Photo Credit: Michael Stosic
Releasing “Brand New Love” in 1986 was a life-changing experience for singer-songwriter Michael Stosic. The album became an instant hit with listeners on the West Coast of the US, launching a career that saw Stosic travel the world playing his music for fans who appreciated not only his melodies, but also the message of unconditional love they shared.
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As the 40th anniversary of “Brand New Love” approached, Stosic returned to the songs on the inspirational album and found that their message was still very powerful. The more he listened, the more he felt he needed to bring the songs to audiences again.
“I found myself getting emotional as I revisited the songs from ‘Brand New Love,’ and it was more than a feeling of nostalgia for the time when I was first recording them,” Stosic says. “I realized the songs still had the power to spark some strong emotions through their message of unmistakable love. And I realized that in a time when there is so much divisiveness and even hate, that message still rings true.”
The more time Stosic spent with the songs, the more certain he became that he needed to give listeners another chance to hear them. But rather than simply rereleasing them, Stosic reimagined them. The result is “Still A Brand New Love,” a new album that presents the songs from Stosic’s classic album for a new generation of listeners.
“The lyrics and chord progressions are the same as they were on the original recording, but the songs have a new feel to them,” Stosic says. “Listeners who have heard the 1986 version will experience songs that have more of a raw feel to them. They were recorded with a smaller band — only guitars, drums, piano — with me playing all the parts. You won’t find the sweetness that the strings and horns brought to the early recordings, but you will find that the original passion is still there.”
Today’s listeners are embracing ‘Still A Brand New Love’
The response to “Still A Brand New Love,” which was released on August 21, 2026, has been very encouraging to Stosic. The single “So Easy To Love” reached No. 1 in South Africa on both the streaming and download charts and No. 2 on both the Nordic streaming and download charts on Play MPE. On August 31, “So Easy To Love” was at No. 2 on the streaming chart and No. 14 on the download chart in Canada.
“Seeing ‘So Easy To Love’ connect with listeners around the world is incredibly meaningful,” says Stosic. “I’ve always believed that music has the ability to reach people wherever they are, and I’m grateful to see this song finding new audiences internationally.”
When the original version of the songs from Stosic’s new album were released 40 years ago, it didn’t take long for them to have an impact. Stosic recalls delivering a cassette tape of the album to KCMS radio in Seattle in May 1986 and getting an invitation to do an interview at the station one week later.
After the interview aired, the album took off. Airplay was followed by invitations to perform at live concerts all over the Seattle area. And with each performance, Stosic heard stories of the ways his music was impacting people’s lives.
“People who would come to the shows and buy my cassettes would later send me letters sharing what it had meant to them,” Stosic says. “The impact was truly humbling. One letter came from a married couple that was in the process of getting divorced. After hearing the message of love the album shared, they decided not to go through with it. Another man wrote to tell me the album inspired him to trust his life to Jesus Christ.”
Stosic hopes both new listeners and longtime fans who experience the new recordings will discover something personal in the songs that is inspirational and impactful. He also hopes they will recognize that music written years ago can still feel fresh, relevant, and meaningful today, perhaps even pointing them to truth they need for today’s struggles.
‘Still A Brand New Love’ is using today’s technology to reach new audiences
“Brand New Love” was originally released in an era when music distribution was a slow and costly process. Stosic’s listeners were mostly limited to those who heard him on local radio, saw him on a show, or somehow got their hands on a cassette.
Today, streaming services have dramatically changed the music distribution process, allowing new songs to be shared around the world instantaneously at the touch of a button. For Stosic, that means “Still A Brand New Love” has the potential to reach a much bigger audience than his original release.
“While I’m thankful for the impact the songs had 40 years ago, I can’t help but wonder what could have happened if they reached a larger audience,” Stosic says. “Today, with streaming on Spotify or Apple Music or YouTube, a much larger audience is within reach. Those tools will provide a powerful platform for taking ‘Still A Brand New Love’ to a much larger audience.”
