Cyndi Lauper unveils two previously unheard tracks from the ‘True Colors’ era

: by Andrew Braithwaite • Latest • 16 September 2026

Cyndi Lauper is giving fans a new glimpse into the making of True Colors four decades after the landmark album was first released, unveiling two previously unheard tracks from the era.

The Grammy-winning singer has released a deluxe edition of True Colors to mark the album's 40th anniversary, featuring previously unreleased recordings including “The River Cried” and Lauper's version of “Across the Universe.”

“The River Cried,” written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, was recorded during the making of True Colors but ultimately left off the 1986 album. Lauper said the anniversary project gave her the opportunity to return to the song and finish it.

She also rediscovered the mastered version of her recording of “Across the Universe,” which she made with producer Lennie Petze.

The deluxe edition also features a collection of live recordings from Lauper's March 1987 performance at Le Zénith in Paris, including live versions of “True Colors,” “Change of Heart,” “Boy Blue,” “What's Going On” and “Time After Time.” The digital edition contains 29 tracks in total.

Reflecting on the project, Lauper said revisiting the material allowed her to reconnect with a period in which she was determined to push herself creatively.

“I took some risks. I wanted to grow,” Lauper said of the original album. She added that the project had become particularly meaningful after the deaths of Steinberg and Petze, who both worked on the True Colors era.

Originally released on September 15, 1986, True Colors reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and has sold more than seven million copies worldwide. The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA in the US, while its title track later received a platinum certification.

The anniversary campaign will continue with a limited-edition two-LP release on December 4, featuring “The River Cried” alongside selections from Lauper's 1987 Paris concert. The release will come in a rainbow-sprinkle vinyl variant.

The True Colors celebrations also include previously unseen photographs from an Annie Leibovitz shoot, while Bonhams is preparing a career-spanning auction of items from Lauper's personal collection, including costumes, fashion, instruments, awards and memorabilia.

The new material arrives during another significant period in Lauper's career. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2025 and completed her 68-show Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour, while in 2026 she began her first Las Vegas residency and continued work on a Broadway musical adaptation of Working Girl.

Listen on Spotify.

True Colors Digital Tracklist:

Change of Heart
Maybe He'll Know
Boy Blue
True Colors
Calm Inside the Storm
What's Going On
Iko Iko
The Faraway Nearby
911
One Track Mind
The River Cried
Across the Universe
Change of Heart (Live)
The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough (Live)
Boy Blue (Live)
All Through the Night (Live)
What’s Going On (Live)
Iko Iko (Live)
She Bop (Live)
Calm Inside the Storm (Live)
911 (Live)
One Track Mind (Live)
True Colors (Live)
Maybe He’ll Know (Live)
Time After Time (Live)
Money Changes Everything (Live)
Band Introduction (Live)
Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Live)
True Colors (A cappella) (Live)

True Colors 2LP Tracklist:
SIDE 1
1. Change of Heart
2. Maybe He'll Know
3. Boy Blue
4. True Colors
5. Calm Inside the Storm

SIDE 2
1. What's Going On
2. Iko Iko
3. The Faraway Nearby
4. 911
5. One Track Mind
6. The River Cried

SIDE 3
1. Change of Heart (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
2. The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
3. Maybe He’ll Know (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
4. Boy Blue (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
5. True Colors (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)

SIDE 4
1. What’s Going On (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
2. Iko Iko (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
3. Calm Inside the Storm (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
4. 911 (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
5. One Track Mind (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987)
6. True Colors (Acapella) (Live at Le Zénith, Paris, France - March 12, 1987