Angel (Lizzy McAlpine album)

Following the release of Older in April 2024, McAlpine continued writing and recording songs while touring for the album. From March 2025 to June 2026, McAlpine made her Broadway debut as Nellie Collins in Floyd Collins.^[2] She appeared in an episode of School Spirits, and made her feature film debut in Only What We Carry, which premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Festival in New York City.^[3][4] On January 30, 2026, she released a cover of "The House of the Rising Sun" as a standalone single.^[5]

The album was described as "a clear sonic expansion" for McAlpine, with influences drawing from "classic" and "contemporary inspirations, from '70s Laurel Canyon folk to rich 21st-century indie". Undergoing "profound self-discovery", Angel chronicles McAlpine's "return to self through the themes of love, heartbreak and the endurance of community and friendship".^[1] "The Light in the Painting" was the first song McAlpine wrote for the album in May 2024 while backstage at a tour stop in San Francisco during The Older Tour.^[1] She described the track as the "perfect introduction to the world we've built for Angel".^[6]

On Angel, McAlpine reunited with Older collaborators Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall in Los Angeles to record the album over the course of two years.^[7]

The album cover for Angel was created by artist tidy.totes using paint and chalk.^[8] It is McAlpine's first album cover to not feature her likeness.

McAlpine announced Angel on July 20, 2026, with a release date set for September 18, 2026. "The Light in the Painting" was released as the first single on July 23, 2026.^[9] The music video for "The Light in the Painting" was directed by McAlpine and Neema Sadeghi.^[10] The second single, "Ugly Things", was announced on August 17, 2026, and was released on August 21, 2026.