Ch. 1 vs. 1, which will be released Sept. 17. Though Erivo has sang on plenty of soundtracks and cast albums, this is her first original solo effort.

Erivo co-wrote "Alive" with Sean Douglas, and the piano-driven pop anthem showcases her stellar vocals. "Sometimes we run away from who we've been and what we've been through, thinking that's the best way to move forward," Erivo said in a statement. "But we have to stand flat-footed and look at those experiences, and [learn the lessons they were meant to teach]."

Ch. 1 vs. 1 reflects our current moment, steeped in pop and socially conscious soul and drawing on our collective experiences of a global pandemic and a movement for racial reckoning. (Check out the track listing below.)

Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo. Universal Music

Erivo, a British singer and actress, first won American audiences over by breaking out on Broadway in The Color Purple, for which she won a Tony Award. She's since moved to the screen in projects like Widows and Genius: Aretha, the latter of which earned her an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin.

"To be able to sing something and to know that was the reaction that was brought about by a performance of mine, you wish that if she's anywhere listening, I hope every time she hears me singing, that's how it feels when she hears it," Erivo previously told EW regarding a video of her eliciting an emotional reaction from Franklin while performing at the Kennedy Center Honors. " I hope whenever people hear me sing, they feel that — they feel the love in it, they feel bliss. I definitely hope that wherever she is, she got those vibes from me."

And if you need some more of those vibes, check out the video for "Alive" above.

Ch. 1 vs. 1 track list

  1. "What in The World"
  2. "Alive"
  3. "Hero
  4. "The Good"
  5. "Day Off"
  6. "A Window"
  7. "I Might Be in Love With You"
  8. "Sweet Sarah"
  9. "Tears"
  10. "You're Not Here"
  11. "Glowing Up"
  12. "Mama"

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