Lizzy McAlpine Announces Fourth Studio Album Angel Out September 18th and Shares Vulnerable Song”Ugly Things”
- Rainbow_Rocks
- August 22, 2026
- Editorial Features, Entertainment
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Written and Photographed by LGBTQIA Independent+ News Reporter — Kyle Williams — Rainbow Rocks — RainbowRocks.space — August 22nd, 2026
Indie-folk powerhouse Lizzy McAlpine is officially gearing up for the release of her fourth studio album, Angel, arriving September 18 via Indigo Blue and RCA Records. Alongside the album announcement, McAlpine has shared her poignant new single, “Ugly Things,” accompanied by a self-directed music video captured entirely on her home camcorder.
Inside the New Single and Upcoming Record
Written during a period of profound self-discovery, Angel serves as a sonic and personal milestone, chronicling McAlpine’s return to herself through themes of love, heartbreak, and the steady endurance of community and friendship. The record was recorded and produced in and around Los Angeles over nearly two years alongside longtime collaborators Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall, blending classic ’70s Laurel Canyon folk influences with modern indie textures.
“Ugly Things” follows the album’s lead single, “The light in the painting,” which was written backstage at a tour stop in San Francisco and drew critical acclaim from outlets like NYLON, Consequence, and Atwood. Reflecting on the creative process behind the new track and its accompanying visual, McAlpine shares:
“I made this video by myself in my house with my camcorder so I could capture the feeling of this song: loneliness and heartbreak. It’s about seeing someone you thought you knew move through the world in a way that is completely foreign to you, and wishing their path would lead them back to you somehow.”
A Rapidly Expanding Artistic Footprint
The upcoming album follows the massive success of her 2024 full-length Older and its expanded deluxe edition, Older (and Wiser), which featured the Platinum-certified hit “Spring Into Summer,” alongside Gold-certified favorites “Pushing It Down and Praying” and “Staying”.
In addition to her dominant streaming presence—surpassing 4 billion artist streams and pulling in over 13 million monthly Spotify listeners—McAlpine has rapidly expanded her footprint onto the screen and stage. Earlier this year, she made her feature film debut in Jamie Adams’ Only What We Carry, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. This follows her celebrated 2025 Broadway debut in Floyd Collins at Lincoln Center Theater, which earned rave reviews, as well as an upcoming performance at Carnegie Hall’s A Celebration of Rodgers & Hart on October 5 alongside a star-studded lineup of Broadway performers.
“Ugly Things” is available now across all major streaming platforms, with her fourth studio album, Angel, officially releasing on September 18th.
- Instagram: instagram.com/lizzymcalpine
- Spotify: Lizzy McAlpine on Spotify
- TikTok: tiktok.com/@lizzymcalpine
- YouTube: youtube.com/@LizzyMcAlpine
