Lizzy McAlpine – Ugly things
Much-lauded songwriter, vocalist and producer Lizzy McAlpine today shares a new single, “Ugly things,” and its accompanying video directed by McAlpine.
The track is the latest release from her highly anticipated fourth album, Angel, out September 18 via Indigo Blue/RCA Records.
“I made this video by myself in my house with my camcorder so I could capture the feeling of this song: loneliness and heartbreak,” McAlpine says. “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.”
“Ugly things” follows the album’s first single, “The light in the painting,” which earned critical acclaim from NYLON, Consequence, Atwood and more. Written backstage at a tour stop in San Francisco, Angel’s opening track was also the first song McAlpine created for the record.
Recorded and produced with longtime collaborators Mason Stoops (Miley Cyrus, ROLE MODEL, Mumford & Sons) and Taylor Mackall (ROLE MODEL, Tiny Habits) in and around Los Angeles over nearly two years, Angel marks a clear sonic expansion for McAlpine—a rich tapestry of classic and contemporary influences, from ‘70s Laurel Canyon folk to 21st-century indie. Written during a period of profound self-discovery, the album chronicles McAlpine’s return to self through the themes of love, heartbreak, and the endurance of community and friendship.
Angel follows the success of McAlpine’s 2024 album Older, which received widespread critical acclaim and saw her sell out an extensive international tour, performing sold-out nights at Radio City, the Greek Theatre and venues across the U.K., Australia and Europe. The deluxe edition, Older (and Wiser), featured Platinum-Certified “Spring Into Summer,” Gold-Certified “Pushing It Down and Praying” and Gold-Certified “Staying.”
Since her last album, McAlpine has broadened her artistic scope across the screen and stage. Earlier this year, she made her first-ever film appearance in Jamie Adams’ Only What We Carry, which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2025, she made her Broadway debut in the much-lauded Floyd Collins at Lincoln Center Theater opposite Jeremy Jordan, with a performance The New York Times called “a vocal wow of a Broadway debut.” This fall, McAlpine will perform at Carnegie Hall’s A Celebration of Rodgers & Hart on October 5 alongside a star-studded lineup of Broadway performers.
Born outside Philadelphia, Lizzy gained early recognition for her original songs and covers online before releasing her debut album, Give Me A Minute, in 2020. Solidifying herself as a rising force and amassing thousands of devoted fans, Lizzy’s widely successful second studio album, five seconds flat, was released to critical acclaim in the spring of 2022 and featured Platinum-certified track “ceilings.”
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