Stevie Wonder Drops Unreleased Tracks on Epic 50th Anniversary of 'Songs in the Key of Life'

Stevie Wonder is commemorating the momentous 50th anniversary of his iconic 18th studio album, "Songs in the Key of Life," originally released in 1976.

This significant milestone is being celebrated with a global tour where Wonder will perform the entire double-LP live for audiences.

Adding to the celebration, Wonder has also unveiled a four-track addendum to the album, featuring previously unreleased material that offers new insights into the creative period of the legendary record.

"Songs in the Key of Life" achieved remarkable success upon its initial release, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and spawning two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles: "I Wish" and "Sir Duke."

The album also earned the prestigious Album of the Year award at the 1977 Grammy Awards, solidifying its status as a masterpiece in music history.

The newly released EP, dropped on Monday, September 28, comprises a quartet of classic-sounding tracks personally curated by Wonder from the original recording sessions. These tracks have been newly mixed by the album's original recording and mixing engineers, John Fischback and Gary O Adante (credited as Gary Olazabal on the original).

The 76-years-old, Wonder, expressed his sentiments in a statement, saying, "We’ve lived with Songs in the Key of Life for fifty years, but there’s still more to hear.

We didn’t add these songs to the album, but they were part of what I was feeling and discovering as we made it. They bring me back to that time in my life, and now they get to become part of yours."

The journey through the new EP begins with the buoyant track "It’s Easier." Written, produced, and arranged by Wonder, he performs all vocals and plays Fender Rhodes, drums, percussion, and drum machines. He is joined by Michael Sembello and longtime bassist Nathan Watts.

This uplifting funk-soul tune features Wonder seeking solace from a "love physician" for a broken heart, with the poignant chorus: "Tell you, it’s easier to say love bye-bye/Then to go around with a heart that wants to cry."

Following "It’s Easier," the EP transitions to the bossa nova-like "My Life Story of Love." This track features keyboardist Gregory Phillinganes, known for his work with Michael Jackson and Toto.

Here, Wonder expresses a yearning for a love he cannot reclaim, singing over warm keyboards and a breezy drum track, "It’s my life story of love that never comes true/ It’s that fantasy of love that leaves me so blue/ And fills my empty soul/ With love that’s left untold/ But keeps my lover’s heart feeling cold."

The gentle ballad "I Can See the Sun in Late December" provides a reflective moment. Wonder, who has been blind since birth, articulates his unique perception of the natural world's beauty while lamenting those who fail to appreciate life's joys.

He sings, "I bet you can’t even see the sun/ Ah, but the sun is shining right before your eyes/ I bet you, you can’t even see yourself/ ‘Cause when you’re lost sometimes yourself is hard to find."

The EP concludes with the funky, horn-spiked jam "I’m Into Livin’." This track features background vocals from Shirley Brewer, who contributed to the original album's "Ordinary Pain," as well as Thelma Houston, who later achieved a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit with "Don’t Leave Me This Way," and longtime Wonderlove singer Deniece Williams.

"I’m Into Livin'" glides with the same soul-funk groove found in some of the original album's most cherished tracks, showcasing classic Wonder as he testifies to endless love over electric piano, buzzed-out bass, and saxophones, promising, "Baby, I’m into livin’ for your stuff/ I’m into livin’ for your sweet love, sweet love/ L-O-V-E, love, your love."

Beyond the two chart-topping singles, the original "Songs in the Key of Life" album also features beloved classics such as the opening track "Love’s in Need of Love Today," "Isn’t She Lovely," and "Pastime Paradise," the latter famously sampled by Coolio for his 1995 hit "Gangsta’s Paradise."

The 18-date "Songs in the Key of Life Performances — 50th Anniversary Tour" is set to commence on October 13 at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, U.K., before arriving in the U.S. on November 19 for a performance at Madison Square Garden in New York.