Big Sigh

Following a tough period of time in lockdown, Hackman was left wondering if she would ever write again.^[1] After a journey back from a "creative dry spell", Hackman would start producing a new record alongside Sam Petts-Davies and long-term collaborator Charlie Andrew. The musician would also play every instrument except for brass and strings.^[2] Compared to its predecessor Any Human Friend (2019), Big Sigh took a wholly different approach on songwriting about themes like "love and sex". Instead of celebrating "sexy fun and visceral, rank hotness", the album talks about the topic in a more "sensitive" and "thoughtful" way.^[3] Big Sigh took a "long time to make", an experience she described as "not easy" and had to have it "sit in its own space" after she finished it.^[4] Referring to it as the "hardest album" she had to write, it tackles topics including love and loss, mental health and the attempt at finding balance.^[5]

The lead single "No Caffeine" was released on 8 September 2023, a song that finds Hackman "in fetal position" struggling with "anxiety" likened to an "abusive partner" while trying to prevent a panic attack.^[6] "Hanging" was released as the second single alongside the album announcement on 11 October. The song reflects on a "past relationship" and a subsequent situation that leaves you unable to move "into the next stage of your life".^[7]