Secret 7”, the charitable initiative which invites creatives both established and up-and-coming to submit artwork for the sleeves of 700 vinyl records, is back for its ninth edition. The event is presented by War Child, the charity that will be the recipient of the proceeds, which provides protection, education and mental health support to children in conflict zones.
The initiative selects seven tracks from global musicians, pressing each onto 100 limited-edition 7” vinyl records. Secret 7” then asks creatives to design a one-of-a-kind sleeve for each record, interpreting the track in any style or medium they want. This year, the event partnered with Design and Art Direction’s New Blood initiative, which hosted an open call for emerging talent to take part.
The headline artists for 2025 have now been revealed, and it’s a star-studded agenda, with sleeves designed by, among many others, Turner Prize-winning sculptor Antony Gormley OBE RA; fashion designer Sir Paul Smith; The Cure frontman Robert Smith; artist and designer Yinka Ilori MBE; multimedia artist Haroon Mirza; multidisciplinary artist Ken Nwadiogbu; sound-inspired painter Andrew Pierre Hart; contemporary painter Yooyun Yang; and Radiohead’s longtime collaborator and visual artist Stanley Donwood. Yinka Ilori will also create etched designs on all 700 records, wrapping them in bright colours.
The result is 700 distinct records that blur the boundaries between music and collectible art. These will be showcased at Greenwich Peninsula’s NOW Gallery from 11 April until 1 June 2025, and will be available for auction throughout. The designers’ identities are kept secret until all the items are sold, meaning that buyers won’t know who designed their sleeve, or which track is inside it, until after purchase – hence the name Secret 7”.
The seven tracks featured on the records are Warsong by The Cure, Be More Kind by Frank Turner, Merchant of Paradise by Gregory Porter, Beautiful People by Jessie Ware, Black Rain by Keane, Return to Oz by Scissor Sisters, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s new song, which is exclusive to Secret 7", Devotion.
During its nine-year run, Secret 7” has produced and sold 5,600 one-of-a-kind records, raising over £700,000 for charity, and has attracted contributions from artists and designers including Sir Anish Kapoor, Yoko Ono, Sir Peter Blake, David Shrigley and Ai Weiwei. The initiative has also pushed boundaries of what a record artwork can be, with past sleeves having been made from concrete, felt, lego, acrylic, clay and stitchwork.
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