Will Joseph Cook Shares 'Born to Lose' & 'Novella' Mixtape

Will Joseph Cook today shares ‘BORN TO LOSE’, the fourth single from his forthcoming mixtape NOVELLA, out 13th October via Bad Hotel / The Vertex. Featuring the singles ‘PUNCHIN’’, ‘FEARLESS IS THE FLAME’, ‘MF BASSLINE’, NOVELLA is an eclectic and experimental project that sees Cook explore new sonic landscapes and ideas in his unique indie pop stylings. ‘BORN TO LOSE’ comes complete with a video directed by Bertie Gilbert and choreographed by Laurie Case.

Of the inspiration behind writing ‘BORN TO LOSE’, Will Joseph Cook shares: “Being a young person in society right now feels like losing. I wrote BORN TO LOSE thinking about how making a name for yourself online somehow feels like one of the very few way to lift yourself out of the exploitative low paid work most of us end up doing. Yet, even winning at that game can feel like losing as so many people who get famous can experience a life of haters and derealisation. The song is giving a voice to the frustration you feel from not seeing a future of fairness or contentment ahead. So it definitely is a bit nihilistic lol. That said, it definitely pushes back at that negativity with a lot of hopeful lines in it too.”

Of the video he adds: "Directed by long-term visual collaborator Bertie Gilbert and choreographed by one of London's most promising dancers Laurie Case, the BORN TO LOSE video follows a group of young people uniting for a game of football after a rough day. However, the group turns their back on the match, instead breaking into cathartic dance. Sometimes the only way to win is by not playing at all, so the video is a metaphor for breaking away from society's outdated expectations of what you should do with your life."

To celebrate the release of NOVELLA, Will Joseph Cook will play an intimate show at London’s The Grace on Monday 23rd October. Tickets are on sale now and available here. This follows his North American, UK and Europe headline tours earlier this year which saw him debut new tracks from NOVELLA and play fan favourites from across his discography. 

Will Joseph Cook is one of the UK’s brightest young talents. Now 26-years-old, Cook has been developing his multi-dimensional approach to crafting infectious songs since he was just 14. Finding inspiration in everything from the youthful indie charms of Phoenix, Vampire Weekend and Darwin Deez, and more recently the pop/R&B flavours of Drake, joji and Doja Cat. To date, he has almost  900m combined streams and views across streaming platforms and YouTube. 

His third studio album Every Single Thing via Bad Hotel / The Vertex was released last year, a collection of unashamed love songs. Will Joseph Cook’s third album follows his 2020 sophomore Something To Feel Good About, which featured viral triumph ‘Be Around Me’ and his 2017 debut Sweet Dreamer. In autumn of 2022 he collaborated with alt-pop darling Tessa Violet on the candy-coated single ‘Gummy’ before joining her on her North American tour.

Will has taken his high-energy live show worldwide, culminating in sold-out shows at London’s Omeara, Heaven, Electric Ballroom, and Lafayette. He has also performed at high-profile international festivals including Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Boardmasters, Victorious, Secret Garden Party, Reeperbahn, Green Plugged Seoul, Corona Capital in Mexico, and Tecate pal Norte.

Photo Credit: Will Hooper