Albums to watch

Cruel World

Holly Humberstone

Cruel World

Second full-length album from the English indie-pop singer-songwriter produced by Rob Milton

ADM rating[?]

7.8

Label
Polydor
UK Release date
10/04/2026
US Release date
10/04/2026
  1. 10.0 |   Rolling Stone UK

    The singer’s best album yet grapples with the universal feeling of childhood slipping away, transmitted through brilliantly specific vignettes
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  2. 9.0 |   Hot Press

    On Cruel World, Humberstone doesn’t doubt herself. Instead she gives herself a platform from which to affirm her decisions, not only for her own comfort, but also as guidance to fans struggling with the same trials and tribulations
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  3. 8.5 |   Under The Radar

    Her most complete and compelling work to date, a bold, cohesive album that showcases Holly Humberstone as an artist at the height of her songwriting powers, fully in command of her craft and vision
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  4. 8.0 |   Clash

    Caught in the noise of everyday life, but still detached from it
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  5. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    Flirting with polished pop sheen while remaining grounded in bedroom pop roots, this strikingly immediate album feels like a natural follow-up to her debut
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  6. 8.0 |   Far Out

    Cruel World is undeniably Humberstone’s strongest work yet, taking everything she proved to be her strong suit on her debut record and setting a new standard for herself
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  7. 8.0 |   DIY

    Her trademark understated pop, yet with added flourishes
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  8. 8.0 |   Exclaim

    Holly Humberstone takes the kind of risks so well-calculated that it seems like she somehow cracked the code and made it into science — except, as aforementioned, it's the exact kind of thing that can't be replicated; what made lightning strike now may never again
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  9. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    The British singer-songwriter replaces introspection with euphoric choruses, 80s synths and even happy hardcore on her vivid second LP
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  10. 8.0 |   PopMatters

    Although Holly Humberstone ends her new album on a signature sad note, Cruel World has a promising tone that shines through the clouds
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  11. 8.0 |   Dork

    A much more deliberate record than her previous work, and all the stronger for it
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  12. 6.0 |   The Skinny

    In its biggest moments, Holly Humberstone unlocks real pop star energy on her latest album, Cruel World
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  13. 6.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    As recalibrations, or simply maturing, goes Cruel World is as mixed and contradictory as her debut. Humberstone has learned how to live in her complicated world and yet it’s still sometimes unclear what that actually looks like
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