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Jason Mraz’s debut album Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002), released amid a new wave of witty but sensitive acoustic rockers, became a major hit thanks to the irresistible single “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry).” But the lead single to follow-up Mr. A-Z (2005), the self-effacing “Wordplay,” pretty accurately predicted a sophomore slump. How would he bounce back? The answer, it turns out, was right in front of him.

How that turnaround played out is the subject of a new deluxe reissue coming from Rhino next month. 2008’s We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. – which became his bestselling and highest-charting album – will be revisited for its 15th anniversary, as a 2CD, 3LP or digital set featuring rare and unreleased demos and outtakes chronicling the journey to this creative record. The album will be paired with 14 bonus tracks – three of which are previously unreleased – as well as original lyric notes by the singer/songwriter, new track-by-track commentary and liner notes from music journalist Annie Zaleski.

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. continued Mraz’s laid-back pop polyglot style (blending folk, soul and more) and lighthearted lyricism. Opening track “Make It Mine” and the sweet “Lucky,” a duet with fellow pop-folkie Colbie Caillat, were favorites – but the secret weapon was a song that hardcore fans knew quite well. The digital flipside to “Wordplay” was a demo called “I’m Yours,” a simple, sincere love song with a lilting island rhythm. The album version’s loose polish, courtesy of producer Martin Terefe, caught on with audiences in ways no one quite expected: it peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 but stayed there for 76 consecutive weeks, a distance record that would stand until 2014. “I’m Yours” would snag a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year, while “Make It Mine” and “Lucky” took home trophies for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

Mraz released three Top 10 albums in the 2010s, and his most recent work, this June’s Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride, found him reuniting with many of the folks who put We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. together, including producer Terefe and the female folk-rock outfit Raining Jane, who co-wrote closer “A Beautiful Mess” with Mraz.The new reissue is available to pre-order now; a limited edition on crystal clear vinyl will be available through the singer’s official store, including signed copies. All formats will be available September 22.

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. We Deluxe Edition. (Atlantic/Rhino, 2023)

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Disc 1: Original album (released as Atlantic 448508, 2008)

1. Make It Mine
2. I’m Yours
3. Lucky (with Colbie Caillat)
4. Butterfly
5. Live High
6. Love for a Child
7. Details in the Fabric
8. Coyotes
9. Only Human
10. The Dynamo of Volition
11. If It Kills Me
12. A Beautiful Mess

Disc 2: Bonus material (* denotes previously unreleased)

1. Make It Mine (from the Casa Nova Sessions)
2. I’m Yours (Demo)
3. Lucky (Jason’s First Draft) *
4. Butterfly (from the Casa Nova Sessions)
5. Live High (from an Avocado Salad Session)
6. Love for a Child (from the Casa Nova Sessions)
7. Details in the Fabric (Demo) *
8. Coyotes (from a Girl in New York Sessions)
9. Only Human (from the Casa Nova Sessions)
10. The Dynamo of Volition (from an All Night Session)
11. If It Kills Me (from the Casa Nova Sessions)
12. A Beautiful Mess (from a Raining Jane Session)
13. Kickin’ with You
14. Happy Endings *

Tracks 1, 4 and 9-10 released as We Dance EP – Atlantic 448380, 2008
Track 2 from Extra Credit promo EP – Atlantic (no cat. #), 2005
Tracks 5 and 11-12 from We Sing EP – Atlantic 448316, 2008
Tracks 6 and 8 from We Steal Things EP – Atlantic (no cat. #), 2008
Track 13 from When in Rome (Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Atlantic/Photo Finish 521690, 2010