This third solo album by George Michael is dedicated to Anselmo Feleppa (his Brazilian friend who died in 1993) as well as to the legendary carioca composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. The guitars in the opening track ('Jesus To A Child') have a bewitching Latin flavour, as does the rhythm of 'To Be Forgiven'. George has not swapped out his soulful, R&B infused pop for bossa nova or samba, as he demonstrates in 'I Want Your Love'. This sensual release is undoubtedly rooted in pop, but there are some fleeting forays into jazz (the piano and muted trumpet in 'Older') and the addition of some sounds that are rather unusual for the British singer, such as the layered strings that accompany the tender melody of 'You Have Been Loved', a ballad written in honour of Feleppa. Released in 1996 after five years of silence, Older celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021. After a year-long delay due to the pandemic, Sony has decided to celebrate this anniversary in style, with a five-CD Expanded Edition. In addition to the original remastered album, this edition includes his 1997 album Upper, which was essentially the sequel to Older. As for the 3rd, 4th and 5th CDs, they feature an impressive number of remixes, radio edits and unplugged versions. There’s also a cover of Jobim’s Desafinado, featuring a duet with Astrud Gilberto herself. Long live Brazil! ©Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz