"Letter to You" is the twentieth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, released in October 2020. It marked Springsteen's first new studio album with the E Street Band since 2014's High Hopes. The album received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its exploration of themes related to aging and death. It was commercially successful, topping several international sales charts and becoming Springsteen's 21st top-10 album in the United States. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, promotion for the album included an online radio station, music videos, and a custom Twitter emoji.
Springsteen recorded the album live with the E Street Band over five days in November 2019, finishing after just four. Produced by Ron Aniello and Springsteen, the recording followed a period of writer's block that Springsteen overcame through intense songwriting inspired by the death of former bandmate George Theiss. The lyrics delve into regret, aging, and dying, with the album featuring three tracks written before Springsteen's 1973 debut: "If I Was the Priest," "Janey Needs a Shooter," and "Song for Orphans." Photography for the album's cover and liner notes was done by Danny Clinch.
Plans for a supporting tour in early 2021 were disrupted by the pandemic, and Springsteen estimated that the band wouldn't perform live until 2022. Despite this, he made promotional appearances on shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The album was announced on September 10, accompanied by a music video for the lead single "Letter to You." A documentary about the making of the album was released via Apple TV+ on October 23. Additionally, a lyric video for "The Power of Prayer" was released on November 23, and the band performed "Ghosts" and "I'll See You in My Dreams" on Saturday Night Live in December 2020, marking their first performance since 2017.
