Grammy-nominated R&B artist Alex Isley has released her major-label debut album, When The City Sleeps, now available via Free Lunch Records and Warner Records. The 15-track project serves as a conceptual, late-night meditation on themes of love and longing, featuring collaborations with labelmate Syd and longtime creative partner James Fauntleroy.
Isley describes the album as her most personal work to date, highlighting the city of Los Angeles as a central character in her narrative. “The album holds some of my most intrusive and vulnerable thoughts and feelings when it comes to life, and what my future holds when it comes to love,” Isley shared regarding the release.
To coincide with the album’s arrival, Isley unveiled the official music video for the single “Westside”. The visual, characterized by “golden-hour skylines,” acts as a nostalgic tribute to her hometown.
This milestone follows her recent 2026 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Female Artist.
In support of the new LP, Isley will embark on a 13-city North American tour this spring. The trek begins on May 26 at the Tabernacle in Atlanta and will visit several major markets before concluding in June.
Key Tour Dates:
May 26: Atlanta, GA — The Tabernacle
June 26: Dallas, TX — House of Blues
Additional stops: New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles
Since her self-produced debut Love/Art Memoirs, Isley has built a reputation for “sonic sophistication,” bolstered by collaborations with industry veterans like Raphael Saadiq and Robert Glasper. Her latest work further solidifies her standing in contemporary R&B, blending resonant basslines and soulful melodies into what critics describe as a “cinematic soundscape”.
When The City Sleeps is currently available on all digital platforms, with a special vinyl edition also released for purchase.