Holly Humberstone has announced her second studio album, Cruel World, set for release on 10 April 2026. The album is introduced by new single “To Love Somebody”, accompanied by an official video directed by Silken Weinberg.
Cruel World is available to pre-order now at The Record Hub.
Cruel World
Cruel World follows Humberstone’s Top 3 debut album Paint My Bedroom Black and marks her second full-length release.
Written through daily studio sessions with collaborator Rob Milton, the record explores love in its many forms. Humberstone has described the album as examining the tension between pain and pleasure, and the ways in which love can be both grounding and destabilising.
Visually, the album’s world was developed alongside her sister Eleri and creative director Silken Weinberg, drawing inspiration from Victorian theatre, Brothers Grimm and childhood artefacts from the home she grew up in.
Lead Single “To Love Somebody”
The album announcement arrives alongside “To Love Somebody”, which serves as the opening statement for the Cruel World album.
Speaking about the track, Humberstone said:
“In To Love Somebody I wanted to capture that contradiction: to love somebody, is to hurt somebody and to lose somebody, well at least you got to love somebody. In order to feel extreme happiness, you have to know extreme sadness. That’s the tension of the record,”
Recent Momentum
Since winning the BRIT Rising Star in 2022 and earning an Ivor Novello nomination for “Haunted House”, Humberstone has built a reputation for candid songwriting and detailed emotional storytelling.
Her debut album Paint My Bedroom Black saw her headline sold-out UK shows including Brixton Academy and Eventim Apollo, as well as tours across North America.
“Die Happy”, named BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record in November, also appears on Cruel World and continues the gothic-leaning themes present across the new album.
Upcoming Tour
Holly Humberstone will tour the UK and Europe this spring before heading to North America and major international festivals later in the year. Festival appearances include Coachella and Governors Ball.
Follow The Record Hub
Keep up to date with all things Holly Humberstone on The Record Hub.
