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Apr 10, 2026 By Andy Von Pip Photography by Silken Weinberg

Holly Humberstone has released her new single “Beauty Pageant,” the closing track from her second album Cruel World, which is out today via Interscope Records. The song arrives alongside a video directed by Silken Weinberg (Ethel Cain, Skullcrusher)

“Beauty Pageant” examines the strain of image, performance, and the pursuit of perfection, focusing on the emotional aftermath once the spotlight fades. As the album’s closing track, it captures a moment of raw vulnerability, where expectations dissolve and the reality beneath the performance is laid bare.

Cruel World was written with a renewed sense of discipline, shaped by daily studio sessions with collaborator Rob Milton. The record draws deeply on different forms of love, romantic, platonic, and feminine, while also addressing the ways young women are often conditioned to see one another as competition. Across the album, Humberstone pushes back against that idea, reframing solidarity as a means of survival.

Sonically and thematically, the record expands Humberstone’s world into something darker and more cinematic, blending intimate songwriting with gothic textures and visual influences that range from Grimm’s Fairy Tales to films like Black Swan. The result is a cohesive body of work rooted in memory, girlhood, and self-reclamation.

Since emerging with her breakthrough EPs Falling Asleep At The Wheel, and The Walls Are Way Too Thin Humberstone has built a reputation for vivid, emotionally direct storytelling. Her rise has taken her from her family home in Grantham to major stages, including Glastonbury Festival, Lollapalooza, and Wembley Stadium.

The release coincides with Humberstone’s return to Coachella, marking the start of an extensive North American tour. The run includes additional festival appearances at Bonnaroo, Governors Ball, and Summerfest, as well as headline dates across the U.S. and Canada.

Read our Interview with Holly on Cruel World
Read our Cruel World album review

Cruel World - Tracklist:

So It Starts…
Make It All Better
To Love Somebody
Cruel World
Die Happy
White Noise
Lucy
Red Chevy
Drunk Dialing
Peachy
Blue Dream
Beauty Pageant

Holly Humberstone – Live Dates (North America):

April 10 & 17 – Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
June 3 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
June 4 – Montreal, QC – Beanfield Theatre
June 6 – Toronto, ON – All Things Go Toronto
June 7 – Queens, NY – Governors Ball Music Festival
June 9 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of The Living Arts
June 10 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
June 12 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
June 13 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
June 15 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall
June 16 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
June 18 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
June 19 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
June 21 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre
June 22 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex – The Grand
June 24 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
June 25 – Vancouver, BC – The Commodore Ballroom
June 26 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
June 28 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore

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