From NME:
The Cure, Jessie Ware, Scissor Sisters and more for Secret 7″ 2025
The charity initiative will see 700 records auctioned up, each with a different sleeve design by an anonymous artist
By Laura Molloy
Tracks by The Cure, Jessie Ware, Scissor Sisters and more will be featured on ‘War Child Presents Secret 7”.
The charity initiative, which first launched in 2012, takes seven tracks by seven musicians and presses each one to seven inch vinyl 100 times, creating 700 records.
The sleeves for each are then designed by 700 creatives, ranging from renowned artists to newcomers. All sleeves will then be available to purchase via auction after the exhibition. However, the designer’s identity is only revealed after the record is sold.
Alongside the aforementioned names, Frank Turner, Gregory Porter, Keane and Sophie Ellis-Bextor have also contributed songs to this year’s edition of the initiative. You can find a full tracklist further below.
All money raised from the auction will support War Child’s work to provide protection, eduction and specialist mental health support to children affected by conflict around the world.
War Child Secret 7″ 2025 artists:
The Cure – ‘Warsong: Troxy Live 2024’
Frank Turner – ‘Be More Kind’
Gregory Porter – ‘Merchant of Paradise’
Jessie Ware – ‘Beautiful People’
Keane – ‘Black Rain’
Scissor Sisters – ‘Return to Oz’
Sophie Ellis-Bextor – ‘Devotion’ (Brand New Song, Exclusive to War Child’s Secret 7″)
Last year, ‘Secret 7″‘ returned for the first time since 2021 and included tracks from Paul McCartney, Aurora, The Chemical Brothers and more. Among the 700 designers announced following the auction were Jamie Hewlett and Paul Smith.
Charlotte Nimmo, Fundraising Engagement Director at War Child UK says: “We at War Child are so pleased to announce the start of another Secret 7”’s, marking the continuation of a beautifully creative endeavour. Every year, some of the best artists from around the world come together to create 700 truly one-of-a-kind records, to raise funds which enable us to protect, educate and support children whose lives have been affected by wars they didn’t start.
“This year has been horrendous for children caught up in conflict, but the money raised here will help us provide immediate emergency aid, and specialist long term support where it’s needed most,” she continued. “We pride ourselves on working with the best in music and creative arts to create something brilliant that ultimately changes the lives of some of the most vulnerable children around the world, and we can’t wait for everyone to see, and hear, what has been created this year for Secret 7”. We are so grateful to the artists, both musical and visual, for supporting our work, and to everyone that donates to help us do what we do.”
The revealing of the tracklist also marks the opening of public submissions for artwork, with anyone invited to submit a design for a record sleeve. Hopefuls can send digital submissions here between January 13 to February 28.
The Cure’s contribution comes from their 2024 performance at Troxy, which took place on November 1 at London’s Troxy in front of 3000 fans, and was livestreamed for free on YouTube to more than a million people (you can still watch it here). The show coincided with the release of their most recent LP ‘Songs Of A Lost World’.
NME was also there, and noted: “The feel of ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ with its long introductions and heavy tapestry of sound felt so complete and natural for the band – landing live like an addition to the ‘dark trilogy’ of ‘Disintegration’, ‘Pornography’ and ‘Bloodflowers’. As Cooper’s shuddering and monolithic drums brought in ‘Endsong’ before Gabrels’ howling and epic guitar solo, the first set closed as one that will go down in history for fans of The Cure.”
