Holly Humberstone: Cruel World review – Taylor Swift fave trades gothic melancholy for pop glow-up | Music

TOsa occupation, pop stardom has been in existential disaster for a while. It was easy – a success single was the one actual qualification – however in a post-monocultural world, the job title is usually bestowed because of extra piecemeal success: a Brit rising star award and Taylor Swift assist slot right here, 4m month-to-month Spotify listeners and a Top 5 album there.

This, particularly, is the CV of Lincolnshire’s Holly Humberstonewho has established herself within the pop sphere with out ever troubling the singles chart. While an simple banger has eluded the 26-year-old, its sound is faultlessly chart-friendly. Like Swift, Humberstone delivers earnestly wordy lyrics in intimate, near-ASMR tones atop 80s synth-pop embellished with a deluge of hooks. For this second album, she has dropped the trace of gothic melancholy that accompanied her debut, Paint My Bedroom Black. Cruel World is peppy bordering on euphoric: inordinately sunny break-up music To Love Somebody is powered by a stadium-ready pre-chorus, whereas the brilliantly catchy White Noise plugs into nostalgically naff disco to channel imperial-phase Kylie.

Despite the odd cringeworthy line – “I’m gonna shake my nonexistent ass to this shitty song,” she warns on Drunk Dialling – the manufacturing is mostly realizing and funky (particularly the blissful hardcore breakdown that concludes Make It All Better). Combined along with his industrious strategy to crowd-pleasing melodies, it is onerous to consider a motive why Humberstone should not have an extended profession as a pop star – even perhaps within the previous sense in addition to the brand new.