There is a powerful truth at the heart of Patti Zlaket‘s remarkable comeback, the recognition that there is no deadline on dreams, that it is never too late to try, and that taking a chance can bring gifts we never expected. After two decades away from recording, Zlaket has returned with an album that embodies this truth, a record born from a single courageous act of reaching out and walking through a door of opportunity when it unexpectedly opened. Dance Again, the eight-track album released June 5, 2026, caps Zlaket’s extraordinary comeback, her first new album in twenty years. Championed by Apple Music and produced by Tariqh Akoni, with the legendary bassist Lee Sklar among its A-list session musicians, the album is the sound of an artist returning home to the music that has always been the soundtrack of her life.
The story behind Dance Again is genuinely inspiring. It was Lee Sklar who lit the fire under Zlaket to make the record, though not in the way one might expect. After watching Immediate Family, the documentary about the legendary session musicians known as The Section, Zlaket felt as though she were watching a story about the soundtrack of her own life, a light turned on within her. Though she had been performing regularly, she had taken a long break from recording, and that night she knew the break was over. She reached out to Sklar to thank him for decades of music, and unexpectedly he reached back, and when she boldly asked him to listen to a new song with the hope of recording it together, he liked it. Thus began the year-long process of recording Dance Again, a project born from Zlaket’s courage to walk through the door when opportunity opened.
The title Dance Again perfectly captures the spirit of Zlaket’s return. To dance again is to return to joy and movement and life after a period of stillness, the album embodying Zlaket’s return to recording after two decades away, her return to the creative life that means so much to her. This image of dancing again resonates with the album’s larger theme of second chances and renewal, the dance representing the joyful return to what we love, the movement and celebration of an artist reclaiming her dream. The title sets the tone for the album, the celebration of returning to the dance floor of life after time away, the joy of moving again to the music that has always been part of who she is.
The album opens with Clock Keeps Tickin’, a title that engages with the passage of time, perhaps reflecting on the years that pass and the urgency of pursuing our dreams before it is too late. This opening track suits the album’s theme of there being no deadline on dreams, the ticking clock being both a reminder of time’s passage and a spur to action, the recognition that the time to pursue what we love is now. I’ve Got You follows with an affirmation of connection and support, the assurance of having someone, the warmth of love and companionship that sustains us through life’s journey.
The title track Dance Again sits at the heart of the album, embodying its central theme of joyful return. This track presumably distills the album’s spirit of renewal and celebration, the return to the dance floor of life, the joy of moving again after time away. As the title track, it carries the album’s defining message, the invitation to dance again being an invitation to return to joy and life and the pursuit of our dreams, the celebration of second chances and renewal that animates the entire record.
Let’s Move On brings a spirit of progress and forward motion, the determination to move beyond the past toward new possibilities. This track reflects the album’s forward-looking energy, the willingness to leave behind what holds us back and embrace what lies ahead, the moving on being part of the renewal that the album celebrates. Second Chance at Love brings one of the album’s most resonant themes, the possibility of love returning when we thought our chance had passed. This celebration of second chances at love aligns perfectly with Zlaket’s own story of a second chance at her musical dreams, the recognition that renewal and new beginnings are possible in love as in life, the second chance being a gift that comes to those who remain open to it.
Someone to Lay Down Beside Me brings a tender expression of the longing for companionship and intimacy, the universal desire for someone to share our lives and our beds, the warmth of human connection. This track engages with one of the most fundamental of human needs, the longing for closeness and companionship, the song giving voice to the desire that so many people carry. Love Is For You, one of the album’s hit singles that was added to Apple Music’s New In Rock global playlist alongside tracks by Foo Fighters and Peter Gabriel and Ringo Starr, brings an affirming message about love’s availability. The assurance that love is for you reflects the album’s generous, uplifting spirit, the affirmation that love is available to everyone, the encouragement to remain open to the love that awaits.
The album closes with This Is Me, a powerful statement of identity and self-affirmation. This closing track brings the album to a fitting conclusion, the declaration of this is me being an assertion of authentic selfhood, Zlaket claiming her identity and her artistry after her return to recording. This affirmation of self provides a strong conclusion to the album, the artist who has returned to her dream declaring who she is, the this is me being both a personal statement and a triumphant assertion of the artistic identity she has reclaimed. Ending the album on this note of self-affirmation gives Dance Again a sense of triumph, the journey of return culminating in the confident declaration of who Zlaket truly is.
The world-class collaborators who shaped Dance Again reflect the quality of the project. Produced by Tariqh Akoni, whose credits include Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Lopez and Weezer, and featuring an A-list array of session musicians including the inimitable Lee Sklar, whose work with Phil Collins and James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt has made him a legend, the album benefits from genuine musical excellence. These accomplished collaborators bring their expertise and artistry to Zlaket’s songs, the world-class musicianship elevating the album, the involvement of such respected players reflecting the quality of Zlaket’s work and the significance of her comeback.
Zlaket’s remarkable life gives the album its depth and authenticity. A pianist since she was seven and a songwriter since her teenage years growing up in Tucson, Zlaket graduated from USC with a degree in theatre, recorded her first album in Los Angeles, toured the United States and the UK, established herself as a premiere commercial jingle singer, released a storied catalog, and even graduated from law school. This rich and varied life informs the album’s wisdom and its emotional depth, Zlaket bringing decades of experience and accomplishment to her return, the album reflecting a life fully lived and a dream now joyfully reclaimed.
The message that Zlaket embodies is genuinely inspiring. As she explains, there is no deadline on dreams, and if you want something, you should go for it, because it is never too late to try and you might be surprised by the gifts that come to you because you took the chance. Zlaket describes herself as living proof of this truth, her own comeback demonstrating that dreams can be realized at any stage of life, the entire experience of making and releasing the album feeling like returning home and like a dream coming true.
Dance Again is the sound of a dream reclaimed, an eight-track album that celebrates second chances and renewal and the joyful return to the music that has always been the soundtrack of Patti Zlaket’s life. After two decades away, Zlaket has returned with world-class collaborators and a heart full of gratitude, the album embodying her belief that there is no deadline on dreams.
It is never too late to dance again, to return to what we love and reclaim the dreams we set aside. Patti Zlaket is living proof that taking a chance can bring unexpected gifts, and Dance Again is the triumphant sound of an artist who walked through the door when it opened and found her dream coming true.
