Michelangelo Dying

The album was made between Hydra, Cardiff, London, and Los Angeles. The album was finished in the Joshua Tree desert.^[2]

Le Bon revealed the album was meant to come out a year earlier in 2024, but felt too sick and exhausted after a break-up. Le Bon described the album as: "realising you’ve completely abandoned yourself in the throes of this all-encompassing love. The breakup was always like an amputation that you don’t really want, but you know will save you".^[3]

The album's packaging and imagery was inspired by artist Colette Lumiere's installation "Recently Discovered Ruins of a Dream", which depicts a woman lying in a chamber draped in fabric, while mirrors line the floor. Le Bon said: "That’s what I really wanted the record to feel like, you can roll up your sleeves and take something on, then you have a rest, because something is resolved."^[3]

The picture in the centre of the album cover depicts Le Bon "drowning", surrounded by mirrors.^[3]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.2/10[4]
Metacritic	88/100[5]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Clash	8/10[7]
Exclaim!	8/10[8]
Mojo	[9]
MusicOMH	[10]
Paste	8.2/10[11]
Pitchfork	8.1/10[12]
Record Collector	[13]
Rolling Stone	[14]
Uncut	8/10[15]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Michelangelo Dying received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 from 14 critic scores.^[5]