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Joe Kelly Announces “The Only Thing,” First Single From Upcoming Debut Album

Paul Riley
11 hours ago
3 min read

Minneapolis singer-songwriter Joe Kelly blends acoustic pop, light rock, and bittersweet romanticism on a warm, dreamy new single


MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Joe Kelly will release “The Only Thing” on Friday, September 25, 2026, marking the first single from his forthcoming debut album, due in March 2027. The new song captures Kelly’s signature blend of acoustic pop, light rock, reflective storytelling, and the bittersweet joy of modern romance.



“The Only Thing” finds warmth and optimism in an emotionally complicated relationship. The song was inspired by a one-sided romance in which Kelly became the rebound for someone coming out of a breakup. As flickers of something genuine began to emerge, doubt, conflicting schedules, and the difficulty of fitting into each other’s social circles gradually made a lasting relationship seem impossible. Still, the pair continued spending nights together, choosing intimacy and companionship even while knowing the relationship had an expiration date.


The result is a song about living inside a fleeting moment; the late-night conversations, shared vulnerability, sleepless mornings, and intoxicating feeling of being close to someone when the future remains uncertain. Warm, upbeat, reflective, and dreamy.

“I chose this song as the first single because it perfectly captures my entire vibe: a fun groove mixed with a little bit of reflection, a dash of nostalgia, and heaps of hopeless romanticism.”

- Joe Kelly


Kelly has been performing for more than a decade and has toured nationally, developing a live sound centered on layering guitar and vocals through a loop station. His music embraces the imperfect, unfinished nature of adulthood, exploring relationships, mental health, nostalgia, social awkwardness, and the refusal to completely grow up. Often described as “Jason Mraz on a sedative,” Kelly brings an easygoing musicality to songs that can carry considerably more emotional weight beneath the surface.


“The Only Thing” also introduces the larger world of Kelly’s upcoming debut album, an honest portrait of an artist still emerging. Additional singles are planned ahead of the album’s full release in March 2027.


Release Show

To celebrate the single, Joe Kelly will perform a single release show on Friday, September 25, 2026, at Metronome Brewing in St. Paul, Minnesota. The performance will be Kelly’s final headline scheduled show of 2026, with additional live dates expected around the release of the full album in March 2027.


A music video for “The Only Thing,” shot and edited by Bruce Meyers of Waiting Room Collective, is also complete and features appearances from friends Dan Engsberg, Taylor Benson, and Madeline Benson.


Production Credits

  • Eric Cuevas (8e8 Studios): Producer, audio and recording engineer, mix and master engineer, keyboardist

  • Joe Kelly: Writing, lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, keyboard

  • David Rapheal: Bass

  • Francesca Pratt: Drums, shaker, tambourine, auxiliary percussion


Release Details

  • Artist: Joe Kelly

  • Single: “The Only Thing”

  • Release Date: Friday, September 25, 2026

  • Genre: Acoustic Pop / Light Rock

  • Album: Upcoming debut album, March 2027

  • Release Show: September 25, 2026 at Metronome Brewing, St. Paul, MN

  • Pre-Save: Coming soon


About Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly is a Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter whose music lives somewhere between acoustic pop, light rock, and folk, pairing warm melodies and effortless grooves with the bittersweet humor of being human. Drawing on more than a decade of performing and national touring, Kelly builds his songs around layered guitar, vocals, and loop-station textures, creating a sound that feels intimate, organic, and distinctly his own.


Often described as “Jason Mraz on a sedative,” Kelly writes about the beautiful mess of modern life: falling in love, coming apart, navigating mental health, feeling out of place, and trying to figure out adulthood without taking it, or himself, too seriously. His songs find the joy hiding inside melancholy and the nostalgia tucked inside everyday moments, balancing playful charm with an honest willingness to sit with uncertainty.


Kelly’s upcoming debut album brings those ideas into sharper focus. It is an honest portrait of an artist still becoming. Imperfect, unfinished, occasionally awkward, and entirely comfortable admitting that he doesn’t have everything figured out. Across the album, intimate stories and conversational songwriting meet warm acoustic arrangements, light-rock energy, and the dreamy quality of a late-night conversation you wish didn’t have to end.


With the release of “The Only Thing” in September 2026, Kelly begins rolling out the first chapter of that album. The single captures his particular brand of hopeless romanticism: finding something worth holding onto even when you already suspect it won’t last.

Joe Kelly makes music for people who are still figuring it out. For the romantics, the overthinkers, the socially awkward, and anyone who has ever stayed up too late talking to someone they weren’t supposed to fall for.


Connect with Joe

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