Lizzy McAlpine's New Album Takes a Folk-Inspired Turn
Lizzy McAlpine's fourth album Angel adopts a more homespun, folk-influenced approach compared to her earlier cinematic pop. The record features live-band arrangements and songs that evoke contemporary worship music. It follows the viral success of her 2022 ballad "Ceilings" and her split from previous producers.
McAlpine's creative pivot follows her departure from longtime producers Philip Etherington and Ehren Ebbage, who shaped the cinematic pop sound of her earlier hits. The new album instead leans on live-band arrangements, incorporating organs, harmonicas, and whistling alongside tender pianos and twangy guitars. Her work on the Broadway musical "Floyd Collins," about a Kentucky cave explorer, appears to have influenced the album's more traditional folk direction.
The record arrives after "Ceilings" became a viral TikTok phenomenon in 2022, with users filming themselves running from cameras while singing its confessional lyrics. That success established McAlpine as a streaming-era storyteller, but Angel represents a deliberate move toward intimate, homespun songcraft rather than the polished production that defined her breakout period.
McAlpine's stylistic shift could signal a broader movement among viral-era singer-songwriters toward more organic, stripped-down arrangements as audiences seek authenticity beyond algorithm-driven pop. Her established fan base may follow her into this folk-inflected territory, potentially influencing how other artists balance streaming success with artistic evolution. The album's reception could also affect how labels approach promotion for artists transitioning between commercial and more personal creative phases.