AceShowbiz - In early 2024, Holly Humberstone found herself sifting through memories in her childhood home in rural Grantham, England. At 26 years old, she was sorting through decades of personal belongings as her family prepared to sell the house where she had lived since she was three. This nostalgic journey through old CDs featuring artists like Prince, Paul Simon, Kylie Minogue, and PJ Harvey, alongside treasured jewelry boxes and her first copy of Brothers Grimm’s Fairytale, deeply influenced the creation of her second album, Cruel World.

"I rediscovered so much about myself that I had forgotten," Humberstone shared with Rolling Stone. She described the album as closely linked to her identity and history, reflecting who she has always been. This reflection unfolded just hours before she was set to perform on her intimate acoustic mini-tour at Circuit Kingston in London, where she previewed the new material.

With bright green eyes and palpable excitement, Humberstone expressed her eagerness to return to performing live and to release Cruel World on April 10. She explained, "It’s lovely to come back with a whole fresh set of songs that I really stand behind." Describing her music evolution, she noted, "A lot of my music until now has felt a little more introspective and internal. This feels a little more sure of itself."

Since 2020, Humberstone has emerged as an unmistakable voice in pop music, known for her candid, diary-like songwriting filled with raw emotion. She has connected with a growing audience through high-profile tours supporting artists like Olivia Rodrigo on the Sour tour and Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour. Over the years, she has released three critically acclaimed EPs and her debut album Paint My Bedroom Black in 2023, showcasing her lyrical growth and emotional depth.

Below, Humberstone discusses some of the key tracks on Cruel World, revealing how her childhood memories and personal experiences shaped the themes and sounds of this new chapter.

"Cruel World"

This title track emerged midway through the album’s writing process. Humberstone had composed several songs she loved but hadn’t yet found a cohesive direction. When she wrote "Cruel World," everything clicked into place. "This feels like it defines everything that I’m going through," she said. The song united the disparate pieces she’d created into a singular sonic and lyrical vision, providing a blueprint to complete the record.

A central theme throughout the album is Humberstone’s coming to terms with love as a complex and often painful emotion. "Love is this really painful emotion, and it’s obviously the best thing in the world, but it can also be the worst thing," she reflected. The song captures the chaos and emotional upheaval of maintaining a long-distance relationship, illuminating how the world shifts dramatically in the absence of a loved one.

"To Love Somebody"

This track explores the profound nature of experiencing true love, even if it doesn’t unfold as hoped. Humberstone explained, "If you have the opportunity to experience love in that real way, even if it didn’t end how you thought it was going to or the way you wanted it to, at least you got to experience that and at least you got to feel real true love." She acknowledged the grief after a breakup as a measure of the depth of love once felt, a reality often obscured in the immediate aftermath of heartbreak.

Writing from her own perspective and from witnessing loved ones’ struggles, Humberstone emphasized the hope and opportunities that lie ahead beyond pain. Musically, she aimed to create joyful-sounding music that reflects her current state and celebrates human emotion. She enjoys the production process, especially crafting harmonies that clash and resolve, and infusing the song with ’80s-inspired synth sounds, which are prominent throughout "To Love Somebody."

"Die Happy"

Describing this song as a gothic love ballad, Humberstone wanted to capture the intensity of loving deeply enough to feel fear. "I love saying something really simple like, ‘I love you’ in an interesting way," she said. Written around Halloween, the song draws inspiration from dark, fairy-tale-like films rather than traditional horror, with a particular reverence for Tim Burton’s cinematic worlds known for their intricate atmosphere and visual storytelling.

The song’s haunting chord changes came first and inspired the lyrics, creating a moody, cinematic feel that makes "Die Happy" one of the most visually evocative tracks on the album.

"Beauty Pageant"

The idea for "Beauty Pageant" was sparked by a broken jewelry box Humberstone found in her childhood bedroom. Despite its damage, the ballerina figure inside still spun and played a tune when wound up, evoking a strange but nostalgic feeling she hadn’t experienced since childhood.

The song reflects on recurring themes in Humberstone’s life, particularly her feelings of being trapped in a metaphorical beauty pageant. She questioned the unrealistic expectations placed on women, especially in industries like music, where appearance and performance standards are disproportionately harsh. Humberstone recounted struggling with envy and competition among peers early in her career but ultimately recognizing these pressures as unfair and unnecessary.

She highlighted the discrepancy between public personas and private realities, noting how women often present polished versions of themselves on stage and social media while facing complex, less glamorous experiences behind the scenes. "It’s far too complicated of an issue to really boil down into three minutes," she admitted, but the song attempts to candidly share her perspective as a woman navigating a world not built for her and others like her.

"Lucy"

This track is a heartfelt tribute to sisterhood and the shared experience of growing up. Humberstone described it as an encapsulation of girlhood and the feeling of being overwhelmed, emotions that can linger throughout life. "I really wanted to do right by my sisters because we’ve kind of raised each other," she said. The song serves both as a protective anthem and a personal reflection, embodying the universal feeling of being out of one’s depth yet connected through familial bonds.

Cruel World offers a rich, intimate glimpse into Holly Humberstone’s world, blending personal history with emotional honesty and musical innovation. The album reveals her growth as an artist and person, embracing vulnerability while asserting confidence and artistic clarity. Set for release on April 10, it promises to deepen the connection between Humberstone and her audience as she continues to share her story through evocative and compelling songs.