Indra Aziz
The highly anticipated sophomore album from pop sensation Holly Humberstone, "Cruel World," has officially arrived, marking a significant evolution in the artist’s sound and lyrical depth. Released last Friday, the twelve-track collection is being heralded as her most ambitious and self-assured record to date, offering an intimate and unflinching exploration of love, heartache, and the complex emotional spectrum that lies between. In the wake of the album’s release, and following an exclusive, intimate performance hosted by Spotify for her most dedicated fans, Humberstone sat down with CLASH to discuss the genesis of "Cruel World," her artistic growth, and the profound impact of personal experiences on her music.
The Dawn of "Cruel World": A Blend of Nerves and Excitement
With mere days separating her from the public unveiling of "Cruel World," Humberstone described her emotional state as a "weird mix of nerves and extreme excitement." She elaborated on this duality, stating, "I mean, they’re one emotion, aren’t they? But mostly really excited and really lucky to get to share a piece of work that I have put so much into and that I really, really love." This sentiment underscores the deeply personal nature of the album, a project that has clearly been a labor of love and a significant undertaking for the artist. The release marks a pivotal moment, transitioning from the intensely creative process to the vulnerable act of sharing her art with the world.
Navigating the Creative Currents: Tour Life and Album Preparation
The period leading up to "Cruel World’s" release was a demanding yet rewarding one for Humberstone, who had recently concluded a leg of her tour. She offered insight into how she managed the dual pressures of live performance and album anticipation. "I mean, to me, performing live doesn’t really feel like work," she explained. "I think that the creating of the album feels like the thing that I have to really zone in on for months and years. Then getting to play it live to real people in real time and connect with people feels like such a reward and a real treat. Getting to connect with people is my favourite thing." This perspective highlights her intrinsic motivation for performing and suggests that live shows, rather than being a distraction, serve as a vital source of connection and affirmation for her artistic journey. The energy and feedback from live audiences often fuel the creative spirit, providing a tangible sense of purpose to the years of studio work.
An Evolution in Sound: From Introspection to Openness
When asked about the key distinctions between "Cruel World" and her previous work, Humberstone identified a notable shift towards a more outward-facing perspective. "I think that without realising it, I feel like this album feels more open and outward," she observed. "I don’t really know why that is. I think that it’s natural for artists to evolve and change as they kind of grow up." This evolution is intrinsically linked to her personal growth over the past six years since she first began releasing music at the age of 20.
"I started releasing music when I was 20," she recalled. "So since then, it’s been six years and it might not seem like a ton of time, but I feel like a lot about myself has changed and I think that I’ve learned so much about myself and about love and the world and relationships, through writing this album and growing up, you know?" This period of maturation has imbued "Cruel World" with a sense of optimism, a realization of gratitude for the positive aspects of her life. "And for that reason, I think that this album feels a little more optimistic and I’ve realised that I have so much in my life that I am so lucky to have, and I want to celebrate everything in my life." This shift in perspective is a testament to her artistic development, moving from exploring personal introspection to celebrating the broader tapestry of life.
The Genesis of "Cruel World": A Year and a Half of Transformation
The creative process for "Cruel World" began in earnest towards the end of 2024, following a period of unprecedented personal space for the artist. "I started working on the album towards the end of 2024," Humberstone revealed. "So, I think I played my last show in September 2024, that was All Things Go in New York. And I remember coming back and having nothing in the diary and it had been the first time since my career started and since we came out of lockdown in 2020 that I had space and time to just exist as a human outside of my career and as an artist."
This newfound temporal freedom allowed for a crucial period of reflection and experience, which Humberstone considers essential for her art. "I feel like to be able to be a good artist, you have to live and experience life and get things to write about. And, so it’s been lovely because I feel like I’ve had the chance to do a lot of growing up in this past year and a half, more so than the past like 10." This intensive period of personal growth, marked by significant environmental changes, directly influenced the album’s thematic content. "I feel like so much has changed physically around me in the last year and a half, and I’m somebody who’s very affected by my physical surroundings. I write a lot about where I physically am at that time and what’s happening."
The titular track, "Cruel World," emerged as a pivotal moment in the album’s creation, acting as a conceptual anchor. "So I feel like a lot of those changes have been happening, and writing the album alongside that has helped me to navigate that and come to terms with change. And yeah, I wrote Cruel World about halfway through the writing process and I’d already written a bunch of songs that I really, really loved. Writing ‘Cruel World’ kind of contextualised everything that I’d already written and brought it all into the same sonic and lyrical space. I feel like it all clicked into place with that song and then it gave me the blueprint to write the rest of the album." This pivotal track served as the catalyst, unifying the nascent collection of songs and solidifying its sonic and thematic direction.
Beyond the Music: The Visual Landscape and Personal Anchors
The creation of "Cruel World" extended beyond its musical composition, encompassing a significant exploration of its visual identity. Humberstone discovered a newfound agency in shaping the album’s aesthetic, realizing her power as the "boss of my own project." This visual dimension, she found, had the capacity to "amplify the message and the songs and the messages of the album and what I’m going through right now."
A profound personal experience that deeply informed both the music and visuals was the process of moving out of her childhood home. This home, where she had lived since the age of three, had served as a significant emotional anchor. "Alongside the process of writing this album I’ve been moving out of my childhood home and helping my parents, and we’ve lived there since I was three, and it’s always felt like my anchor. And it has defined me in so many ways." The year-long process of clearing out the accumulated memories and belongings unearthed forgotten aspects of her identity. "And we spent like maybe a year going back and forth from London to the Midlands and clearing out everything I’ve ever owned. And throughout that process I just discovered so many parts of myself that I’d just completely forgotten about, you know, I feel like the world in general and also just this industry is chaotic and overstimulating, and it’s so easy to get wrapped up in what’s ahead or where you want to get to and that doesn’t really leave any time for like looking back and connecting to yourself."
The physical objects discovered within the home became a source of inspiration for the album’s visual world, while the emotional resonance of these discoveries fueled the lyrical content. "I think that a lot of the items, the physical items that I found have inspired like the visual world and a lot of the emotional stuff that it brought up inspired the writing." Consequently, "Cruel World" represents a cathartic process of coming to terms with her past and embracing the inevitability of change. "So for me, the album feels like it bookends my childhood and makes peace with the fact that I’m growing up and change is necessary and to be a human is to change all the time and to be like fluid is a really cool thing. So I feel like it really represents how I am now and where I’m at."
Adding another layer to this period of transformation was her move into a crumbling house in southeast London with her sisters and best friend. This hands-on renovation project, a DIY endeavor, mirrored the album’s themes of building anew and finding strength in collaboration. "And I’ve also been moving in London, I’ve moved into a house in south-east that was crumbling down. We’ve been doing a renovation type thing, kind of DIY. And it’s been really fun. I’ve been moving with two of my sisters and my best friend and just all of that physically shaped the world around me whilst also writing this album."
Furthermore, "Cruel World" marks Humberstone’s first explicit exploration of her experiences as a woman navigating the modern world. "So I think the album really defines everything that I’ve gone through. And I guess, living with girls and growing up with girls and my sisters and my really close, cool group of friends, I feel like this album’s the first time that I’ve really written about my experience of girlhood and how it is to be a woman in the modern world that isn’t really shaped for us. And that’s been really important as well for me to kind of write about and normalise." This candid portrayal of female experience adds a crucial dimension to the album’s thematic scope, aiming to foster a sense of shared understanding.
Navigating the Digital Sphere: Authenticity in the Age of Social Media
As Humberstone’s platform has grown, so too has the public’s expectation for personal insight. She admitted to finding this increased visibility "more daunting." Reflecting on a different era of music consumption, she stated, "I feel like I grew up in a very different world, listening to music and consuming music when things were very different and there wasn’t so much access to who you are as a person behind your music and you had the choice whether to share the person behind the art with social media."
For Humberstone, the digital realm remains an ongoing challenge. "For me, I feel like existing online is still something that I am working on and still doesn’t feel particularly natural to me." She reiterated that songwriting remains her primary mode of authentic self-expression. "I feel like that’s why I songwrite because I can articulate myself so much better and my emotions, through writing songs. I don’t think I’d be able to tell the same kind of stories or give the same level of depth about myself on my Instagram, for example, versus if you had to go and listen to a song. I feel like maybe you’d find more out about me actually listening to the music rather than what I’m sharing online."
While acknowledging the immense opportunities for connection that a larger online presence affords, she continues to grapple with its inherent pressures. "But I’m still figuring out how to navigate existing online." The song "Beauty Pageant" from "Cruel World" directly addresses her "really toxic relationship with social media and you know, searching for validation from kind of external sources." She recognized this struggle as a shared experience, noting, "I feel like probably similar to a lot of us, I’ve become so dependent on my phone for the validation, which is so strange and twisted and it shouldn’t be like that." Her hope is that by openly discussing these challenges, she can contribute to normalizing these experiences for herself and for others.
The Transformative Power of Music: Connection and Shared Experience
The profound impact of music lies in its ability to resonate with listeners on a deeply personal level, allowing them to project their own experiences onto the artist’s work. Humberstone embraces this phenomenon, stating, "I mean, that’s literally what it’s all about. I feel like again, like music is all about connecting to people and being human." She finds solace and purpose in the knowledge that her songs can serve as a refuge for others during difficult times. "And I really love that people can take the emotion behind the song and adapt it to whatever they’re going through. I feel like I’ve always relied on other people’s music for difficult things or transitional periods that I’m going through in my life. It’s that safe space that’s always there. You know, you feel so understood. Music’s so important."
In the current global climate, she emphasized the critical role of human connection, particularly through art. "I think especially right now, like people need like human to human connection, to feel like a part of the world and to normalise being stressed and confused and scared sometimes, as well as like with love, which is another confusing thing. Everything we’re going through is new to all of us and confusing and strange. And I think that’s why it’s important to be connected through music and art."
A Special Celebration: Spotify’s Intimate Fan Event
The recent intimate event hosted by Spotify, designed to honor Humberstone’s top listeners, held particular significance for the artist. "It feels really special," she stated. "Yeah, I mean getting to play any show of any kind is always a bonus because I love getting to do it and as I said, getting to connect with people is so important to me and it’s the whole reason why I make music, you know?"
The experience of touring and performing live has deeply informed the creation of "Cruel World," influencing its more outward-facing sound. "And I feel like I’ve had so much fun, like touring and playing shows with my band over the past few years. I came off tour and realised how much I loved that and needed that. And for that reason, I think a lot of this new album has been written with a live context in mind, which is maybe why it feels a little more kind of open and outward?"
The pre-album release gathering with her most dedicated supporters felt like a fitting prelude to the official launch. "So, yes, since a lot of the songs have been written for a crowd and for a collective of people, it feels really fitting a couple of days before the album to have an intimate gathering of people who have really supported me over the years." She expressed deep gratitude for her early supporters, who have cultivated a sense of community. "And yeah, it just feels really special. I feel like I’ve been really lucky with the people who have showed up from the start. They’ve always felt like a family and I think that music helps them to feel understood, but it also helps me feel understood as well, knowing that people are connecting to my thoughts and what I’m saying. So, yeah, it feels really, really magical, really special." This reciprocal relationship between artist and audience forms the emotional core of her musical endeavors.
"Cruel World" is now available everywhere.
Words: Zahra Hanif
Main Photo Credit: Silken Weinberg
