Gloria Estefan Returns With “We Needed Time”

Well, this is nice surprise! Gloria Estefan returns with her first single in seven, long years today (May 7). “We Needed Time” is a lovely, stripped-back ballad that feels very much inspired by the current state of the world. “Things rarely go as planned, all the dreams that we envisioned seemed to crumble in our hands,” the three-time Grammy winner begins the song in that velvety voice. The chorus is even more direct. “But we needed time to catch up, the race we started put on pause,” she sings. “Slow the wheels that… were grinding on the things that matter most.”

“With a lot of love for all that have been forever changed,” Gloria wrote in an open letter to fans, before thanking her son for “providing the spark that gave birth to this song” and a long list of fellow collaborators. “To my family, I LOVE YOU and I MISS HUGGING YOU!! And to all of you that love and support and are always there for me, please stay healthy and strong!” In other exciting news, it looks like the living legend is releasing a new album called Brazil305 on August 13. It will be her first since 2013’s Standards.

Take comfort in “We Needed Time” below.