STOCKHOLM - EMI Sweden and Roxette's management issued this release today (somewhat strangely, in Swedish). Here's a full translation:

ROXETTE COLLECT THEMSELVES… this autumn when they come out with the record ”LovePeas – The Ballad Hits”. As the title reveals, Roxette have collected their biggest ballads on one album. These are songs that people the whole world over have a strong relationship to. ”It Must Have Been Love” is still today one of the world's most played songs. In the USA alone, it's been played over 3 million times on the radio since it came out in 1990. From Roxette's lastest two albums ”Have A Nice Day” and ”Room Service” there have been such hits as ”Wish I Could Fly” (one of Europe's most played songs in 1999), ”Anyone” and ”Milk And Toast And Honey” (that even after one year, still resides on radio lists around the world).

New material!

  Roxette has been in Polar Studio and recorded two brand new ballads, the first single ”A Thing About You” that will be released on October 14th and “Breathe.” In addition, the first edition of the album will include an EP with four songs, of which three are previously released.

  ”PopPeas – The Beat Hits” will follow up ”LovePeas – The Ballad Hits” in the spring. As part two of this project, it will include further new material along with all of the collected pop tunes.

Jonas Åkerlund directs

Jonas Åkerlund is highly involved in everything from ideas to packaging, photos to advertising spots… so naturally he'll be directing the video for the first single ”A Thing About You”. Jonas has previously directed no less than 14 Roxette-related videos.

  In a world where it's hard to hang on for 15 minutes in the world's spotlight, 15 years is almost unreal! Per and Marie got their big breakthrough in 1989 with the tune ”The Look” and followed that up with the multi-platinum album ”Joyride” in 1991. In principle, they've been at or around the top of some list or another… someplace in the world… ever since then. They've sold over 40 million albums and 15 million singles. Their latest disc ”Room Service” sold 1 million and the European tour last autumn was seen by 200,000 people.

(The illustration is not a depiction of the actual album cover.)