Album cover
(photo by Just Loomis)

Morten Harket is back with a new solo album called Human Grace, to be released by Warner Music on 27 November. The first single “Hold Me” (featuring Tomine Harket) will be out tomorrow, 25 September.

The surprise announcement comes in a long article written by Jan Omdahl on a-ha.com – “The second coming of Morten Harket” – where Morten talks about the new album and how he is doing these days.

Jan Omdahl writes: “It is surely the most surprising comeback of the year, and the most poignant: Almost 41 years after «Take On Me» changed his life, a year and a half after he announced he has Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition for which there is no cure, a-ha front man Morten Harket bounces back with his seventh solo album. Human Grace is the result of considerable determination in the face of debilitating disease. That same determination keeps him looking forward, even keeping the door ajar for a possible future with a-ha.”

New press photo by Just Loomis

Morten says: “I had been writing and recording songs over the years since Brother, in between working with a-ha. My co-producer Peter Kvint and I started looking at the material with new eyes, finding ourselves pleasantly surprised by the quality and coherence of what was waiting to be freed up. It was uplifting. It’s been quite a journey, to be able to land this. For me, and certainly for everyone else working with me under such uncertainty, giving it all they had. I’m proud of them, all – grateful to them all! I’m curious whether the songs will reach people these days…”

It appears from the article that most of the vocals on the album had already been recorded before Morten became ill, with only some vocal overdubs added during the recording period between July 2025 and July 2026. But everything else, when it comes to instrumentation and arrangements, is brand new.

“I believe this may be the most cohesive album I’ve made. It’s one thing. Production-wise, I think it’s solid, and Jonas Kroon has done a brilliant job mixing the album”, Morten says.

The 10-track album will include the familiar song “Did I Leave You Behind”, which Morten performed live a number of times in 2013 and 2014. And in addition to Tomine contributing to the single “Hold Me”, Morten’s youngest daughter Karmen appears on the song “Falling Down”.

Tracklist:
1. Human Grace
2. Hold Me (feat. Tomine Harket)
3. Falling Down (feat. Karmen Poppi A. Harket)
4. Lord, I Can’t Help You Now
5. Now Your Heart Is Broken
6. Shot of Fear
7. Did I Leave You Behind
8. What Is It You Want With Me
9. The Old Church
10. If I Ever See Your Face Again

Human Grace will be available on Black Vinyl, Beige Vinyl and CD, and can be pre-ordered from Warner Music.

In the a-ha.com article Morten says that compared to last year his voice has come back to a certain extent. Not to the point that he will be able to sing live on stage, but possibly returning to the studio for further projects:

“I’m constantly looking for a way back to using my voice for recording. I’ve done some new vocals on this record, but nowhere near enough to say I’m there. I’m hoping to get there, and that might even mean going back in the studio with the band, with a-ha.”

In a VG article today, a-ha manager Harald Wiik confirms there may be more to come from a-ha as well:

“There’s been good talks within a-ha this summer and fall, and as usual there are a lot of great songs available. I hope we’ll be able to hear Morten singing them in the not too distant future.”