Aaron Carter died unexpectedly on November 5, 2022. He was 34 years old, and his cause of death was later confirmed as “drowning and the effects of alprazolam, a generic form of Xanax, and inhaling difluoroethane,” as reported by Variety last April. The tragic circumstances around Carter’s death are magnified through “Recovery,” a single released posthumously from the forthcoming posthumous Carter album, The Recovery Album.
The swelling anthem finds Carter singing about struggling to let go and desperately pursuing relief from the pain: “Tomorrow is a new day / Tryin’ to shake the pain away / ‘Cause I’m still in recovery.”
On April 5, Angel Carter Conrad, Carter’s twin sister, and Aaron Pearce, a longtime collaborator of Carter’s, and Carter’s former manager Lori Knight announced The Recovery Album. The posthumous project is due out on May 24 — purposefully released during Mental Health Awareness Month.
“A portion of all proceeds will go to benefit On Our Sleeves and a trust established for Aaron’s son, Prince Lyric Carter,” a press release stated. “The album and previously unreleased visuals will also serve to be a legacy Prince Carter can carry of his father when he was happy and healthy.”
Last December, Angel Carter Conrad commemorated what would have been Aaron’s 36th birthday with an Instagram post explaining the purpose behind On Our Sleeves — Kids Mental Health Foundation. She also appeared on CBS Mornings this week to discuss her mission in Aaron’s honor.
Listen to “Recovery” above, and watch a 2015 video of Carter performing the song below.
The Recovery Album is out 5/24 via Symphonic Distribution. Find more information here.