The ever evolving wonder that is Holly Humberstone is set to release her sophomore studio album titled Cruel World. The release arrives at the perfect moment for Holly. After several breakout years, she is finally able to gather her experiences and emotions into a well rounded and sharply observed body of work.
The album orchestrates feelings of young love, loneliness, self doubt, longing and hope.
Together, the songs guide the listener through a double helix journey from infatuation to heartbreak, through isolation and uncertainty, and eventually toward a quiet sense of hope.
It is a record about the messy parts of your twenties: loving too hard, doubting yourself, growing up faster than you planned, and trying to hold onto the parts of you that still feel young.
The single, ‘Cruel World’ acts as the anchor for the entire record, with its lyrics “It’s a cruel world without you” and “How am I supposed to breathe without you?” it’s evident that this track captures the loneliness that comes with long‑distance relationship. When the person you’re meant to be with isn’t around, isolation creeps in. You want to share every experience with them, but that isn’t always possible.
This song carries an incredibly attractive cadence that makes the lyrics instantly memorable and immediately catchy, one of those choruses you can join in with the second time around after hearing it only once. The drums match that energy perfectly, a real toe‑tapper and head‑bobber. I also find the use of what sounds like bongo drums in the intro and post‑chorus particularly interesting; it adds a layer of complexity that I thoroughly enjoy.
Speaking of complexity, the single uses repetition effectively — “I might cu‑cu‑curl up and die”, “Tick, tick, tick, tick, boom”, the latter landing like a countdown with a theatrical bite reminiscent of a Sabrina Carpenter hook. There’s also a clever nod to the delay placed on the word “feedback” in one of the opening lines, demonstrating the lyric in real time. It’s a great touch and will translate brilliantly in a live performance.
Another track not to be sniffed at is, ‘Lucy’. We know Holly is a dab hand with the acoustic guitar, and the melody here builds a sombre but hopeful tone. The song remains acoustic throughout, and it really is a lovely piece, with angelic vocals from Holly. The opening lines paint a vivid image of Lucy putting on makeup on the train and wearing jewellery she’s made herself. The song carries a similar motive to Beauty Pageant: a musical embodiment of how young women struggle to find their place in a world not designed for them. “Being a young woman in the modern world is strange.”
Lucy isn’t explicitly a single person, but rather a nod to young women who don’t yet feel like they fit in and are still figuring out who they are.
The chorus “Anywhere you go, there is a chorus of angels following close” and “Behind every rain cloud there is a promise flowers will grow” acknowledges the struggle while offering hope. The line “Let’s watch them grow” reinforces that sense of gentle encouragement.
The final track of the album, Beauty Pageant, is where Holly seems most exposed, a music‑box piece about a performer stuck in the spotlight. The song begins with a beautiful, storybook‑style piano introduction, and it is exactly that. With the opening lyric “And so it starts, with a girl”, it’s clear this is written in the third person, reflecting the mounting pressure Holly faces in the public eye. Its placement as the closing track is excellent. Drawing from Holly’s experiences, turning them into a fairytale‑like narrative, and widening the scope so it applies to everyone, especially women, and even more so women in the music industry. It’s incredible writing across the board.
The song acts as a perfect façade. Whimsical and fairytale‑like on the surface, while underneath it’s about perfection, pressure, and the demand to deliver. “Twenty‑five, still alive” and “Too dumb, too sad” are perfect examples of how the song embodies Holly’s journey to stardom. The track also demonstrates Holly’s fantastic vocal range, from the lowest notes to the highest, she delivers effortlessly. I have no doubt this will become a true fan sing‑along at any live performance.
Overall, the album stands out clearly as an ode to youth, instability, the push and pull of love, with an underlying sense of hope running through every struggle. The flow of the record is strong, with ‘Lucy’ acting as a palette cleanser at the midpoint before the emotional weight of the remaining tracks settles in. The first track after this break is ‘Red Chevvy’. Despite admitting she’s never actually been in a red Chevy, only a blue Ford, Holly perfectly amalgamates British culture with American romance tropes. The chorus is especially powerful, featuring one of my favourite lines on the album: “So kiss me like you f*cking mean it, I’m yours.” Repeated with conviction, it’s a moment fans will undoubtedly shout back at her.
The album takes you on a rollercoaster through all the feelings mentioned above. It jumps between them, yet remains cohesive because these emotions are universal and mostly experienced by everyone at some point in life. None of the songs feel repetitive; the message threads itself through the record with intention. The energy shifts, rises, and falls, but always leads to one brilliantly crafted album.
Holly Humberstone delivers her strongest work yet, powerful in sound, writing, and message.
A cohesive, heartfelt journey that proves Holly is writing her most honest and affecting work yet. Cruel World is Holly at her most vulnerable and most assured, turning the chaos of early adulthood into something warm, bruised, and beautifully human.
Following the album release Holly is due to head out on a run of live shows and having already sold out dates in Bristol and London at the start of April. Holly then heads to Coachella for two performances on the 12th and 19th of April, followed by a North American tour with 18 shows throughout June, finally returning to the UK and Europe later in the year. Remaining tickets for the tour can be found here.
