The Boy Who Played the Harp

The Boy Who Played the Harp
Studio album by Dave
Released	October 24, 2025
Label	Neighbourhood
Producer	Dave
Dave chronology
Split Decision (2023) The Boy Who Played the Harp (2025)

The Boy Who Played the Harp is the upcoming third studio album by British rapper Dave, scheduled to be released on 24 October 2025 through Neighbourhood Recordings. ^[1] The album serves as a follow-up to We're All Alone in This Together (2021), his second studio album, and Split Decision (2023), Dave's collaborative EP with Central Cee. ^[2]

The album's title alludes to the Book of Samuel in the Bible (1 Samuel 16:14-23), where Saul summoned a young, brave shepherd, David, to play the harp to soothe him as he was being troubled by evil spirits. ^[3]

Background and promotion

Dave released his second studio album, We're All Alone in This Together on 23 July 2021 to commercial success and critical acclaim. ^[4] On 3 March 2022, he released the chart-topping single, "Starlight", marking his first solo track to peak the charts while breaking the record for the first UK number one of the 2020s to be entirely written and performed by one person and the first number one to be written and produced by just one person since 2014. ^[5] On 1 June 2023, Dave released "Sprinter" with Central Cee, the lead single to the duo's collaborative EP, Split Decision (2023). The single became the longest-running number-one rap song in the UK, holding the position for 10 weeks while topping the charts in several other countries. ^[6]

After dropping loose singles and features in 2023, Dave embarked on a year-long hiatus from music in 2024, selectively teasing the record on social media. On December 1, 2024, Dave posted an Instagram post of a checklist with several goals, including one that read: "START ALBUM 3". ^[7] In May 2025, during an interview at a Baller League event, Dave revealed that he was "finishing the album" in Los Angeles and Paris. ^[7] On May 10, Dave shared an Instagram post to commeorate the 10th anniversary of his "BL@CKBOX Freestyle", revealing that the album would be released before 2026. ^[8]

On October 1, Dave had taken to Instagram to announce the release of the album, revealing the title, artwork, and date, while also releasing vinyls, CDs, cassettes, and bundles to purchase for pre-order. ^[9]

References

1. Reilly, Nick (October 2, 2025). "Dave announces third album 'The Boy Who Played the Harp'". Rolling Stone UK . Archived from the original on October 4, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
2. Sandiford, Kayla (October 2, 2025). "Dave announces new album, The Boy Who Played the Harp". The Line of Best Fit . Archived from the original on October 4, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
3. Ahmed, Aneesa (October 1, 2025). "Dave announces new album 'The Boy Who Played the Harp'". NME . Archived from the original on October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
4. Copsey, Rob (July 30, 2021). "Dave's new album scores biggest opening week of 2021". Official Charts . Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
5. Paine, Andre (March 11, 2022). "Dave's Starlight is the first UK No.1 by a sole writer and producer in eight years". Music Week. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
6. Brandle, Lars (August 7, 2023). "Dave and Central Cee's 'Sprinter' Snags U.K. Chart Record". Billboard . Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
7. Suffolk, Anna (October 1, 2025). "Dave New Album 'The Boy Who Played The Harp': Release Date, Tracklist, Features & More". Capital Xtra . Archived from the original on September 27, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
8. Clifford, Elizabeth (May 15, 2025). "Dave sparks excitement as new album rumours gain momentum". NotJustOk . Archived from the original on June 15, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
9. Smith, Thomas (October 2, 2025). "U.K. Rapper Dave Announces That His First Album in Four Years Is Coming Very Soon". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 2, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.