Joshua Bassett is going for gold. After years in the music industry, the 23-year-old singer-songwriter has finally announced that his debut studio album The Golden Years is arriving this summer.
Sharing a teaser video for the project, Bassett simply wrote via Instagram on Friday (May 17), “THE ALBUM. THE GOLDEN YEARS. JULY 26.”
In the clip, the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alum shoots the single artwork for The Golden Years‘ title track, which also dropped Friday. In jeans, a denim jacket and white tank top, Bassett frolics through a grassy meadow, lit by the sunset.
“If I would’ve known those were the golden years/ I would’ve held you longer that night when you kissed me goodbye through your tears,” he sings on the soft rock number, which plays in the background of the teaser. “If I would’ve known those were the golden years/ I would’ve never left you alone when you needed me most, my dear.”
The new album will follow a string of singles from Bassett, including last year’s “Just Love” and 2022’s “Different” and “I’m Sorry.” In 2022, he released the EP Sad Songs in a Hotel Room.
The announcement comes about two weeks after the singer/actor teased “The Golden Years” in a viral TikTok, in which he sang along to a snippet of the track on the beach. At the time, many commenters speculated that the regret-filled lyrics were about either Olivia Rodrigo or Sabrina Carpenter, both of whom he’s been romantically linked to in the past.
See Bassett’s announcement — and stream “The Golden Years” — below.