In November 1993, Phil Collins released "Both Sides," an album containing eleven songs entirely written, played, and produced by himself in his home studio in Surrey. This album, considered the most personal ever released by the artist, marked a slight decline in sales but not in the success of his concerts. The related tour spanned all five continents over thirteen months. Although he had not yet made it public, Collins had already decided to leave Genesis during this period to focus on his solo career. In 1996, Collins officially announced his departure from Genesis, who without him would release only one more album, which met with little success. That same year, he released "Dance into the Light," an album that received a lukewarm reception from both the public and critics, although the ensuing tour was, once again, a massive success. Meanwhile, Collins put together a jazz project called "The Phil Collins Big Band," with which he recorded the live album "A Hot Night in Paris." In 1999, Collins composed the soundtrack for the Disney animated film "Tarzan," achieving significant success with the main song "You'll Be in My Heart," which earned him a Golden Globe and his first and only Academy Award. The same year, Collins' name was added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Starting from the early 2000s, Collins slowed down his musical activity, partly due to hearing problems that made participating in long tours challenging. In November 2002, his seventh studio album, "Testify," was released, which turned out to be the least successful of his career. In 2004 and 2005, he embarked on the "First Final Farewell Tour," a farewell tour to large-scale live performances. In March 2011, Collins officially announced his retirement from the music scene, due to health issues and a desire to focus more on his family. However, in an interview given in November 2013, he stated that he had considered returning to the music scene and the possibility of a Genesis reunion tour. In May 2015, Collins signed a contract with Warner Music Group for the remastering of his eight solo albums and the release of previously unreleased material. In 2016, he officially announced his return to the stage. During 2016, new versions of his albums, containing previously unreleased bonus tracks, were released. In 2017, he embarked on a European tour and published his autobiography, "Not Dead Yet." In 2021, he took part in the Genesis reunion tour, "The Last Domino?", announcing his final retirement from the stage in 2022 due to back problems.
The track we propose for listening today is one of his most successful singles: "Sussudio," from "No Jacket Required."
